Russkies is a 1987 film starring Whip Hubley and Joaquin Phoenix . It was directed by Rick Rosenthal, with cinematography by Reed Smoot. It is notably similar in plot to the 1975 novel The Machine Gunners by Robert Westall, changing the setting from 1940's England to 1980's America, and the 'enemy' changing from Germany to Russia. A few nights before July 4, three government/military brats are gathered in one's Key West bedroom reading about their favorite comic book hero Sgt. Slammer , with no idea that a Soviet warship is anchored just off the coast, and despite the violent storm, gung-ho... intelligence officer Sulock ignores the captain and drags radioman Mischa Pushkin and his comrade Boris into a raft to row ashore and accept a prototype surveillance device from an American traitor. The exchange fails when the raft capsizes and Mischa washes ashore. Injured and alone, Mischa shouts out for his missing comrades, then realizing with shock that he's in America. The next morning, Danny hears from his little sister that their parents are downstairs finalizing their divorce.
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| Release date: | November 6, 1987 |
| Directed by: | Rick Rosenthal |
| Rated: |  |
| Runtime: | 99 Minutes |
| Genre: | Comedy |