Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future


1973 sci-fi comedy

Rating: 14/20

Plot: An inventor accidentally sends his landlord into the past while bringing Ivan the Terrible into the present.

This is "not strictly a historical film."

Featuring the Russian Rick Moranis, lots of Benny Hill type sequences, 4th Wall busting, and a wacky moogish score, this Soviet sci-fi comedy is more fun than it is good. Granted, it seems like a lot of the verbal wordplay might have been lost in translation. Cool cartoonish effects and no-budget old-school camera trickery always translates well, however, and I really liked the look of the time machine--a well-shot pile of junk. There are also some fun moments with a cat.

Should I have been surprised to see Marlboro product placement? Because I was!

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