Comments on: Not fool of facts

By: John Gillespie

John Gillespie — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 05:13:30 +0000

Thanks for the comment Aurelius, and for joining me in the red corner

By: Aurelius

Aurelius — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 01:44:22 +0000

It’s interesting to see a fellow western Russophile. We’re such a rare breed.

By: Shane Magee

Shane Magee — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 10:13:41 +0000

Second that on Gorbachev. His autobiography is a must for those wishing to know what makes greatness

By: John Gillespie

John Gillespie — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 19:16:20 +0000

Thanks Paul. That’s a very nice looking website you have there, and a most interesting book. All the best for your efforts.

By: Paul Martin

Paul Martin — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:20:19 +0000

I’m right with you on Gorbachev. He’s the one who took on all the risk.

By: John Gillespie

John Gillespie — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:55:19 +0000

Thanks Maria. Don’t feel too bad—I have a degree in film; for 2 years of my life I watched, read about (and wished I could actually make) films by the great directors, and Russia has more than her share of them.

I bet you could out-fact me on just about any other topic…

By: John Gillespie

John Gillespie — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:52:51 +0000

Thanks Alf—you almost got eight facts in there yourself!

I remember Gorky Park well—I was a little young to be watching such “adult” films at the time, which made it even more exciting than it possibly was, but still it is a good film—William Hurt doesn’t often disappoint.

I haven’t read the Brothers Karamazov, and did my usual trick when asked to read War and Peace and Crime and Punishment in something like a week—write something intelligent sounding without actually doing the reading. One of these days, when time grows on trees, I will get around to reading all the classics.

I remember a review of Stalingrad when it came out and really, really wanted to read it, but it has yet to happen. Not exactly light reading of course, but neither is Solzhenitsyn.

Yes, a classic song by Sting—in fact a classic song full stop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g90uQ0_Xa84. I remember it well—I was living in Canada at the time “Russians” came out, and felt alarmingly sandwiched between two antagonist neighbours—so quickly we forget the fact it is not so long ago that the end of the world was actually a thing that seemed possible—from where to where indeed.

By: Maria

Maria — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 06:23:51 +0000

Hey,
Oh wow, these ARE quite… “large-scale” facts. I always feel embarrassed when people from outside Russia know more about Russian cinema than me (and they usually do).

By: alfie

alfie — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 06:02:24 +0000

You are quite the comrade, da?

As far as films go, I have only seen Gorky Park, Moscow on the Hudson and The Russians are Coming! The last one was pretty funny.

In Year 8, I once pretended to read The Brothers Karamazov in an English lesson. We were all supposed to choose a book in the library for the period and read quietly. Not intending to read, I grabbed this solid tome and hid behind it. My favourite English teacher said, “Ah, a bit of light reading,” with a grin.

As I was checking that I spelt the title correctly I found the following image of the author’s notes for Chapter 5:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bkdraft.jpg

which is a work of art in itself.

Having watched the trailer to the movie above, i just remembered that I read Stalingrad by Anthony Beevor.

Of course, who can forget, the Russians love their children too.

By: John Gillespie

John Gillespie — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 03:28:51 +0000

Hi Savannah. There I go, passing myself off as a film expert, yet Ive never even seen Dr Zhivago! Remember that this particular meme is only“8 Random Facts About Yourself,” which somewhat randomly, I made Russian.