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Yevgeny Bazhenov, who releases his video reviews under the pseudonym BadComedian, started YouTube activities in 2011. The subject of the channel is reviews of bad films.
And if at the beginning of his career, Evgeny filmed reviews of frankly bad Russian comedies, now Bazhenov reviews high-budget films, smashing them to smithereens with criticism.
Bazhenov criticized such popular films as “Viking”, “Upward Movement”, “Temporary Difficulties”, “Attraction” and many other Russian films.
Scolding bad films, Evgeny does not forget to recommend good ones and adds: “Good films are made in Russia. Just not often. And they don’t show it anywhere.”
In our top, we have collected 10 films that a domestic YouTube critic recommends for viewing to every lover of good cinema.
10 Full metal jacket | 1987
Our top film opens with the famous director Stanley Kubrick. The film is a military drama about the fighting in Vietnam.
The film shows the senselessness of the war, because the “green” recruits thrown to the front do not understand why or whom they are killing.
The whole film is an immersion in the atmosphere of military madness, where there is no logic, compassion and awareness.
The film also demonstrates how war changes the participants in hostilities: how one, flowing outward, blood brings satisfaction; how others tremble and cry, unable to pull the trigger, saying goodbye to their humanity and common sense; how the third, a small part of all those who arrived at the front, retain the remnants of reason and cherish the hope of preserving their human mercy.
9. They fought for their Motherland | 1975
A film by the great Soviet director Sergei Bondarchuk based on Sholokhov’s novel. You can talk about the merits of the film endlessly, it is not for nothing that it is considered the best classic of military dramas.
The plot of the film develops during the tragic period of the Great Patriotic War – in 1942. And it tells about the Soviet rifle regiment, which is retreating to Stalingrad. The protagonist of the story is Pyotr Lopakhin, through whose eyes the viewer sees the whole burden of life in those years.
8. Apocalypse Now | 1979
A film that went down in history as the most worthy representative of American cinema. The picture is full of feelings, emotions, in it life and death are closely intertwined, in it some heroes came to Vietnam out of boredom and hopelessness, while others see a great mission in the war.
And the film perfectly denounces the only “plus” of the war – the ability to release the human inner primitive beast, thirsty for blood, eager to conquer and subdue. However, having given freedom to the beast, far from everyone will be able to drive him back into the cage at the end of the war.
7. Mirror for the hero | 1987
The Soviet film, released in 1987, tells the story of two men who are thrown into the past by time. The heroes fall into May 8, 1949 and get stuck in a time loop: every morning they start on May 8, 1949.
Each character has their own motivation to get stuck in this particular day. For example, Andrei has the ability to prevent the death of a large number of people. But Sergei – to see the life of his young parents, to understand their characters, consequences and reasons, because of which the parents became the adults that their own son knows them.
6. At any cost | 2016
The story follows the main character, Toby, and his brother, Tanner, who has served time in jail. The brothers learn that during their lifetime their mother took a large loan from the bank, and now, if the debt is not repaid on time, the bank will take away the family ranch.
The brothers decide to take risks: they put on masks and go to rob the nearest financial institutions. In parallel with the robbers, the viewer is shown a line of two rangers, for one of whom the capture of the robbers will be the last thing, as the ranger is about to retire.
This is not just a film about robbers and their persecution, this is a film about friendship, mutual assistance and what parents are ready to do for the sake of their children’s happiness.
5. War | 2002
Russian film directed by Alexei Balabanov. A film that tells not just about the war in its well-known understanding, but about the war of characters, worldviews, mentalities and the war taking place in the head of each individual person.
Each hero of the picture perceives the war differently. For Alan Gugaev, war is life. This is a way to earn money, this is authority, this is a way to feel like the master of the situation.
For the civilized Englishman Boyle, this is a terrible and wild place in which he does not understand either the laws or the rules.
For Ivan Ermakov, the war ended the moment he was released from captivity. But returning to his native Tobolsk, the hero does not find his place. In addition, the war is going on even on the territory of the city: not large-scale, but tangible. Criminal gangs divide territories, money and people.
4. Platoon | 1986
Critics recognize the film as one of the best films about the Vietnam War. The viewer is shown real military operations through the eyes of Chris Taylor, the protagonist of the film Platoon.
The film shows gruesome scenes of civilians being killed, villages set on fire, drug use by American soldiers, and bickering between those same soldiers.
There is no question of any patriotism and mission in the film; rather, it shows the true reasons why American troops were defeated in this war.
3. This is what is happening to me | 2012
Russian drama directed by Viktor Shamirov. A film-thinking, after watching which you sit in silence for a long time and ask yourself important questions.
The events take place on December 31, but the film is very different from its New Year counterparts: there is no fuss, rush and madness, the story begins calmly and measuredly.
She talks about brothers, different in character, worldview and way of life. However, approaching and demonstrating true friendship.
2. One’s own among strangers, a stranger among one’s own | 1974
Picture-debut of Nikita Mikhalkov. It is about a difficult time when the Civil War was already over, but the complete victory of the Bolsheviks had not yet come.
In the story, a group of former white officers rob a train of gold, and five former red fighters engage in battle with the robbers.
But this film is far from being about war and politics. After all, it does not matter which party is held in high esteem, which president we listen to, and what power is over us.
The main thing is friendship, courage, fortitude and honesty. Qualities that will be valued at all times and no matter what political system prevails in these times.
1. Fool | 2014
The film directed by Yuri Bykov, Bazhenov himself calls him one of the best modern Russian directors, but whose films collect almost nothing at the box office.
The film “Fool” tells about the building of the hostel, which is about to collapse, and the main character wants to prevent it. But for this he needs to face the apparatus of the city administration. “Fool” is a film during which the viewer asks himself the question: “What would I do?”
Bazhenov says that this film is: “an excellent movie, with well-discovered sides of the conflict, good actors and accurate dialogues.”
Eugene does not recommend this film only to those viewers who want to get positive emotions while watching.