12 Days of Xmas #9: Citizen X 

Love that you brought this one up. It always felt to me like this was starting to do what HBO's 'Chernobyl' nailed much later. Both use a story of something going wrong in the Soviet Union, to not just tell a traditional story of overcoming the problem itself, but to show how the decaying Soviet system itself allowed the problem to exist in the first place. Both have a pair of absolute stellar lead actors in the lead roles; one who is inside the system and jaded, the other who is slightly outside the system but technically proficient who cares about doing the right thing and they must grudgingly come together in order to confront an incompetent bureaucracy and do the right thing. It's a winning formula that's for sure.

That final scene where the murderer is taken to a room , he looks down to see a drain on the ground, such a perfectly understated and chilling shot.

Ah, Georg, excellent choice. Whilst The Silence of the Lambs and Se7en are held up as the definitive psychological horror thrillers of the 90s, Citizen X is far more chilling because of the truthful mundanity of the antagonist. Most serial killers are not Moriarty-like masterminds with the most cunning deeds. They're bland, uninteresting dullards with complex sexual fantasies that reflect their paralysed social skills. They're not romantic arch villains. They're selfish, unrealised beings who'll swap another person's life for an orgasm. That's Citizen X in a nutshell. A genuinely insightful film.

Thank you kindly for posting this. A superb hidden gem. I saw this as a not-so young kid and found it to be riveting. Great performances all around. Also, lovely cameo by the late and great Joss Ackland!

the soundtrack for Citizen X is surprisingly impactful

Excellent pick, Georg! This is a really unsettling movie, very well-written and acted. '90s HBO movies were on a whole other level.

This is a hard watch at times, not because the movie is bad, but because it's so effective at getting under your skin.

I love this movie! Thanks for giving it some more attention :)

A damn good movie. An example of how good actors elevate material.

It's always crazy to find more works from Max Von Sydow that I haven't heard of (and where he seem to excel in his performance)

One of the more disgusting aspects of the serial killer phenomenon is how various states allow them to operate. If the murderers target "undesirables" (racial/ethnic minorities, sex workers, etc) then one of the biggest challenges is to get the authorities to actually pay attention.

I still have a copy of this film, and it feels as creepy and well-done now, as it did when new. I don't think there's a wasted scene. The tension and suspense are ever-present, but there are many moments of personal and interactive points in the film, which gave the viewers time to understand both the movement of the plot, and the personalities of the characters. All said; it's an excellent film, if a very difficult subject.

I’m going to guess picnic at hanging rock for tomorrow purely because every other Australian film has been guessed already

I love this film and I fell in love with the way it looks and was filmed from the first scene.

Always good to see a new video from George

Such an underrated film. von Sydow was great but I gotta give it to Stephen Rea on this one. I've just got a soft spot for him. He's a bit like Mark Rylance too for me I think. He can convey a whole world without saying a word and/or while in perfect stillness.

One of my favorite HBO original films.

Great cast! Love Joss Ackland! Arjen Rudd: Diplomatic Immunity! Roger Murtaugh: It’s been REVOKED!😂

I am going to guess Wake in Fright (total guess but a gem of a film for anyone that hasn't seen it).

What a great cast. As for tomorrow's guess, I'm either thinking Walkabout or Priscilla Queen of the Desert.

Ooh “Together you make a wonderful person.” Want salve for that burn?

the relationship between the 2 leads mirrors the one in chernobyl a lot

I'll have to look out for this one again.

I am expecting tomorrow's film to be "Wake in Fright". That film is definitely diggeridon't.

2:26 Even soviet serial killers won't leave the house without some o' that Hiptang.

I wouldn’t say I ‘love’ this movie but it really sticks with me for a VOD movie rarely anyone talks about. Its just really well-done with a few great classic actors in it, like Sydow and Sutherland, but largely its all held by relatively unknown actors who have the incredibly tough job of showing both the sincere fighting spirit of human decency and perseverance for justice, and the most depraved cruel disgusting yet near-pitifully pathetic person, and both without being exaggerative or over-acting or over-the-top the way most movies about serial killers tend to be. Its a small film but it really is just so effectively done, wish this was the way we still treated serial killers in movies/tv instead of the over-glamorised romanticised beefy fetishised perverts that Netflix true crime corporate shows have become. We used to have such fantastic thrillers showing the tenacity of decent, if broken, policemen trying to put a stop to serial killers even with the world standing against them. Also this movie really does not mock or stereotype Soviet Russia, it just shows how such a bureaucracy burdened the common man.

One of the most memorable movies HBO has ever made.

Love that the Hiptang in Space uses a musical theme burned into my brain by my childhood imprinting on Carl Sagan, lol.

Holy hell georg this is the first I've ever heard this great movie mentioned by someone, got to see it cause my dad's friend ran his indie video rental in the 90s and had the screening copy. Still do. Loved the soundtrack by randy Edelman Edit people always say sopranos was what ushered in the great era of hbo. I would always say nah, citizen x and carnivale' hah

"I can almost smell the vodka" If I watched it again, knowing more about Russian culture...I'd probably agree

I loved this movie.

The best advent calendars of any given year have the same treat behind every panel: HIPTANG!

I really enjoyed this film. Similar deal to the hbo Chernobyl show where the apparatus of the state is basically getting in the way of solving the problem because they just don't wanna own up to it.

TY

absolutely awesome movie that doesnt get the credit it so deserves

I love that movie!

I’m guessing Walkabout? With the ‘don’t’ being a reference to the car explosion?

I'm going to watch it again tonight. The comments have made me just want to dive back in. I know the overall plot but it's been a good number of years for me to have forgotten enough to just enjoy the performance and the characters.

Must have been brand new when I saw it and liked it 👍

This was a hell of a thing for me to see when I was 13. Great movie though.

In Soviet Russia, the state serial kills you.

I think Max Von Sydow's best performance ever (and there's been many), is as Ming the Merciless, King of all the fooking Mongos. Inspired casting. Yeah.

The late great Max!

I'm getting a space vibe from the HipTang this year 🤔

For a TV movie, it feels like, some sort of reverse "v for vendetta", doesnt even look half-bad, great actors putting in effort for, what i would guess was not a big paycheck.

A very underrated film

I predict tomorrow's video will be a review of "The best of Rolf's animal hospital."

My suggestion with Don Sutherland is definitely 1900 with De Niro, too. Man that's also movie...

Such a great film. For me, even though everyone in it is excellent, Stephen Rea steals the show. He's just so hang-dog. I wonder if this is what got him the V for Vendetta gig?

Have actually seen this movie. Though I think its success comes down to it criticizing the bureaucratic society systems similar to Chernobyl HBO series. Something with the same production about american injustices would by its very nature not perform as well.

Anyone else here each day mainly to hear the Hiptang joke at the start?

This was a great tv movie. There was a 2014 movie called Child 44 that covered the same killer, but it was apparently boring. Russians found it insulting and it wasn't permitted to be shown. I wonder how Russians feel about this one? Everyone in the West, at least, liked it.

Cool.

I use Hiptang for cooking and cleaning!!

My prediction for the next episode is ‘Crocodile Dundee’.

2:38 - This looks like, but probably isn't, Leonid Kharitonov - famous singer in the superlative Red Army Choir.

Today I feel Hip Tang tastes like ammonia and beets.

And then Robert Downey Jr said; I am Hiptang!

All hail ming!

Hiptang X!

Is tomorrow's film the Rabbit Proof Fence?

Tomorrow, diggeri DON'T.

Guess for tomorrow: Wake in Fright or Walkabout. Wait, that's two guesses. Oh well...

Does anyone know the theme song for this year’s 12 days? It sounds so familiar

Getting a Barry Norman vibe from GSR

For what it’s worth, my guess for tomorrow is ‘Wake In Fright’. EDIT: Aghh, so I was beaten to it! Alright Mate, maybe it’s ‘The Long Weekend’?

Hey, love your vids, been a subscriber for many years... ...but Stephen Rea's surname is pronounced 'Ray'.

Tomorrow: Walkabout

1:10 Andrei... you've got another serial killer?

He's a dogged and dog-eyed investigator

Where is the lava lamp these days? Did it die?

Joss Ockland?

Quigely next?

Watch THE BUTCHER BOY

Ohhh look like a good movie i better torrent it. Hmmmm i wonder what tomorrow will be perhaps crocodile Dundee 2

tang

Is tomorrow Kangaroo Jack?

How much can a Koala bare?

What happened to your Hushpuppi video?

HIPTANG

Evilenko is a 2004 English-language Italian crime horror thriller film very loosely based on the Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo. It deeper investigate history of Holodomor in Ukraine where people eat people Chikitala literally ate victims, and Chikatilo father been killed by NKVD as enemy of state and as spot in his biography became ultra patriotic communist, who nationalized soccer ball from kids as property of state. In book 1984 state don't want kill enemies of state (not all of them) state want break your spirit that you fall in love with state, state want obedient system workers you, born learn, got to work and die same as cockroach in Kafka Metaphormosis. For state person who search purpose, place in society is burden to the system not a team player. We think monarch slaves program indoctrination is Tv-series "Doll house", but in reality is more like Blade Runner.

Wake in Fright?