Ok, I think I figured out why I put
Ivan Vasilevich menyaet professiyu in my queue...
I was looking through the top rated "Sci-Fi" movies on imdb
http://www.imdb.com/chart/scifi
and it's at number 14 on the list. It must have been the highest one on the list that I hadn't seen. According to the user comments it used to be rated 8.5, which would have put it at number 5 or 6. I guess I have nobody to blame except myself.
To put this in perspective, here are a couple user comments from the movie:
Review 1
"All the humor in the movie was original at the time, and still is, but I guess not to everyone, especially residents of the US who are used to perverted humor and such.
I find it silly how a non Russian speaking person could rate this movie at all...
This movie is purely made for Russia and all the former USSR countries, and most of the Russian population have all seen it and love it!
A lot of phrases in the movie are commonly used everywhere in Russia to this day, and will be used for at least another century.
This film made Russian history.
I love it too!"
Review 2
"Hi!
As the title of the comment points this is one of the best Soviet comedies ever filmed. And that's is the reason for many people from other countries of the world not to get it's meaning. I would say that even modern day Russians - who have never lived in The Soviet Union, who have no idea what Iron Curtain or Warsaw Treaty Organization is will never understand and enjoy it in full. But anyone who is acquainted with Soviet reality will vote 10 of 10 - I am sure. So do not blame Americans or peoples from other countries for not getting Soviet comedies (those were great; and modern day Russian comedies is pure crap - I am sorry) - they were so very oriented to our former reality that are hard to get in modern days. My score is 20 of 10."
Review 3
"A fairly humorous mix of Mr Bean visual puns, pre-Perestroika Russian stereotypes, Benny Hill chases and a bit of caviar thrown in (black, red and eggplant)! I was expecting something very special from a film with such a high rating, but unless all the comedy in Russian jokes is lost in translation - which I don't believe - then the film was on a par with a romp Up-Pompeii. Now, don't get me wrong. I love Carry-On films, Benny Hill, Mr Bean, and dare I say it - Franky Howard. But to put this whimsical ditty up there as the fourth best Science Fiction film ever, with the greats of Star Wars and The Matrix and above Blade Runner and Alien leads me to believe that something is wrong! Ah yes! only 1,130 votes as compared to 135,273 for Blade Runner. As they say, there's lies, damn lies....... and I will let you finish the rest. The film clearly has a solid, committed core of devoted followers. Watch the film, but don't expect to be moved to philosophical pondering. More imported eggplant caviar anyone?"
In Soviet Russia....