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Russian comedy breaks records; 'Very Best Film' takes $19.5 million

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  • Russian comedy breaks records; 'Very Best Film' takes $19.5 million

    Russian comedy breaks records

    'Very Best Film' takes $19.5 million

    Variety.com
    Wed., Jan. 30, 2008

    By NICK HOLDSWORTH

    MOSCOW - A Russian comedy that spoofs the country's recent string of hit
    domestic movies broke all box office records to take $19.5 million in
    its first week on release, distrib Caroprokat said Wednesday.

    `Very Best Film' (Sammi Luchi Film), which was produced by entertainment
    TV channel TNT, was released across Russia and surrounding former Soviet
    territories Jan. 24 on 702 copies and took $16.5 million it is first
    weekend alone.

    The record-breaking average of more than $23,000 a copy marks a new
    high-tide mark for box office takings in Russia.

    Caroprokat said latest figures Wednesday were $19.5 million and rising
    for takings across Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and other parts of the
    region where the film is on release.

    The spoof, which pokes fun at such local hits as fantasy thriller `Day
    Watch' and Afghan war drama `The 9th Company' and was produced in
    association with popular TNT show `Comedy Club,' has been seen by more
    than 3.5 million viewers so far.

    The film was made on a budget of $5 million and promoted through a $5
    million advertising campaign that has put posters on billboards, bus
    stops, metro stations throughout Russia, in addition to television plugs.

    Artak Gasparyan, general producer, said: `We are very happy with the
    results. We worked with the most talented actors, scriptwriters and
    directors who trusted in the idea and had much know-how about the
    domestic market.'

    Artur Dzhanibekyan, general producer for Comedy Club Production, paid
    tribute to Konstantin Ernst, head of Russia's First Channel and the key
    figure behind such box office hits as `Irony of Fate - Continuation,'
    the sequel to a Soviet classic that has done more than $50 million of
    business since it opened Dec. 21.

    `This was one of the best cinema promotion campaigns and we had great
    expert help from Konstantin Ernst.'

    Observers say that the film's phenomenal success may be attributed to
    its popularity with the key 14-25 demographic - the same as the bulk of
    the viewers of TNT, which airs a mix of domestic and dubbed imports of
    comedy, drama and reality shows.

    Alexander Semenov, publisher of Russian Film Business Today, told
    Variety: `This is the best box office opening ever in Russia. It is just
    the sort of film the youngsters that watch TNT like.'

    Read the full article at:
    http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117979852.ht ml
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