Full International Trailer For Russian Horror VIY

If it seems like we've been waiting forever for Russian horror picture Viy, well, that's because we have. The huge budget picture has been in the works for years now, the original release pushed back once to allow extra time for post-production effects and then pushed back again to coincide with the 200th birthday of Nikolai Gogol, the author of the novel it is based on. Well, the 2009 release is drawing near and the publicity machine is gearing up which means - in this case - a brand new theatrical trailer. This is an international version, with English subtitles included, and I believe the first trailer to be built from fully completed footage. And I have to say it's been worth the wait.

“Viy is a monster living in the mire of the swamps. It has magic stare that penetrates into the human soul and opens it for every sort of evil spirits. Nothing can save from Viy’s stare”.
(Slavonic Mythology)

Early 18th century. Cartographer Jonathan Green undertakes a scientific voyage from Europe to the East. Having passed through Transylvania and crossed the Carpathian Mountains, he finds himself in a small village lost in impassible woods. Nothing but chance and heavy fog could bring him to this cursed place. People who live here do not resemble any other people which the traveler saw before that. The villagers, having dug a deep moat to fend themselves from the rest of the world, share a naive belief that they could save themselves from evil, failing to understand that evil has made its nest in their souls and is waiting for an opportunity to gush out upon the world. Even in his worst nightmares our materialistic scientist could not suppose that he was going to meet devil’s faithful servant.

Right from the beginning Viy has looked like a strange fusion of A and B sensibilities, the B stuff coming from the deliriously over the top effects sequences involving a battle between witch and priest - the good kind of B - and what looked like some pretty low-rent exterior shots - the bad kind of B. Well, this trailer shows those exteriors in a whole new light, and with the work on the film now completed they look rather good, actually. My anticipation has just gone up a good notch.

You'll find all the trailers below the break.