Seytan (1974) User Reviews

Unnecessary Repetition

[KanaX · 5/10 · 25 July 2005]

This movie is an attempt to make use of a script, which was already turned into a masterpiece by William Friedkin only a year ago in 1973. To make things worse, they had only a tiny budget for this remake and well, I'm sure that the producers of this movie had made some money at the end, yet it was a useless risk for the big director Metin Erksan, who had won the Golden Bear in Berlin with his 1964 movie Susuz Yaz (Reflections).

If you are a fan of The Exorcist you probably should watch it, yet for others, it will probably only be a waste of time. It is not so funny either, so if you attempt to watch it for a few laughs, in many cases you will just end up being bored. There are some Ed Wood/Cetin Inanc type low- budget B-movie mistakes in this one as well, yet someone has to point them out, so maybe you should invite some friends over to share this ridiculous experience, or maybe a talk-show host should examine the movie with the help of a studio audience, and in Turkey that was actually done for this movie ;)

Very hilarious Turkish "The Exorcist" rip-off.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 5/10 · 10 March 2005]

"Seytan" is a shameless Turkish remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" that copies it scene after scene.It uses the same exact set-up as "The Exorcist"-a young girl,living with her well-to-do mother,becomes possessed by Satan after tooling around on a Ouija board.Of course there's the head spinning,the mustard spitting,the message written across her abdomen and even the scene where she comes downstairs to pee herself to the dismay of her mother and her guests.Some of the shots are even exactly the same and the house they use as the setting for most of the film looks pretty much like the one in Friedkin's "The Exorcist".This film is simply hilarious,so grab some beer and give this amusing piece of trash a look.5 out of 10.

A Turkish Take On The World's Greatest Horror Movie

[AllNewSux · 6/10 · 8 April 2016]

Seytan is just one in a field of maybe two dozen or more Exorcist ripoffs made in the 1970s. Outside of the blaxploitation version 'Abby', I wouldn't refer to any of these movies as a "must see". However, because I like the plot of The Exorcist and I am also fascinated by demons and cases of demonic possession, I do tend to find all of these ripoffs rather enjoyable and this one is no exception. The effects and the make up are decent although nowhere near Exorcist levels of quality. However, I'm sure their budget was a speck of dirt compared to what French Connection genius William Friedkin was allowed. As far as our main characters go, the mother comes across with a bit more sex appeal, but far more bitchiness than Ellen Burstyn had. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, but are her cooks and housekeepers slaves or employees? Overall I'm sure it's just there to demonstrate to the audience how much she cares for her daughter Gül just as Burstyn had some of that anger. Gül is another thing that doesn't translate well to us Westerners as it sounds more like the name of a demon than a little girl. Canan Perver as the daughter is probably the high point of this film though. We realize that Linda Blair was a terrific child actor which is why her performance was so great. However, I wouldn't call Canan a great actress, but she does come across as a little unstable. She almost seems to love being possessed and this psychosis benefits her role as the demonic daughter. If you've seen The Exorcist you know the plot and I only recommend this film to you if you want to see another culture's take on the subject. Keep in mind if you are a fan of something like Turkish Star Wars don't assume this film will appeal to you. This film is not humorous in any way, shape or form...it takes itself and the story very seriously.

Interesting

[Undead_Master · 2/10 · 29 August 2006]

Out of all the Turkish rip-off films i've seen, this one is the most palatable in some ways (not the most entertaining, but watchable)... It may have helped that i had subtitles for this one, but part of it was the fact that they follow the Hollywood version very closely, and the basic narrative of the exorcist is solid...

On the other hand, this movie is a perfect example of why story and script can only take you so far in a film... The story is almost identical to the Hollywood version with only a few changes to make it more culturally relevant, but the direction and all the cinematic aspects are much worse. The end result is a movie that fails in every way.

There are no scares, and every scene lacks intensity compared to William Friedkin's version... You would figure that somewhere in the movie there would be at least one scene that would be superior in some way... Some inventive touch that would surpass the original, but even though every scene has a counterpart in Friedkins film, the Turkish version of the scene is always vastly inferior to the point were it's almost depressing. The lighting isn't even remotely atmospheric, the camera choices are all horrendous (except when they copy friedkins exact camera angles), the acting is soap opera level (at best).

This movie is a perfect example of why directors (not writers) are the most important figures behind the creation of a movie. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lucio Fulci (one of the masters of Italian horror) routinley worked with scripts that were much worse than this one, yet consistently churned out movies that were 10 times better. You can't even really use the poor budget as a justification for this film because many of the problems have nothing to do with any budgetary constraints. It's cheap, but that's not why it's bad.

Most of these Turkish rip-off films play as pure comedy for me, not this one... There is a bit of unintentional comedy here and there, but it's so close to the original exorcist that you can't help but constantly compare the two and the end result is a greater appreciation of the Hollywood version. It will make you thankful that all movies aren't as blandly made as this rip-off.

Worth watching just for the interesting contrast, but not worthy as entertainment of any kind.

The Turkish Exorcist

[Semih · 31 May 2000]

Seytan (the devil) is almost and exact remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". The only differences are the special effects look very cheesie, and instead of using the Bible they use the Holy Qur'an; not to mention the differences in acting, etc. I saw this film before I saw "The Exorcist" and it really did scare me. But I was a kid. Also you should check out the scene where the girl sits on her bed and twists her head 360 degrees. You can easily see the head resting on a stick and her night gown pinned to the bed. Very fake effect but still fun to watch.

The prefect film to experience with a few friends and a lot of mind-altering substances.

[scott_lefebvre · 5/10 · 12 April 2013]

A hallucinatory alternate-reality Turkish shot-for-shot adaptation of the infamous American "horror" film The Exorcist in which Christian iconography is replaced with Islamic iconography. Over-the-top scenery-chewing performances and high-school science-project-quality special-effects make this the prefect film to experience with a few friends and a lot of mind-altering substances. This film follows in the tradition of other Turksploitation films in providing similar thrills on a limited budget. I can truly say that this has to be seen to be believed. If this is the kind of thing you're into, there's a whole genre of Turksploitation films known more commonly by titles like "Turkish Star Wars" and "Turkish Spider Man" and "Turkish Indiana Jones".

One of THOSE Turkish remakes

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 3 July 2017]

There's little point describing the plot of SEYTAN, as it's a scene-by-scene copy of the Hollywood smash hit THE EXORCIST, re-staging all of the key moments in a typically Turkish cult film way; i.e. with a minimum of effort and a maximum of unintentional hilarity. Anyone familiar with Turkish trash cinema will know what to expect here, but for those who are not, let me explain succinctly: this is trashy, very cheap-looking, with bad make-up and cheaper effects, a literal point-and-shoot way of making movies. It's also very funny in an unintentional way, unlike the original movie. Expect to hear Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells constantly ripped off on the soundtrack.

Oh boy, where do i begin

[crimsonmaskvideo · 7/10 · 28 July 2001]

Just from the box art, you know your in for a treat. This movie made me laugh so hard i almost choked! They follow the Exorcist from the start to the end. This baby must have been on a budget of $100. The FX are horrible, the acting is stale, and they play tubular bells 800 times in this movie! But it is so bad its hilarious and i highly recommend it. Pure cheese! One part during the exorcism, the room is all lit up, when the girl levitates, the room becomes dark [to hide the wires i guess] and when she comes back down, the room is dark again. Its in Turkish though, but if you want it dubbed, just dub the Exorcist audio over the whole movie, i am sure it will fit.

Erm....

[Bezenby · 5/10 · 15 March 2018]

Think of bad movies occupying their own solar system, getting more and more obscure as you drift away from the sun. The inner rings would be occupied by Godzilla movies, bad US monster flicks from the fifties, Italian zombie films. Then you have the Filipino action movies and Kung fu flicks, culminating in a massive gas giant constructed solely of Godfrey Ho ninja films, whereupon things get sparser as you pass the rightly neglected Jess Franco planet and the Andy Milligan asteroid belt. Eventually, just as you are about to leave the system and see what counts for a bad movie to a bunch of aliens, you'd pass the Turksploitation film.

Simply known in English as whatever film they are ripping off with the work 'Turkish' stuck in front, these films are not for the faint hearted. I've only watched a few myself, but I do remember Turkish Star Wars being so painful it took a few attempts to get by the initial scenes, which basically involved Turkish actors pretending to be piloting ships while someone actually projected footage from Star Wars onto a wall behind them. I'm not kidding.

You have Turkish Spiderman, Turkish E.T, Turkish Some Like It Hot (?), Turkish Wizard of Oz etc etc. These films occurred, from what I understand, not to rip-off successful films for cash (like the Italians did) but because it was cheaper just to remake them in Turkey, rather than pay to import the actual film. Therefore, you get cheap knock offs of Hollywood films at a fraction of the budget, usually with results that will give you a nosebleed.

Now, the problem with Seytan (Devil) is that it follows the film the Exorcist almost exactly to the letter. It has the same music, same story, everything. Only it features different people acting in the exact same roles, and doing the exact same things, so what I'm not going to describe is...The Exorcist.

Out at an archeological dig, an old man is confronted by an ancient, cheaply made, statue of a demon, and looks at it thoughtfully. Back in Istanbul, some lady is hearing noises in her attic and just about the same time her daughter starts playing with a Ouija board. At the same time again, some writer is having to deal with his mum getting dementia and becoming ill. Blah blah demon possession etc.

Nearly everything from the original is included here, from the girl pissing herself at a party, to the medical experiments, to the head spinning and the pea-soup spewing (although here it's like a budget portion of mushy peas). What's toned down is the foul language (no "Your mother sucks cocks in hell" here) and the violation with the crucifix is changed to what might be a letter opener, but it's not clear because even the person translating the dialogue into subtitles admits to being confused...within the subtitles.

What you'll also notice if you get bored enough to watch this is that for obvious reasons the Catholicism angle has been removed. You don't have Muslim clerics doing the exorcism (exorcism being common in Islam) rather than two academic types. Everything else is the same however. Only, you know, not as good. Except the bit where the guy tried to punch the demon out of the little girl and the bizarre special effects used to simulate electro-shock therapy.

Really fun camp classic

[slayrrr666 · 7/10 · 11 June 2008]

"Seytan" is one of the single best cheesy films ever made.

**SPOILERS**

After several weeks, Gül, (Canan Perver) a young teenager in Turkey, becomes concerned that her mother Aytan, (Meral Taygun) is more concerned with her own problems. When she finds a Quija board in her attic, she uses it to escape from the situations around her. Shortly afterwords, she begins to undergo a strange transformation, acting incredibly strange to her mother, and after repeated doctor visits and tests, she is still the same but are unsure what has happened to her. When the changes soon become violent and dangerous to her and others around her, she is finally able to call in Tugrul Bilge, (Cihan Unal) author of a book on exorcism that was found near her, and together they find that she's a vessel for a Satanic minion, forcing them to try to rid the spirit from her body before she causes more harm.

The Good News: This here was a lot better than expected. One of the best parts to it is the incredible unintentional humor on display. The meeting with the hypnotist is a prime example of this. The girl pretends to follow his watch, then with comic timing beyond that of normal non-demons, she punches him square in the crotch. He crunches into a standing fetal position that is so well-acted that it'd be impossible to duplicate without actually ramming something dangerous into your groin. It's so outstandingly funny that it's impossible not to burst into a round of hysterics that last for several minutes. There's also some of the really bad special effects which come to mind, including the way that the self-urination scene is handled. The effect of pee by having a thick gray syrup slop from inside her nightgown and onto her feet in huge globular plops. The effect of the head-spinning and the bed-levitation are even better, providing more humor than outright necessary. The fact that the crucifix scene has been replaced by a letter-opener is one of the few scenes it does right and actually tense, since that's a much sharper tool used in the same area for the same purpose, and it's somewhat uncomfortable to witness the scene as it plays out here. The confrontation at the end is still really tense and epic, mainly because it plays out much longer than the other version and manages to stick out for it's rather insane use of vomit, which is much, much more than the other version and actually manages to creep out due to the sheer use and the fact that it doesn't look at all like an effect that the other one does. All of these give the film it's best part, the unbridled cheese. It's simply incredibly cheesy, due to the humor and familiarity, and manages to help it come out as rather enjoyable because of it. The fact that the scenes in the insane asylum are so fun is due to the fact that those there actually look like crazy people there. The actions, the behavior and the symptoms exhibited are real ones that would be applicable in a real insane asylum, and it's one of the few good scenes in the film. These here are the film's best points.

The Bad News: There's really not a whole lot wrong with this one. The main one here is that it's so familiar. It uses the same exact set-up as the original film, where a young girl, living with her well-to-do mother, becomes possessed by Satan after tooling around on a Ouija board. Of course there's the head spinning, the mustard spitting, the message written across her abdomen and even the scene where she comes downstairs to pee herself to the dismay of her mother and her guests. Some of the shots are even exactly the same and the house they use as the setting for most of the film looks pretty much like the one in the other film. Even more is that the film doesn't do anything else drastic with the familiar scenes, simply content to present the same events in the same order with a just slightly-twisted sense of special effects realisticness. Hardly any of the big scenes are handled well, with the biggest one being the head-twisting scene. Here, the girl stands behind a mannequin wearing a different nightgown from her and slowly turns around, looking like an ugly girl turning around behind a scarecrow. It's nowhere near being realistic, but is merely commonplace for the kind of effects that are present in this. They add to the cheesy charm, though, and aren't that bad overall. The main one here will be the incredible familiarity to the other version.

The Final Verdict: A really fun and enjoyable cheese-fest that only has the extreme familiarity to hurt it, winding up as a really fun entry. Give it a chance if you're into the extreme cheese side of things, enjoy this genre or having an interest and curiosity to compare the two, otherwise stick to the classy original.

Rated R: Language and Violence

Horrible...just horrible

[mrtony80 · 2/10 · 24 June 2008]

I saw 'Seytan' on YouTube, and just let me say...it is beyond ridiculous. Here we have one of those films that is worth watching, just for the eye-roll factor. 'Seytan' is a Turkish remake of 'The Exorcist', which is probably the best horror film ever made. As many others have stated, 'Seytan' is evidence that it takes more than a good script to make a good film, because this one copies Friedkin's version to a T...almost. There are some cultural differences, but this is pretty much an exact replica of 'The Exoricst', script-wise. What 'Seytan' lacks, however, is the creativity of the original version. The lighting is awful...way to bright for what is supposed to be a dark film. The acting is horrendous. Some of the facial expressions of the actors will make you laugh, notably, the reaction the doctor has when the possessed girl slams her hand into his crotch. The doctor turns, and grabs his crotch in a way that would SEEM to be for comedic effect, but...I don't think it was meant to be funny. The FX are also very, very bad. I mean, come ON! The scene when the girl's head does a 360? A bunch of second graders putting on a play could do better. The scene in which the bed raises is awful, do to the unnecessary length, and the bone jarring organ music. I could go on, but I won't. But pay attention to one part...I promise you will be laughing for hours after viewing it. Check out the girl's face after the young guy walks in to see the old guy dead from a heart attack!

a turkey from Turkey

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 15 August 2006]

As I understand it, Turkey made a bunch of no-budget versions of some of our most famous movies. "Seytan" is a prime example. This hilariously ridiculous "Exorcist" rip-off has...well, you can probably figure out what happens. It's exactly the sort of movie with which "Mystery Science Theater 3000" would have had lots of fun. As this is a pretty obscure movie, probably one of the only places where you can find it is Portland's video/DVD store Movie Madness, under Turkish Action Cinema. Mind you, the subtitle translations are almost as moronic as the stuff that we find in kung fu movies. So check it out.

I am gonna have to Google "zemzem". And just what did she mean by "book opener"?

The Turkish "The Exorcist"..so that means it's cheaper and worse!

[Boba_Fett1138 · 5/10 · 12 December 2011]

This is basically a Turkish scene by scene remake of "The Exorcist", so how bad could it be? Well, it also honestly isn't that bad but it of course is a totally pointless remake.

It's always credited as a remake but somehow I doubt this is actually an official one. They were lucky Hollywood did not find out about this movie, or else they would has most likely been sued for it.

It's just made to cash in on the success of the original "The Exorcist", in its native Turkey. Why else would you make and release a remake only one year after the original. And it's not like this movie is offering anything new or original, as compared to the original "The Exorcist". So seriously, I hope the Turkish people at the time were smart enough to catch the American version instead, which is of course also an infinitely better one.

I don't know why anybody should ever want to watch a cheaper and weaker made version of "The Exorcist". And that's basically all this movie is; A really cheap looking one, with some poor effects, weak acting and some bad film-making. Even though it follows the exact same story, this movie yet never manages to become a scary or intriguing one in any way. As a matter of fact, the movie starts to drag and repeat itself pretty early on already and it never succeeds at rising above the level of average.

The approach to the story is just boring and without any good ideas behind it. The directing and cinematography is the same, all the time. Often it starts with a closeup of a person and then zooms out. It becomes so noticeable and annoying after a while. It also just doesn't really manage to get its story of the ground and because of that its pace is also lacking, as is its horror. The movie still does has its moments but that is all simply because it's being based on some great source material, so can you truly give the movie credit for that?

But it does make this movie still a definitely watchable enough one. Those who like trashy, cheap horror flicks should definitely be able to appreciate this movie and seriously, it isn't half as bad as the movie might sound. Sure, it's a bit silly and clumsily done at times but overall the movie still remains a decent enough watch, despite the fact that it's being nothing more than a blatant ripoff, that adds nothing good, new or original on its own.

5/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Turkish exorcist rerun is still kind of weird, and fun

[judex-1 · 23 September 2003]

Legendary turkish remake of "The Exorcist" is really a hoot. The little girl who gets possessed looks amazingly like Linda Blair, the christian references are severely toned down, (though not quite completely replaced by Islamic counterparts), and they do about what one would expect in such a production. Technical aspects are amazingly minimal, although that isn't really unusual for such Turkish productions. There is a bit of atmosphere and menace to this production, but the cheesy effects work against it. Very rare, I guess, but it should turn up any day now. I suppose it would help if I spoke Turkish, but this is still a mindboggling ride. heh

--Judex.1--

Ridiculously funny movie

[EasternZZ · 5/10 · 20 September 2018]

This is a exact clone of The Exorcist (minus the great effects, sound, and pretty much everything that made that movie the greatest movie of all time).

This movie is really funny, to the point where you may choke on food if you watch this while eating something. There are scenes that are so funny that I laughed until I cried, and laughed more afterwards. The story is great because it follows the book and movie, but the effects and execution are (once again) over the top funny. It is supposed to be serious but completely fails.

(Funny Scenes) The masturbation scene is so overacted and extremely funny, with one of the funniest face ever when the little girl turns her head around and smiles at her mother, the scene where the girl smacks the priest on the back of the head and suddenly begins praying to a cheap statue of Pazuzu, the scene where the priest takes forever to fall down a set of stairs, and so many more. This movie is a thing of beauty, one of the funniest movies ever.

The music is also extremely bad and it is like they are ripping off Tubaler Bells but change one note so that they hope they won't get sued. This is a bad movie, but a very entertaining movie, even more funny that Troll 2 and The Room.

Piece of crap

[thenurse-26507 · 2/10 · 14 January 2019]

I couldn't finish it, that's all I'm going to say.

Metin Erksan

[yusufpiskin · 5/10 · 31 July 2021]

(The Turkish Exorcist) An incredibly bad reproduction of the immortal work of William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin. Metin Erksan is such a good director that he even directed this unbelievably bad movie.

Turkish remake with character, suspense and fun

[meathookcinema · 5/10 · 31 October 2017]

There was a long standing tradition for Turkish remakes of huge Hollywood blockbusters . These remakes have miniscule budgets and are made quickly so that they can be released soon after the original.

The Exorcist was remade in Turkey for a tiny proportion of the original's budget. This means that we get hilarious special effects, truly garish decors and the worst hairstyles ever committed to celluloid.

But whilst we know what we're getting this film is a true cult movie through and through. It might be cheap and tacky but its also what a lot of more expensive films struggle to be- utterly charming, engaging and a pleasure to watch.

Let me leave you with a question- would you rather watch a film like this or a Hollywood studio multiplex movie that has a budget of millions but also has characters you couldn't care less about, an uninspired plot and CGI that makes the film look more like a computer game?

I hope these Turkish remakes get restored and released on Blu ray. I'd buy them.

Exorcist around the world

[BandSAboutMovies · 2/10 · 26 January 2020]

Oh man, you Turkish maniacs. You aren't content to just make your own slightly different version of The Exorcist like, well, any of the movies on our list of Ten Possession Movies That Aren't The Exorcist. No, you're going to pretty much remake the movie scene for scene and have "Tubular Bells" in just about every single scene. Bravo!

12-year-old girl Gul is living a high society life with her mother in Istanbul, yet becomes possessed after messing around with an Ouija board. Did she learn nothing from The Chill Factor, Spookies, all of the Ouija movies and, well, The Exorcist?

"This is literally the same movie," said my wife, Becca.

"Shot for shot," was my answer. "Just with less people and no budget."

99% of Turkey's population is Muslim and it has a history of being Islamic. One wonders how the Catholicism of the original would have played there. Perhaps that's why we have this grainy little remake. I kind of love its slavish devotion to the source material, like a Sweded movie before anyone knew what that was.

The Supremacy of Allah Obliges You

[mkelleher120870 · 10/10 · 11 April 2015]

Do you know what she did? Your charming Turkish daughter.

A more or less shot-for-shot remake of William Friedkin's better known "The Exorcist", this 1974 Turkish interpretation has come in for a lot of flak over the years, and yet, despite its somewhat 'low-budget-knock-off' reputation, still retains a supernatural power all of its own.

First off, I see no real reason to slate a bunch of cash-strapped movie makers simply for taking an idea from the filthy lucre dripping devils of Hollywood. There are countless versions of and remakes of, for instance, Dracula, including the early knock-off "Nosferatu" which is of course now regarded as a classic. Perhaps "Seytan" itself will one day regarded as a milestone in movie surrealism.

Yes, surrealism. A piece of art can be called surrealistic when it takes a common object or theme (the obvious example being Dali's timepieces) and then contorts them and bends them into something different and somehow sinister. And this is exactly what director Metin Erksan (of "Turkish Female Hamlet" fame) does with his source material here. What was once Roman Catholic is now Islamic, where once the 'power of Christ compelled you' so now the supremacy of Allah obliges you, and so on.

The film also features some standout performances from its cast: Cihan Anal gives a powerhouse performance as Tugrul Bilge (Karras, in the other version), he looks a bit like a Turkish Gene Hackman but is the better actor; and then there is Canan Pervert as Gül (Regan) whose understated and subtle turn brings so much more to the part of a young girl experiencing the most terrifying demonic phenomena. Agast Hün as the unnamed exorcist also shines, although Meral Taygun as Gül's mum comes across as a little too icy and hard nosed in some scenes.

Some wonderful moments to watch for include the 'bouncing on the bed' scene, Bilge's fall/leap onto the stairs (he just keeps on rolling!!!) and the electrifying moment when the papier mâché demon itself appears in the bedroom prompting Gül to worship it on the bed. And how the scene in which Gül repeatedly stabs herself in the private area (here the crucifix from the US version is substituted for a demon-headed letter opener) passed the Turkish censor I will never know...

The movie finishes with the lovely touch of Gül in a mosque, symbolically making her peace with an obvious Mohammed figure, but to be honest, the viewer is still left with that nagging feeling of uneasiness which leaves you unable to sleep peacefully, a quality it shares with its American cousin.

Finally, although this movie is available on DVD with English subs, I watched this in its original Turkish format so may have missed a few choice comedy translations. Even so, this was an hour and forty minutes well spent - a masterpiece of Turkish cinema.

Turkish Exorcist

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 4/10 · 3 October 2016]

Amish guy finds an evil looking medallion in the desert, just like in that *other* movie, while a Turkish mother/ daughter team begin experiencing unusually cold temperatures in their Turkish home. Playing with a Turkish Oujia board doesn't help. Scratching noises from their attic (which are nearly drowned out by the scratching and clicking and popping noises on the film's soundtrack) lead to attic shenanigans, before a Turkish priest (looking like Peter Sellers) is brought in to investigate, in this scene-for-scene clone of The Exorcist.

Bright, vivid colours give this an Italian giallo look and feel, which I enjoyed, but it so closely follows William Peter Blatty's book, and subsequent film adaptation, The Excorcist, that I felt as though I had already watched this. It made me think of that ridiculous remake of Psycho, only not as terrible.

Watchable, but not necessary, but more amusing than Exorcist II.

I Hate You! Get Away!

[FoxRyan · 13 December 2005]

Saw this the other day. What a laugh! Apparently, some films in the 70s were suffering from attention from Warners, who tried to ban them saying they ripped off their classic "The Exorcist". How this slipped by them I'll never know! Not a subtly or even majorly similar film, this is a complete remake! I mean even the same SOUNDTRACK! Tubular Bells is played EIGHT times in this movie. Get some imagination! They try their best I suppose. The actress playing Gul hasn't got any stunt performers standing in for her a la Eileen Dietz puking all over poor Jason Mller, no, this babe hurls the yellow (not green for once) puke herself. I totally loved the dramatic organ music when the bed levitated (God, it took so LONG!) and then the same music a few minutes later when the bed descended. Fantasticaly crap! The mother reminded me of my make up tutor. Hmmm. Couldn't look at this actress without seeing a foundation pot and a bruise wheel. Not to worry. How these people think they can do this and not get sued (hell, they managed) I will never know. Turks have BALLS! See it. It's trash, badly made and completely pants. Great stuff. :O)

Turkish Exorcist

[Michael_Elliott · 24 April 2009]

Seytan (Turkish Exorcist) (1974)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Turkish version of The Exorcist, which borrows nearly every scene from the classic movie and it also lifts the famous music score. This is the third or fourth Turkish film I've watched and this one took me by surprise because it actually tries to be a serious film and not just some sort of rip off or spoof. As you'd expect, a young girl gets possessed by Satan so her mother (Meral Taygun) gets help from a writer (Cihan Unal) who wrote a book on possession. As I said, I was really surprised that the film actually tried being a scary horror film and I was also shocked that for the most part it worked. There are some silly moments but overall this was pretty effective and gets the job done a lot better than many of the Italian rip offs out there. The opening sequences of the mother searching the attic and hearing various noises up there worked very well as did the final exorcism scene. I was also impressed by the performances especially Taygun as the mother. There are a few hysterical moments due to the lower budget and some of the possession scenes come off funny but I've found this to be the case in the majority of these films and that includes The Exorcist. The direction is a tad bit all over the place but for the most part it is good, although the zoom function is used way too many times and most of the time it's used very badly. Again, this film is far from a masterpiece but there's enough good stuff here to make it worth watching.

I'll also comment on the "official" DVD of this. I guess you'd call this an official bootleg since Warner would never let this film out there since it ripped their film off and used the same music score. I guess whoever was doing the subtitles just wrote them down on the paper and the makers of the DVD just copied them over without reading what they were working on. There are several times where the guy's notes are put in the subtitles and this leads to some very funny stuff. At one point there's talk of a letter opener and the subtitles include "what's a letter opener". Another funny moment is when the text contains a question mark with an added note to "search Google". When the film is over a "The End" credit pops up and the notes include "finally".

TOTALLY GARBAGE REMAKE OF THE EXORCIST

[mo-26751 · 10 April 2021]

THIS THE WORST REMAKE MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN HAD NO GOOD DIRECTING ACTING BAD SCRIPT BAD QUALITY THIS IS NOT A MOVIE THIS IS A TRASH.