Russian Roulette (film)
| Russian Roulette | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Lou Lombardo |
| Produced by |
Elliott Kastner Jerry Bick |
| Written by |
Stanley Mann (writer) Arnold Margolin (writer) Tom Ardies [1] (novel) Jack Trolley (screenplay) |
| Starring |
George Segal Cristina Raines Denholm Elliott Louise Fletcher |
| Music by | Michael J. Lewis |
| Cinematography | Brian West |
| Edited by | Richard Marden |
| Distributed by |
Avco Embassy Rank Film Distribution |
Release dates | August 20, 1975 (US) |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country |
Canada United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Russian Roulette is a 1975 film, directed by Lou Lombardo and based on Tom Ardies' novel Kosygin Is Coming. The story centers on a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer played by George Segal who finds himself engulfed in a KGB conspiracy to kill a renegade Soviet Premier during his visit to Vancouver in 1970.
The film was the directorial debut for Lombardo, who is noted primarily as a film editor. It was released to home video on VHS in 1986, and on DVD by Shout! Factory in October 2013 as part of a double feature with Love and Bullets, a Charles Bronson thriller originally released in 1979.[2]
Cast
- George Segal ... Cpl. Timothy Shaver
- Cristina Raines ... Bogna Kirchoff
- Bo Brundin ... Col. Sergi Vostick
- Denholm Elliott ... Commander Petapiece
- Gordon Jackson ... Hardison
- Peter Donat ... Insp. Peter McDermott
- Richard Romanus ... Raymond Ragulin
- Nigel Stock ... Ferguson
- Val Avery ... Rudolph Henke
- Louise Fletcher ... Midge
- Graham Jarvis ... Bension, RCMP
- Constantine Gregory ... Samuel (as Constantin de Goguel)
- Jacques Sandulescu ... Gorki, KGB Goon
- Wally Marsh ... Taggart
- Hagan Beggs ... Kavinsky
References
- ↑ At present (November 2009), the IMDb incorrectly gives screenwriter Jack Trolley the credit for having written the original novel.
- ↑ Hodgson, Mark A. (June 23, 2009). "Russian Roulette (1975) - not on DVD". Black Hole Reviews. Retrieved 2012-01-14.
Director Lou Lombardo indulges the cast to throw in improvised dialogue to add to the realistic feel. The best example is a scene where Segal tries to get an old lady to remember a really important message. The worst is his throwaway line to a traumatised Raines in the middle of a car chase, "How do you feel, killing a man?" Sometimes his comedy touch makes the film a little lighter than the subject deserves.