IMDb RATING
4.2/10
2.2K
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A trio of vacationing American students cross the border from Finland to the USSR during the Cold War and are soon imprisoned after a skirmish with Soviet soldiers.A trio of vacationing American students cross the border from Finland to the USSR during the Cold War and are soon imprisoned after a skirmish with Soviet soldiers.A trio of vacationing American students cross the border from Finland to the USSR during the Cold War and are soon imprisoned after a skirmish with Soviet soldiers.
Laura Munsterhjelm
- Irina
- (as Laura Heimo)
Jone Takamäki
- Interrogator
- (as Jouni Takamäki)
Renny Harlin
- Man's Voice from Ship's Loudspeakers
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAs the film was initially banned in Finland for grounds of violence and that it could harm Finland's foreign relations, this meant severe financial hardship to producer Markus Selin as the distribution deals were drawn out so that the Finnish co-producers would get their income only from the Finnish sales.
- GoofsNone of the buildings or people in the film have a Russian look, which is natural as it was filmed completely in Finland. The only Soviet things you see (besides a few AK's) are the two cars right in the end: A Lada and a Volga.
- Quotes
Interrogator: [while torturing Mitch] We really do have all the time in the world.
- Alternate versionsAlmost completely non-cut version was released on DVD in Finland 2006.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Dinosaur (2021)
Featured review
Worth slowing down while passing this car wreck
A "first movie" for a director is often quite interesting to watch. Sometimes the movie is excellent, sometimes full of film student stuff and pretentious tricks and usually tries too hard with too little. Born American is of the third variety.
The story follows three guys who are vacationing in Finland and cross over the border to the Soviet Union. Guess if the Soviets are depicted as interesting characters or something else (hint: this movie was made in the 1980s)? Anyway, things start exploding (often with the same sound effect). Also the Russians prove to be evil etc. Which is sort of interesting considering there was some tendency to self-censoring in Finland towards these kinds of things.
The plot is actually quite ridiculous because it goes way over the top at one point. It really feels like they had made the movie up to that point and they noticed they have way more money left so they added more things - or bought some of that new crack-cocaine. Some twists really made me laugh out loud in their outlandishness or how cliché they were.
Actually, if this movie starred Chuck Norris, for whom it originally was planned, it would be quite well known after that Chuck Norris revival fad. Now it's just a curiosity for anyone interested. As a Finn, I'm ashamed of this movie by Renny Harlin (he DID make a few good movies, though. I still like you, Renny). Ashamed and also proud, few countries have something unifying like this that people all around the world can laugh at.
The bottom line: DIY MST3K.
The story follows three guys who are vacationing in Finland and cross over the border to the Soviet Union. Guess if the Soviets are depicted as interesting characters or something else (hint: this movie was made in the 1980s)? Anyway, things start exploding (often with the same sound effect). Also the Russians prove to be evil etc. Which is sort of interesting considering there was some tendency to self-censoring in Finland towards these kinds of things.
The plot is actually quite ridiculous because it goes way over the top at one point. It really feels like they had made the movie up to that point and they noticed they have way more money left so they added more things - or bought some of that new crack-cocaine. Some twists really made me laugh out loud in their outlandishness or how cliché they were.
Actually, if this movie starred Chuck Norris, for whom it originally was planned, it would be quite well known after that Chuck Norris revival fad. Now it's just a curiosity for anyone interested. As a Finn, I'm ashamed of this movie by Renny Harlin (he DID make a few good movies, though. I still like you, Renny). Ashamed and also proud, few countries have something unifying like this that people all around the world can laugh at.
The bottom line: DIY MST3K.
helpful•157
- bk-87668
- Dec 2, 2007
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $3,401,376 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,388,020
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,225,475
- Sep 1, 1986
- Gross worldwide
- $3,388,020
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