Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses

Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses. Aki Kaurismäki. 1994. ⚁

[ten minutes pass]

OK, whatever problems the first Leningrad Cowboys had, it had spirit. This feels like it’s over even before it begins — like it’s apologising for existing… which perhaps it is? It’s a followup movie to Kaurismäki’s hugely successful movie, and… he’s a bit embarrassed by that or something?

Instead of being stupidly inspired, it’s just… stupid?

[twenty minutes pass]

I have to admit, I just kinda lost interest here, and started shopping Eclipse box sets from the Criterion web site. (I got box 2-10, except the one that was sold out. Box 1 was “Early Bergman”, which I’ve already seen.)

OK, concentrate on this movie now!!!

[more time passes]

No, this just doesn’t work. Everybody involved tries hard to make something happen on the screen, but it just doesn’t gel.

The Moses/Marxist stuff is funny, of course, but it’s not enough.

Rocky VI

Rocky VI. Aki Kaurismäki. 1986. ⚄

I guess this is a music video? Sort of? The music sounds like somebody listened to everything Trevor Horn had ever done, and then did a really bad version of that?

It’s like ersatz music? So perhaps this isn’t a music video after all?

It’s pretty funny.