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Reviews
Screen One: Hostile Waters (1997)
A low budget, but interesting and suspenseful thriller
First of all, to Robert Johansson, the political officer (or Zampolit) and the KGB officer are one in the same. They are a presence on all Soviet nuclear submarines to assure the crew's political education away from base. The story (adapted from the true-life account by the same name: Hostile Waters) is well directed by David Drury despite serious budget setbacks and production pitt falls. The crew is represented in all the authentic Soviet insignia and lapel tags. As is the American crew in the Los Angeles class submarine. The film builds to extreme suspense as the viewer ponders what will happen to America, to the world, as the brave and loyal Soviet Navy attempts everything to overcome the fire in the missile bay that resulted from a collision with the afformentioned US sub. The climax takes place in the Nuclear Reactor room as a brave young cadet is forced to stay inside while his crew desperately attempt to push through the hatch and pull him out. The Graphics are cheap but convincing and the Soviet Naval atmosphere is captured very authentically. A fine Saturday night movie. It takes the cake in the suspense department along with Crimson Tide and The Hunt For Red October. I give it an 8.5 out of a possible 10.
Citizen X (1995)
The true story of Russia's Hannibal Lecter
In the bleak woods of Rostov-on-Don during the tenure of Andropov, 8 bodies with severe mutilations are found and brought to forensics expert Viktor Burakov(Stephen Rea). The local Communist chieftains soon hear about this and call Burakov to establish a means to solving the murder cases and is put in charge by Colonel Mikhail Fetisov (Donald Sutherland). With no real help to look forward to, Burakov can only rely on his old but street-smart colonel. Together, Fetisov and Burakov defy the Soviet bureaucracy and apathy to uncover what seems to be a serial killer. Using completely radical police methods, they call in Psychiatrist Aleksandr Bukhanovsky (Max von Sydow) to create a psychological portrait of the killer. With the arrival of Glasnost and Perestroika the team of three men are on the brink of succeeding in their goal. The evil man that has been eluding them for the past 9 years is appearing slowly on paper; can he appear in person before more children are killed?