Lude godine
Encyclopedia
Foolish Years is a popular Yugoslav series of films spawned by a 1977 movie of the same name. The original film as well as its nine sequels were all directed by Zoran Čalić between 1977 and 1992. By its latter part, the series became widely known informally as Žikina dinastija (Žika's Dynasty), which is actually the title of the seventh movie.
The series began with a 1977 film Lude godine. Centered around a young couple, Boba and Marija, it was supposed to be a serious drama addressing important issues such as unprotected sex and teen pregnancy. However, some of the supporting characters - most notably the inlaws Živorad "Žika" Pavlović (played by Dragomir Bojanić Gidra
) and Milan Todorović (played by Marko Todorović
) - pretty much stole the show by displaying great comedic potential. This was later exploited in nine subsequent sequels as all of them revolved around the pair of inlaws - wacky Žika and straightlaced Milan - rather than the young couple.
Nearly every single film in the series was widely lambasted by film critics. Most disliked it for what they saw to be poor directorial choices and crude folksy humour loaded with rural and urban stereotypes that are displayed through the characters of Žika and Milan, respectively. However, the films were enormously popular with general audiences, not only in Yugoslavia, but also in the Eastern Bloc
countries. An example of the films' prominence throughout Eastern Europe
was actress Rialda Kadrić receiving an invitation to Moscow Film Festival, an honour usually reserved for the most renowned artists (usually intra-bloc ones) or international film stars. Despite its low-brow reputation, the series proved to be a valuable training ground and career springboard for many acting talents and future stars of Yugoslav/Serb cinema like Sonja Savić
, Zoran Cvijanović
, Nikola Kojo
, Gala Videnović
, Branko Đurić, etc.
The informal name of the series parodied American TV soap opera Dynasty
, which was enormously popular throughout Yugoslavia in the mid-1980s.
The series began with a 1977 film Lude godine. Centered around a young couple, Boba and Marija, it was supposed to be a serious drama addressing important issues such as unprotected sex and teen pregnancy. However, some of the supporting characters - most notably the inlaws Živorad "Žika" Pavlović (played by Dragomir Bojanić Gidra
Dragomir Bojanic Gidra
Dragomir Bojanić, best known by his nickname Gidra was a famous Serbian actor....
) and Milan Todorović (played by Marko Todorović
Marko Todorovic
Marko Todorović was a Serbian actor famous for playing roles of important historical figures...
) - pretty much stole the show by displaying great comedic potential. This was later exploited in nine subsequent sequels as all of them revolved around the pair of inlaws - wacky Žika and straightlaced Milan - rather than the young couple.
Nearly every single film in the series was widely lambasted by film critics. Most disliked it for what they saw to be poor directorial choices and crude folksy humour loaded with rural and urban stereotypes that are displayed through the characters of Žika and Milan, respectively. However, the films were enormously popular with general audiences, not only in Yugoslavia, but also in the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
countries. An example of the films' prominence throughout Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
was actress Rialda Kadrić receiving an invitation to Moscow Film Festival, an honour usually reserved for the most renowned artists (usually intra-bloc ones) or international film stars. Despite its low-brow reputation, the series proved to be a valuable training ground and career springboard for many acting talents and future stars of Yugoslav/Serb cinema like Sonja Savić
Sonja Savic
Sonja Savić was a cult Serbian actress, famous for her husky voice and series of impressive roles in some of the more memorable 1980s films made in former Yugoslavia. Sonja appeared in Miroslav Ilić video Voleo sam devojku iz grada...
, Zoran Cvijanović
Zoran Cvijanovic
Zoran Cvijanović is a Serbian actor and producer who played supporting, yet memorable roles in many Serbian and former Yugoslav films made in last quarter of the 20th century....
, Nikola Kojo
Nikola Kojo
Nikola Kojo is a Serbian actor.Kojo grew up in front of the camera and acted in his first movie at the age of 11. Since then he has been featured in more than 45 movies and TV series, including "Mi nismo anđeli" being one of his most notable films...
, Gala Videnović
Gala Videnovic
Gala Videnović is Serbian actress who gained fame by appearing in some of the most popular films and TV shows in mid 1980s.-Filmography:* Happy Hell Night as Marjorie...
, Branko Đurić, etc.
The informal name of the series parodied American TV soap opera Dynasty
Dynasty (TV series)
Dynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard & Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
, which was enormously popular throughout Yugoslavia in the mid-1980s.
Films
The films in the series are:- Lude godine (Wacky Years, 1977)
- Došlo doba da se ljubav proba (The Time has Come for Love to try) a.k.a. Lude godine II (Wacky Years II, 1980)
- Ljubi, ljubi, al' glavu ne gubi (Kiss, Kiss, but Don't Lose Your Head, 1981)
- Kakav deda takav unuk (Like Grandpa, Like Grandson, 1983)
- Idi mi, dođi mi (Come to me and Go from me, 1983)
- Šta se zgodi kad se ljubav rodi (What Happens When Love Comes to Town, 1984)
- Žikina dinastija (Žika's Dynasty, 1985)
- Druga Žikina dinastija (Second Žika's Dynasty, 1986)
- Sulude godine (Weird Years, 1988)
- Žikina ženidba (Žika's Wedding, 1992), also known as Ženidba Žike Pavlovića (The Wedding of Žika Pavlović) in CroatiaCroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...