USSR LOTR (Khraniteli, 1991)

The Internet, like Sauron, just keeps on giving. 

Kora Burton and Jonathan Geltner join Chris to talk about one of its strangest and most recent Tolkien-related gifts, Khraniteli, a made-for-television production of The Fellowship of the Ring that aired in the final days of the USSR (1991) and was released by a kind soul onto YouTube 30 years later (2021).  

In this characteristically digressive episode, we start with some big thoughts about realism in cinema and fantasy, as well as whether Tolkien's stories can be adapted into non-British (non-English?) contexts. For dessert, we talk about particular moments in the movie itself.  You don't need to have watched this to enjoy all that is said, but it might help to at least watch a condensed highlight reel.

This article in Variety gets mentioned, and it's worth reading, at least compared to all of the other articles that have come out about this (ones that don't feature actual reporting).

I'd love to hear from you if you're enjoying the podcast!  Email me at inklingsvarietyhour@gmail.com.  

Next time: We'll either feature an interview, or begin our Out of the Silent Planet episodes.  It may be two weeks before we get there, as I'm still grading final papers and exams, but I'll try to throw something from the vault your way next week.  Upcoming interviews feature Harry Lee Poe, David C. Downing, Don W. King, and others.