Back in the days of black and white TV, there was an American Sci-Fi weekly program titled Robby the Robot. As TV ratings increased, the Toy industry produced a battery operated toy version of “Robby the Robot.” The toy Robot became a very popular Christmas gift. I don’t remember what year it was, I opened my Christmas gift from Santa Clause, a brand new Robby the Robot.
For some reason, the Elektronik-movie reminded me less of technocracy -- presented in too cute a way for me to feel alarmed; perhaps the 'robotics' felt more human(e) than crude propaganda or cartoon-style renderings of all things Sovjet would. I couldn't wrap my head/heart around why that was. The scenes were OK, although separate from the storyline: what on earth is the maker of this movie really trying to get across (it sure was something)?
Then I watched "The brothers Lionheart" by Astrid Lindgren (I must have seen the filmversion long ago; I know i read it several times). Although the nostalgia- or innocence-factor, comraderie etc in both works are faintly similar, I understood via this detour why the Brothers L moved me more than Elektronik, entertaining as it was, ever could.
Was "Elektronik" a controversial movie back in the USSR? Much as I tried, I couldn't assess this movie's overall intention. I recall the Astrid Lindgren book stiired a lot of indignation in 'free' Europe: the 'sorceress of the North' was at it again:: 'Fancy luring kids to suicide...' Which is less of a 'talking point' now (to say the least). Looking back, I think Lindgren's uncompromising paian for freedom & courage was the real scandal to the psycho-babbling classes back then, not to mention the educational fraternity (and sorority) of all time (those who W. Gombrowich nicknamed 'cultural aunties', always on the prowl to spoil true instances of art and literature)..
wow. thanks for this! even in 1980, it's hard to imagine such a provocative children's program airing on american tv (remember, we basically didn't have cable then).
with a psychedelic musical score, too!
for those who don't have 3 hours to watch the whole thing, the first segment is the funniest and most surreal: the protagonist admits how much he gets played by his proto-chat-gpt doppelganger
Back in the days of black and white TV, there was an American Sci-Fi weekly program titled Robby the Robot. As TV ratings increased, the Toy industry produced a battery operated toy version of “Robby the Robot.” The toy Robot became a very popular Christmas gift. I don’t remember what year it was, I opened my Christmas gift from Santa Clause, a brand new Robby the Robot.
Merry Christmas everyone…..and a Happy New Robot.
For some reason, the Elektronik-movie reminded me less of technocracy -- presented in too cute a way for me to feel alarmed; perhaps the 'robotics' felt more human(e) than crude propaganda or cartoon-style renderings of all things Sovjet would. I couldn't wrap my head/heart around why that was. The scenes were OK, although separate from the storyline: what on earth is the maker of this movie really trying to get across (it sure was something)?
Then I watched "The brothers Lionheart" by Astrid Lindgren (I must have seen the filmversion long ago; I know i read it several times). Although the nostalgia- or innocence-factor, comraderie etc in both works are faintly similar, I understood via this detour why the Brothers L moved me more than Elektronik, entertaining as it was, ever could.
Was "Elektronik" a controversial movie back in the USSR? Much as I tried, I couldn't assess this movie's overall intention. I recall the Astrid Lindgren book stiired a lot of indignation in 'free' Europe: the 'sorceress of the North' was at it again:: 'Fancy luring kids to suicide...' Which is less of a 'talking point' now (to say the least). Looking back, I think Lindgren's uncompromising paian for freedom & courage was the real scandal to the psycho-babbling classes back then, not to mention the educational fraternity (and sorority) of all time (those who W. Gombrowich nicknamed 'cultural aunties', always on the prowl to spoil true instances of art and literature)..
Wow. Somebody else besides me enjoys strange and/or Russian science fiction.
wow. thanks for this! even in 1980, it's hard to imagine such a provocative children's program airing on american tv (remember, we basically didn't have cable then).
with a psychedelic musical score, too!
for those who don't have 3 hours to watch the whole thing, the first segment is the funniest and most surreal: the protagonist admits how much he gets played by his proto-chat-gpt doppelganger
❤️ спасибо 🙏🏻
Elektronik was one of the films of our summer holiday.
A few scenes were filmed in
Vilnius, I think Electronik's school and the spiral car park were filmed there.
Good memories.
Today children have the pleasure of having their growth hormone destroyed via blue light.
At least when I was a child, I was always taught to sit far back from the analog TV screen:
https://romanshapoval.substack.com/p/the-1-emf-youve-forgotten-about