This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

I saw the international version of Aleksandr Ptushko's "Sampo", re-titled "The Day the Earth Froze". I understand that the original Finnish version was longer and more coherent. I would like to see the original version. In the mean time, I only know the muddled international version. And as is probably the case with a lot of people, I learned it from "Mystery Science Theater 3000". The re-edited version with the names of the cast and crew changed was one of the many crummy movies that Dr. Forrester and TV's Frank forced Joel, Servo and Crow to watch. Among the famous people whom they reference are Caligula, Farrah Fawcett and David McCullough. The pop culture references include Rocky & Bullwinkle, Disco Inferno, and "The Shining". There's also a comment that retroactively has become a pop culture reference: one of the guys says "Let it go, Sven." So, the international version by itself is a zero, but MST3K's version is a ten. Those people who butchered the original movie never imagined their mangled version getting related to Ron Wood and "The Princess Bride".Conclusion: Attica!

This 1959 Soviet-Finnish co production is renowned Russia's fantasy master Alexander Ptushko take into Finland's national epic, the Kalevala. In a mythical, ancient Finlandia, the evil witch Louhi (Russia 's Anna Orochko, relishing in her over the top performance) kidnaps the sweet maiden Annikki (lovely Estonian blonde Eva Kivi) from her village in order to get her blacksmith brother Ilmarinen (Ivan Voronov) to build a magical device known as a sampo (how it works and what a sampo actually does is never told). After Ilmarinen, along with the honest, decent woodsman Lemminkainen (Andris Oshin), rescue Annikki, Louhi retaliates by stealing the sun and putting the village in a permanent state of darkness.This was released into the USA during the 1960s in a dubbed, truncated version called "The Day the Earth Froze". To add insult to injury, in the 1990s it was mocked in the puerile, infantile TV show "MST3K". Its solemn tone, its total lack of irony, the now outdated special effects, makes it easy to mock by modern audiences. But there is considerable talent in the way director Ptushko creates a particular atmosphere, and once one suspends its disbelief, the storytelling qualities are considerable.

Evil witch Louhi (wizened old crone Anna Orochko) kidnaps sweet fair maiden Annikki (lovely blonde Eva Kivi) from her peaceful village in order to get her rugged blacksmith and magician brother Ilmarinen (solid Ivan Voronov) to build her a magical device known as a sampo. After honest, decent woodmans Lemminkainen (likable Andris Oshin) and Ilmarinen rescue Annikki from Louhi's vile clutches, the wicked old hag retaliates by stealing the sun and putting the village in a permanent state of dark bitter cold. Director Aleksandr Ptushko relates the compelling and imaginative story at a steady pace and does a sound job of maintaining a pleasant, charming tone throughout. Moreover, there's a cool sense of quirky creativity evident in the narrative: Among the funky oddball touches are a field of deadly snakes that Lemminkainen has to plow, a killer flying cloak, a whiny talking tree and talking road, and the villagers making magic harps to combat the witch with. Best of all, the simple and straightforward plot about good versus evil proves to be quite engaging thanks to its refreshing lack of pretense. Igor Morozov's sweeping, dramatic score, Marvin Miller's melodious narration, the nifty special effects, and the crisp cinematography by Gennadi Tsekavy and Viktor Yakushev all further enhance the considerable appeal of this nice little movie.

My only exposure to Sampo (aka The Day the Earth Froze) comes by way of Mystery Science Theater 3000. I have an extensive collection of MST3K movies (almost 200) and of those the Russo-Finnish movies (Sampo, The Sword and Dragon, Jack Frost, et al) are among my favorites. They lend themselves to Mystification but are entertaining and, (dare I say it?) absorbing in and of themselves. They contain a quaint charm and stark moral values and despite their quirkiness, are entertaining. In a day and age in which we find serial killer 'good guys' and ambiguous moral lessons the old Russo-Finnish fairy tales are the preferred entertainment for this century's jaded child. This review is not about The Day the Earth Froze SPECIFICALLY but is merely a comment on the simple moral tales of the good-old-days. R.I.P.