5 Days of War: as the movie admits, truth is the first casualty
Renny Harlin, “5 Days of War” aka “5 Days of August” (2011) Directed by Renny Harlin and financed by the Georgian government, this drama is a…
Propaganda Films
Films made with an obvious bias to serve a larger agenda or to mitigate a controversial topic and make it safe for general public consumption.
Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors: uneven animated movie with strident tone preaches a nationalistic message
Mitsuyo Seo, “Momotaro’s Divine Sea Warriors” (1945) Japan’s first full-length animated movie is a World War II propaganda film aimed at children and centred around a…
The Andromeda Nebula: the Soviet Star Trek that was never to be in spite of impressive visual style
Yevgeny Sherstobitov, “The Andromeda Nebula” (1967) Based on a novel “Andromeda: a Space-Age Tale” by Ivan Efremov, this is a very visually striking film about the…
Ikarie XB-1: an early 1960’s space travel movie that boldly went where no space travel movie went before
Jindrích Polák, “Ikarie XB-1” (1963) A compelling early 1960’s science fiction gem from the old Czechoslovakia is this lavish effort by Polák that details the day-to-day…
The Planet of Storms: lowbrow 1960’s Soviet sci-fi film with high production values and slight subtext
Pavel Klushantsev, “Planeta Bur’ ” aka “The Planet of Storms” (1962) In the early 1960’s Soviet space exploration was focussed on sending probes and eventually manned…
Aelita, Queen of Mars: a multi-plot story with a moral about living in fantasy versus living in reality
Yakov Protazanov, “Aelita, Queen of Mars” (1924) This silent Soviet film from the mid-1920’s can be seen in nine parts on Youtube.com thanks to contributor Ishexan. Most…
Assassin of Youth: “educational” soap opera that titillates with flashes of sordid behaviour
Elmer Clifton, “Assassin of Youth” (1937) It’s a laughable anti-marijuana screed but “Assassin of Youth” at least has a comic drama going for it. A reporter,…