Viy (with Lars Henriks)

Lars Henriks, filmmaker and host of the Mysterium Pictorum podcast, joins us to explore the first and possibly only horror film made in Russia during the Soviet era: Viy (1967). It's a retelling of Nikolai Gogal's classic but probably fake folktale, which also inspired Mario Bava's Black Sunday (1960) and a recent Russian-Chinese CGI-fest that has a sequel starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan. No, we're not making that up – Google it! It tells the tale of a feckless seminary student who is called to hold a vigil over the body of a young girl for three nights, during with increasingly terrifying, coffin-surfing things occur to test his faith. Is it a relatively undiscovered jewel of spooky Soviet cinema or an unfathomable unorthodox oddity? Find out!Find out more about Lars Henriks at www.larshenriks.deFollow us on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramSupport us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus contentSupport us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict!Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us.Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.