The Total Balalaika Show (1993) starring Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov Red Army
Chorus and Dance Ensemble (Eng hard sub)

New recode to MKV from my previous torrent                                                A few hard coded subs on the Russians
                                                                                                                                           but for the rest you can sing along in English
IMDb tt0111460/

run time : 57 mins 8 sec.  File size 300 MB

Directed by Aki Kaurismäki

Released through Criterion/Janus Films, the same wonderful folks who bring you Ingmar  Bergman.  Recorded in Helsinki in 1993. Posted in music videos

My notes

Wiki entries are available for the director and the band and its members and current
works in the NFO in this folder.  There is a fan site as well which you can get
through the wiki notes.  As the fan site says, Leningrad Cowboys are the best--  just
look at the hair and shoes.  It put me a bit in mind a film by Lukas Moodysson called
"We Are The Best" and perhaps there is a connection-- who knows?

To give away either the musical numbers presented, the context,  or the visual
excitement of this event would be a cheat.  Therefore I will not do it.

In the early days of VHS rentals in the US I got my first experience of the Leningrad
Cowboys from a supermarket.  It was just sitting there waiting patiently for me to
find.  The title was "Leningrad Cowboys Go America"  and it was one of my first film
reviews for the internet movie database when it was very young and still on Usenet.

Since then it has been hard for me to track down other Leningrad Cowboys shows.  Aki
Kaurismäki does not do this full time.  He is a Finish film director with a large
portfolio.

Enjoy The Total Balalaika Show.  You won't be disappointed.

For those who are capable of mounting video for You Tube, I encourage this as well.  
Currently some of the musical numbers have been posted individually.

This encode has hard subbed English subtitles which an earlier small size version
lacks.  It required a number of tasks using free software.  

notes written August 29th,  2014

new notes updated September 10th, 2020

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