Kin-dza-dza!: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Soviet Union, 1986
Director: Georgiy Daneliya
Writers: Revaz Gabriadze, Georgiy Daneliya
Cast: Stanislav Lyubshin, Evgeniy Leonov, Yuriy Yakovlev, Levan Gabriadze, Olga Mashnaya, Irina Shmelyova, Lev Perfilov, Anatoliy Serenko, Aleksandra Dorokhina, Olesya Ivanova, Tatyana Novitskaya

Release Date: March 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 132 Minutes 51 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono Russian
Subtitles: English (Non-Removable)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"a plainspoken construction foreman (Stanislav Lyubshin) and a Georgian student carrying a violin case (Leo Gabriadze) – encounter an odd homeless man on the street who asks, “Tell me the number of your planet in the Tentura?” In a flash, they’re teleported across the universe to the planet Pluke in the Kin-Dza-Dza galaxy – a Tatooine-like desert world whose inhabitants are hilariously noncommunicative (their main words are “ku” for good and “kyu” for very bad) and where common wooden matches are tremendously valuable." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New restoration from the original camera negative and sound elements by Mosfilm."

Kin-dza-dza! comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.4 GB

Feature: 36.3 GB

This is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Russian with non-removable English subtitles. The source sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include 2023 restoration trailer (2 minutes 10 seconds, LPCM mono Russian with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with lead actor Leo Gabriadze about the making of KIN-DZA-DZA! and the contributions of his father, co-writer Rezo Gabriadze, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (50 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview about KIN-DZA-DZA! and the rich history of Soviet science-fiction cinema with comics artist (Swamp Thing), film historian and author Stephen R. Bissette, moderated by Dennis Bartok (83 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay by journalist and physical media expert Ryan Verrill (The Disc Connected) and film professor Dr. Will Dodson titled Got a Match? On Vodka and Vinegar at the End of History (16 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central), and a 12-page booklet with an essay titled Was This Trip Really Necessary? Kin-dza-dza! and it's Wry Vision of the Cosmos written by Justin Humphreys.

Summary:

A homeless man gives two men a device, and they transported themselves to another planet after pushing the wrong button.

The events that unfold in Kin-dza-dza! fit firmly into a theater of the absurd. Two men find themselves in a barren, unrecognizable place where nothing or no one could be seen for miles. When they encounter the first living beings from this world, it is clear they are no longer on Earth. Things are complicated; these two beings speak in two phrases, Koo and Kelse, causing a communication barrier. These two beings have a flying contraption, and the two earth men hope they can get them and fly them home or to someone who can. What follows is a series of encounters with similar characters as the two Earth men try to adjust and learn the customs of planet Pluke.

The first thing that you notice while watching Kin-dza-dza! is that it is a sci-fi film that is virtually devoid of fancy effects, and most devices look more modern than futuristic. Even the main flying contraption is a variation on Dr. Who’s TARDIS, which, despite its small outward size, is considerably spacious inside. When it comes to the desolate landscapes and the beings who populate planet Pluke, they look like something out of a post-apocalyptic film.

Though some might find the deliberate paced narrative too slow; those who embrace the insanity that unfolds will not notice it. Despite its sci-fi leanings, the most surprising aspect of Kin-dza-dza! is how effectively it uses humor. That said, the actions and situations that characters find themselves in are outlandish and never make any sense. When it comes to the performances, they are more about emotional responses than spoken words. Ultimately, Kin-dza-dza! is a brilliant dissection of social structure through the lens of satire.

Kin-dza-dza! gets an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer