A pair of discoveries here from Vladimir, our regular contributor from Russia, who points the way to a pair of very American influenced films ...

Up first is Very Russian Detective. Russia is showing a trend towards Zucker Brothers-styled slapstick comedy lately - itself a hugely American style of film - and this is the latest such offering, a parody of 1950s film noir. This one doesn't look to be as impressive as, say, Hitler Kaput, but there are some quality moments in the trailer.

Up next? Stilyagi, based on an actual youth movement of the 1950s and 60s in which Russian teens imitated a Western - dominantly American - way of life.

A story from Moscow in the beginning of the 50s, where a group of young people have to struggle for their right to be not like everyone else, to listen to different music, to dress in a different way, and of course, to love...

There's something very odd to me about Russian youth of this era sporting duck tails and listening to rock and roll, but there you have it ... you'll find both trailers below the break in the Twitch Player.