MOVIES HAVE DEPTH AT THE STEREOKINO (THOUGH RARELY IN THE PLOT)

Back in the 1950's, at the height of the Cold War, in America the movie industry was all agog at a "new" gimmick: the 3-D movie. Major films like Dial M for Murder, The House of Wax, and Kiss Me Kate were shot in polarized "stereo," and Americans flocked to the latest in American technology. What did the Soviets do in reply? Nothing. You see, the Soviets had been making 3-D movies since the 1920's! It was all old hat here in St. Petersburg.

In the U.S., the interest in 3-D fizzled and died by the 1960's, but here in Russia, it went slowly and quietly on. Because of this, you can occasionally find screw on attachments for the Zenit camera to convert it to a 3-D camera. If you special order from the film shop above Agfa, you can get a FED Stereo camera, which in 3-D photography circles is considered to be not only better than the Japanese Nishika 3-D, but the best stereo camera ever. In keeping with the continued Russian interest in 3-D, St. Petersburg even has it's own 3-D movie theatre, the Stereokino, right on Nevsky Prospect, opposite the Nevsky Palace Hotel.

The Stereokino also shows "flatties" (regular un-3-D films), mainly pirated American B-movies. On one occasion I even saw a film there that was not only projected from an out-of-focus video projector, but had "FOR SCREENING PURPOSES ONLY" in big red letters on the bottom edge of the picture in the key scenes! However, every so often, the Stereokino comes to full flower when they actually get hold of a real 3-D movie. These range from American porno films (the only 3-D movies of note made in America after the 50's were porno flicks), Japanese action-adventure cartoons, and Russian family features.

Right now the Stereokino is showing The Lynx Stalks It's Prey, a new Russian live action family movie, strikingly similar to an old Lassie movie. In Lynx, Stepan Starchikov stars as a brave forest ranger battling a band of evil poachers. He is supported by a wise fatherly head of the local militia, a long suffering wife, and a cute blonde little girl. The little girl has raised a wild lynx as a pet since kittenhood, when the lynx's mother was killed by the evil poachers. A long, complex and rather predictable plot ensues where the little girl is kidnapped by the lead poacher. And of course, all ends happily, as Lassie-like, the lynx pounces on the evil poacher's head, and saves the little girl. I need hardly say, the plot is not the attraction here. What is an attraction is seeing a lot of nice, if not incredible, Russian nature scenes in 3-D. It's a bit like getting to have a 2-hour Summer dacha trip in the middle of winter.

If you want to see 3-D movies at the Stereokino you need to check periodically at the entrance for the posters announcing the films and times. Always make sure the movie is a stereo feature by looking for the word stereo (it looks like "ctepeo"), or "3-D" on the poster somewhere. The box office also posts "stereo" next to the title of any 3-D film. Prices range from 3-5T a ticket. Inside you will be given a pair of polarized 3-D glasses to wear for the duration of the show. Try to sit in the approximate center of the house to get the best stereo effect, and enjoy the show. ---Tara Maginnis, 2/95