• NEWS: Soviet Silent Comedies at Slapstick Festival 2025 in Bristol PLUS podcast recommendations
    Jan 5 2025

    Host Ally Pitts highlights several Soviet silent comedy films screening at Slapstick Festival 2025 in Bristol, UK, and makes some podcast recommendations.

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    https://slapstick.org.uk/slapstick-festival-2025/

    https://pamhutch.wordpress.com/about/

    Pamela Hutchinson's podcast appearances

    https://www.annabogutskaya.com/

    https://gulpfictionbooks.com/ Streaming service free trials:

    For a 30-day free trial of Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. For a 30-day free trial of MUBI: https://mubi.com/russiansovietpod

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    4 mins
  • 2024 highlights & 2025 plans
    Jan 5 2025

    Host Ally Pitts looks back at some highlights of 2024 and looks ahead to 2025. Note from Ally: Unfortunately, the audio for this episode is not up to the usual standard due to a mistake on my part. On balance I thought it was better to release it now as is rather than defer a week until I'd have time to re-record. Thanks for understanding, and please excuse the sound being a little rougher than I'd like on this occasion.

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    Support the show and Ally's other movie-related projects at ko-fi.com

    Issue 48 of Film Stories magazine, featuring Ally's article on The Point in Milton Keynes, the UK's first multiplex cinema/movie theater.

    Ally on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929)

    Ally on The Pink Smoke podcast with Martin Kessler: The Queen of Spades (Thorold Dickinson; 1949)

    The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford's independent cinema

    The Fright Pub horror movie podcast

    Ally's notes on Lawrence of Arabia for the Danger Close war movie podcast

    https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-first-time-watches-of-2024/detail/

    https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-5-re-watches-of-2024/detail/

    https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-klassiki-watches-of-2024/detail/

    https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/my-top-10-mubi-watches-of-2024/detail/ Streaming service free trials:

    For a 30-day free trial of Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription. For a 30-day free trial of MUBI: https://mubi.com/russiansovietpod

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    We changed the name of the show a little while back, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    10 mins
  • Interview with film composer Juliet Merchant
    Dec 8 2024

    Composer and musician Juliet Merchant joins host Ally Pitts to discuss some of the silent films she has written scores for.

    At the time of recording, six of the films Juliet has composed scores for are available on the streaming service Klassiki, which is available in the UK, the US, and the Republic of Ireland.

    Here’s a link to a 30-day free trial: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription.

    The films are: Aelita: Queen of Mars (Yakov Protazanov; 1924)

    The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr West in the Land of the Bolsheviks (Lev Kuleshov; 1924)

    Girl with the Hatbox (Boris Barnet; 1927)

    House on a Volcano (Hamo Bek-Nazaryan; 1929)

    Love's Berries (Oleksandr Dovzhenko; 1926)

    A Life for a Life (Yevgeny Bauer; 1916)

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    julietmerchantmusic.com/

    The Golden Silent Films podcast

    HippCast: The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival podcast

    Ally Pitts on Media-eval: a medieval pop-culture podcast with Dr Sarah Ifft-Decker: The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer; 1928)

    Ally Pitts on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929)

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/films/reviews/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/enjoy-the-silents-my-silent-film-recommendations/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/silent-films-with-scores-by-juliet-merchant/

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • NEWS: Two Soviet silent film screenings in Nov '24
    Nov 17 2024

    Ally Pitts announces a screening of Lev Kuleshov’s By the Law; 3pm on Sunday 24th November '24 at the Barbican Cinema, and a screening of Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin at the Winter Gardens in Morecambe in Lancashire on at 7.15pm on Saturday 30th November '24.

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2024/event/silent-film-live-music-by-the-law

    https://www.northernsilents.com/whats-on/battleship-potemkin-morecambe

    https://www.northernsilents.com/silents-by-the-sea

    Ally Pitts on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929)

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/films/reviews/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/enjoy-the-silents-my-silent-film-recommendations/ https://letterboxd.com/ally_pitts/list/silent-films-with-scores-by-juliet-merchant/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    6 mins
  • 100 years of Aelita: Queen of Mars (Yakov Protazanov; 1924) [Classic episode re-release with new intro, outro and music]
    Sep 22 2024

    Classic episode re-release, featuring music by composer Juliet Merchant.

    In this episode, originally released in August 2018, Sarah Roberts, artist and podcaster, joins Ally Pitts to discuss this early Soviet silent sci-fi adventure.

    SPOILERS from about 16 minutes in until the end. CONTENT WARNING: discussion of the film's depiction of abusive relationships and violence against women.

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    Art by guest Sarah Roberts: https://sarahkathleenroberts.com/

    Composer Juliet Merchant's live performance dates: julietmerchantmusic.com/

    Ally Pitts on The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman: Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov; 1929)

    Ally Pitts on Media-Eval: A Medieval Pod Culture Podcast with Dr. Sarah Ifft-Decker Ally's silent film recommendations on Letterboxd

    klassiki.online/yuliya-solntseva-hidden-history-soviet-queen-of-film/

    klassiki.online/podcast/

    For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription.

    www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/eye-of-the-storm

    www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/start-here-modernism-in-ukraine

    slaviclitpod.com/aelita-1924-by-protazanov/

    theukrainianmuseum.org/alexandra-exter-the-stage-is-a-world/

    Aelita screening 9th November 2024 @ St. Hilda's College, Oxford, UK with live performance by Juliet Merchant

    Aelita screening 20th October 2024 @ the Fine Arts Building, Chicago

    Didn't mention this in the episode, but we should have: it's Silent Movie Day 2024 on 29th September.

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles/contacts are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Alexandra Exter, Aelita, and Modernist Art in Ukraine 1900-1930
    Aug 24 2024

    Host Ally Pitts shares news about two exhibitions running in 2024 that feature the work of artist Alexandra Exter. He also discusses a previous film covered on the podcast, Aelita, which she worked on as a costume designer and set decorator.

    The Royal Academy of Art's exhibition is In the Eye of the Storm: Modernism in Ukraine from 1900 to the 1930s. That's in London and runs until 13th October 2024

    The Ukrainian Museum's exhibition is Alexandra Exter: The Stage is a World. That's in New York City and is running from 27th September 2024 until 19 January 2025

    Links mentioned in the episode: https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibition/eye-of-the-storm

    https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/start-here-modernism-in-ukraine

    Art by previous guest Sarah Roberts:https://sarahkathleenroberts.com/

    https://slaviclitpod.com/aelita-1924-by-protazanov/

    https://www.theukrainianmuseum.org/alexandra-exter-the-stage-is-a-world/

    https://klassiki.online/yuliya-solntseva-hidden-history-soviet-queen-of-film/

    https://klassiki.online/podcast/ For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription.

    Contact us/socials:

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    8 mins
  • NEWS: Béla Tarr & Tarkovskian echoes
    Jul 21 2024

    Host Ally Pitts shares news about the BFI's Béla Tarr retrospective season Will Heaven Fall Upon Us?

    Ally's local, the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford is one of the participating UK cinemas.

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    Béla Tarr retrospective Season at the Ultimate Picture Palace in Oxford

    For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/a-russian-soviet-movie-podcast/

    The Top 100 podcast with Tim Coleman

    Peter Bradshaw's interview with Béla Tarr for the Guardian

    https://www.criterion.com/films/33388-werckmeister-harmonies

    The British Film Institute's Béla Tarr retrospective season

    Ally's Klassiki recommendations on Letterboxd

    Damnation blu-ray from Arbelos

    Calvert Journal article on Béla Tarr by Carmen Gray

    Some UK independent cinemas taking part in the Béla Tarr retrospective:

    https://tynesidecinema.co.uk/film-seasons/bela-tarr-retrospective/ https://www.showroomworkstation.org.uk/belatarrcollection

    https://www.riocinema.org.uk/movie/will-heaven-fall-upon-us

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    Contact us/socials:

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    7 mins
  • Nostalgia AKA Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky; 1983)
    Jul 14 2024

    International(?) man of mystery Lyn Seren joins Ally Pitts to discuss Andrei Tarkovsky's penultimate film. We also talk about rückenfigurs and Milton Keynes artists Boyd & Evans a bit!

    Links mentioned/alluded to in the episode:

    International Association for Suicide Prevention’s directory: https://www.iasp.info/suicidalthoughts/

    UK: https://www.samaritans.org/

    US: https://988lifeline.org/

    All the links for a Russian & Soviet Movie Podcast you're ever likely to want or need: linktr.ee/russiansovietmoviepodcast

    For a 30-day free trial of the streaming service Klassiki: https://klassiki.online/arussiansovietmoviepodcast/

    If you use the code RUPOD50, you can get 50% off an annual subscription.

    Milton Keynes-based artists Boyd & Evans: https://www.boydandevans.com/

    British-Russian comedian Olga Koch: https://www.rocknrolga.com/

    Oxford Comedy Festival: https://oxfordcomedyfestival.co.uk/

    Contact us/socials:

    We've changed the name of the show, but the social handles are a bit of a mishmash.

    Email: russophilesunite@gmail.com

    Twitter (or 'X', if you really insist): @RussophilesU

    Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/Ally_Pitts/

    Listen to Ally's other podcast appearances on Podchaser

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    1 hr and 25 mins