Posted on 01/24/2018 2:05:54 AM PST by Krosan
Russia's culture ministry on Tuesday withdrew permission for the release of British film The Death of Stalin later this week after officials and top arts figures labelled it offensive and "extremist".
Armando Iannucci's comedy, which had a world premiere in September, takes a satirical look at the power scramble after Stalin's 1953 death and includes actors playing historical figures such as World War II commander Marshal Georgy Zhukov, Nikita Kruschev and Vyacheslav Molotov.
"The distribution certificate for the film 'The Death of Stalin' has been withdrawn," a spokeswoman for the culture ministry told AFP.
The ministry said the film's release was cancelled after officials found it contained "information whose distribution is legally banned in Russia".
According to the Guardian, Iannucci said: "All the Russians we've shown the film to so far, including Russian press, have said how much they enjoyed and appreciated the film. They say two things: it's funny, but it's true. I'm still confident we can get it in cinemas."
The film, directed by The Thick of It creator Ianucci, was set for a limited release in cinemas from Thursday after local distributors Volga Film gained an 18+ certificate from the culture ministry.
This prompted a wave of protests from conservative figures, although it received good reviews in Russian broadsheets.
On Monday, Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky held a private screening for officials and film directors.
Yelena Drapeko, deputy head of the lower house of parliament's culture committee, told the RBK news site that she had "never seen anything so disgusting in my life".
"[The audience], me included, saw elements of extremism in the film," she said.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Who do they think they are — Facebook?
I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I am sure to watch it. “The Thick of It” series by BBC-4 is a masterpiece of political satire and I recommend it to everyone.
To give a taste of Iannucci humor - here is a sketch about repairing a washing machine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAGlUUAmjxk
To get my lawn mower to work I would routinely threaten it with a spark plug wrench. It worked.
My mom is 74 years old. My son built his grandfather a computer. The trouble with that one is that it doesn’t always turn on. I was visiting my mom 2 weeks ago and I got really angry at the computer and threatened to kick it, but it still didn’t turn on. Then my mom said “sweet computer.. please turn on now. I am always your friend!” and the computer turned on.
I still say magic isn’t real, but DAMN!.
The trailer is hilarious. I added it to my pre class clips when I was teaching THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR. A bunch of us are going to see it when it comes out. My friend and i quote the opening scene. Also quote DEAL DEAL from KELLY’S HEROES.
Would you like a riddle? Well here’s one. In the early 80s me and my cousin in Soviet occupied Estonia saw our first American movie on a big screen. We had just worked all summer so we had enough money to see the double ticket movie (2 times the price). Soviet F*ucks thought that this is the only American movie that can be shown.
Can you guess what it was? Answer is in my link, but please refrain yourself to three guesses before you click to see the answer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnJEeHND_lQ
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