November 27, 1967 (Soviet Union)
Originally a story by Nikolai Gogol, Вий (aka Viy) was adapted to film in 1967 by director Konstantin Yershov and Georgi Kropachyov. One of the best Russian horror films of the era, if not all time, and a contender for some of the most striking horror films, regardless of nationality, Viy is not to be overlooked.
It’s a folk-horror tale about a young monk who encounters a witch. She rides, then flies, over the horizon on his back, but with his faith, defeats her, leaving the now beautiful young witch near death.
Shortly after returning to the cloister, he is ordered to visit a dying farmer’s daughter. Realizing that the daughter is none other than the which, he is now charged with presiding over her funeral.
The visual effects used to conjure surreal, phantasmagorical images are astonishingly effective, delivered on a ghastly cool blue and green palette. The beautiful actress presents an ideal young which, particularly as she rides her coffin like a buggy and then a surfboard, typhoon-like through the air, conjuring skeletons, devils and ghosts to taunt and torment the comically inept monk.
In 2014 a big budget remake was produced, similar to Stardust and Sleepy Hollow.
IMDb: https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0062453/?ref_=ttrel_ov_bk
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viy_(1967_film)
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