Russkies ** (1987, Whip Hubley, Joaquin Phoenix, Peter Billingsley) – Classic Movie Review 7619

Director Rick Rosenthal’s 1987 Russkies is the teen version of The Russians Are Coming! focusing on three American kids (including, playing Danny, River Phoenix’s brother Leaf, who later morphed into Joaquin Phoenix) who find a Russian sailor called Mischa (Whip Hubley) washed up  on the coast of Florida and decide to befriend him.

It starts with Danny (Joaquin Phoenix), Adam (Peter Billingsley) and Jason (Stefan DeSalle) are 12-year old military brats gathered in a Key West bedroom reading their favorite comic book, Sgt Slammer, and see Soviet warship is anchored just off the coast. Next day, they find a Russian codebook and suspect a Russian invasion, overpowering radioman Mischa Pushkin, who has been washed ashore when his raft capsizes in a violent storm.

Whip Hubley and Joaquin Phoenix in Russkies (1987).

Russkies could be described as harmless except for the offence of American kids playing with Hubley’s Mischa as though he is their latest toy. But the correctness of its détente spirit makes you hate yourself for disliking the film. The acting partly saves it, though, particularly that of Leaf [Joaquin] Phoenix.

Also in the cast are Peter Billingsley, Stefan DeSalle, Susan Walters as Diane, Patrick Kilpatrick as Raimy, Vic Polizos, Charles Frank, Susan Blanchard, Carole King, Voyo Goric, Al White, Benjamin Hendrickson, Patrick Mickler, and Summer Phoenix as Candi.

Summer Phoenix, born 10 December 1978, is the youngest sister of River Phoenix, Rain Phoenix, Joaquin Phoenix and Liberty Phoenix.

Russkies is directed by Rick Rosenthal, runs 99 minutes, is made by New Century Entertainment Corporation, Vista Organization, and Russkies, is distributed by New Century Vista Film Company, is written by Alan Jay Glueckman, Sheldon Lettich and Michael Nankin, from a story by Alan Jay Glueckman, Sheldon Lettich, is shot by Reed Smoot, is produced by Mark Levinson and Scott Rosenfelt, and is scored by James Newton Howard, with Production Design by Linda Pearl.

The 1986–89 comic book publisher Blackthorne Publishing Inc made all the prop comic books and technical manuals for the film.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7619

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