CanEvrenol Reviews

Cthulhu (2007)

''Jurrasic Park'' with no dinosaurs

[4/10 · 6 June 2009]

I was very impressed with the first hour of this movie. I thought.. finally, a very good Lovecraft film. But where is the Cthulhu monster??!!!! This is like a Jurassic Park remake with no dinosaurs. I was so disappointed. Especially with that stupid song at the end! I mean how misplaced a tune can be! I see the final music at the end as a warm welcoming and letting go feeling.. as the protagonist lets go and accepts his Cthulhu identity. But still... Hello??? ..The Lovecraft audience is expecting something much much more different here.

A Lovecraft story is, above all, about those that lurk beyond. A glimpse is not enough Lovecraft bluntly shows us these creatures or entities whatever they are. This is what makes him unique. This is also what makes him not taken very seriously during his life time. And now this movie completely ignores that aspect - which is like betraying Lovecraft, n regard to using the name Cthulhu as the film's title.

I am sure the director and the producer of this film are not trying to exploit the Lovecraft fans but unfortunately that's what it comes down to. I mean, at the very least, this film should not have been named ''Cthulhu'' man. This is wrong.

The gay theme is OK. Actually it fits very well considering the ''secret identity'' theme of the Inssmouth people and Cthulu cult. But overall, this film turned out to be a rather heartbreaking experience for me.

I bet Lovecraft himself would be most unsatisfied with this film.

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

Annoying... unashamedly overrated!

[3/10 · 2 February 2009]

The first 45 minutes of the film turned out to be actually very very good - in the waters of City of God. However, later on in the film, sunk in the the cheesiness, pretentiousness and the banal ending which killed the whole thing.

I understand this is a realistic take on a intrinsically cheesy way of storytelling, but nevertheless I felt it should have been a less phony outcome.

The film itself stands as a praise for a state of mind which strands millions of miserable souls to those miserable slums...

Hence the mega-idiotic and ultimately shallow poster.

Kabuslar Evi: Takip (2006 Video)

A solid horror story with an authentic flavor but unfortunately very poor in execution...

[2/10 · 19 November 2008]

"Kabuslar Evi" (House of Nightmares) (2006) is only the second Turkish Horror TV series, the first being Taylan Brothers' X-Files rip-off "Sir Odasi" (1999).

"Kabuslar Evi" - "Takip" (House of Nightmares - The Chase) is the first episode of the rather disappointing horror series from the writer/director Cagan Irmak. The series were made to be aired on a private TV channel in Turkey, but the rumor goes Cagan Irmak was not satisfied with the results and released it straight to DVD.

Cagan Irmak went on to win the hearts of the Turkish audiences by two colossal box office hit tear-jerkers: Mustafa Hakkinda Hersey (2004) and Babam ve Oglum (2006). In both of these films there are glimpses of minor horror elements.

Both these films displayed proof that Cagan Irmak is occasionally in great command of his cinema in spite he is always going for the clichés. His films are flawed with some unrealistic dialogs, some phony makeup and rare but always present theatrical acting. It seems his priority is the box-office. For Turkish mainstream cinema, Cagan Irmak is a rising star (a star already even). For true horror cinema, it is too soon to say anything. Let's hope Cagan Irmak makes enough money now, to be able to make better stuff in the near future.

"Takip" delivers a Lovecraftian narration as the lead character travels to a small village, rents a house and begins writing a story. This story he writes seems to intertwine to his own childhood and reveals a very authentic werewolf story with a twist. A solid story indeed.

However the film is heavily flawed in terms of visual effects, make-up, credible local dialect and the acting of several characters. The werewolf is almost a caricature. For my money it is up there with, if not worse than, the IronMaiden's-Eddie-kinda-looking-devil from Hasan Karacadag's Semum (2008) - another crazy Turkish horror film with crazy CGI effects. This CGI werewolf, however, is even cheaper. Probably one of the cheapest and lamest CGI werewolfs ever in the history of cinema. And when the werewolf is not CGI, it is laughable. It walks like it's seconds away from dropping dead. An extremely clunky werewolf dummie if you dare to call it a werewolf dummie. It's like a big cuddly bear, with minimal joints.

Still, after all, Cagan Irmak is a promising director who has the capacity and the will to do some interesting stuff in the name of Turkish Horror in the coming years. Fingers crossed.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)

WARNING: you will be disturbed to realize how brutally under control the %90 of all cinema - that we love

[8/10 · 15 November 2008]

A daring and illuminating documentary from Kirby Dick, that uncovers the disturbing facts about cinema.

Ladies and gentlemen! Come and see the iron fist over what is the most important element of life: information!

The film aims to shed light on matters which are not completely restricted, yet extremely camouflaged to hide the truth. The truth about the monopolization, the double standards and fascism of the cinema industry.

Interviews by Matt Stone, Atom Egoyan, Kimberly Peirce, Kevin Smith, Darren Arnofsky and John Waters. It deserves much respect for being diligent an very educational. A must see!

WARNING: you will be disturbed to realize how brutally under control the %90 of all cinema - that we love

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979)

A solid vampire film but regrettably dwarfed by the original 'Nosferatu' and even 'Dracula' and 'Vampyr'

[4/10 · 14 November 2008]

This is one subjective review:

Being a fan of both Murnau's 'Nosferatu' and Werner Herzorg, I, nevertheless, had mixed feelings before watching 'Nosferatu the Vampyre'. I rate Herzog as a brilliant filmmaker and a striking character, but was he up to the task of remaking the one and only Nosferatu!?

Remakes come rarely to satisfy and expand the horizon of an audience who has experienced the original film. And unfortunately, this one falls as no exception.

'Nosferatu the Vampyre' offers beautiful scenes, gripping atmospheres and a stunning performance by Kinski. However the film is doomed from the start for it will be compared to Muranu's original (and Browning's and Dreyer's and Hammer's, and now Cappola's too) on every aspect.

'Nosferatu the Vampyre', ultimately, can not match the exquisite imagery of Murnau's 'Nosferatu'. The beautiful images of Herzog are impressive and eerie, but they are dwarfed when compared to the iconographic images of the original. However the more troubling thing is that, the spaces and sets (which is the primary element of Nosferatu) are just much smaller! I mean this is a Gothic film. Scale matters immensely. This aspect of being small, alone, shatters the hopes of an audience eager to re-visit a glimpse of the glory of the original film.

Is Herzog's film is a realist take (with surreal episodes)? I think not. Shaky camera movements don't make a film realistic. And if it doesn't make it realistic, it inevitably makes it small. However it is the style of acting which is decisive upon this matter. One can not keep his sanity if he was to be greeted by a hideous face like the Count's (especially Lovecraft would not approve this at all). So, Herzog's film is as theatrical as the original 'Nosferatu', Browning's 'Dracula' and Cappola's 'Dracula'. Yet it lacks the scale, it lacks the glory, it lacks the show!

Browning's 'Dracula' is a theatrical, more tame but very glorious classic. Carl Dreyer's 'Vampyr' had brand new fantastic elements and amazing imagery (equal to Muranu's) - maybe the most ghastly vampire film of all times. It even qualifies as surreal and realistic.

Considering the colossal, flamboyant and malicious nature of Cappola's 'Dracula' (with the exception of Reeves' annoying presence, despite the good performance), one can say Cappola brought something new to the table (personally I wouldn't rate it as good as Muranu's 'Nosferatu', It is an interesting and beautiful remake, regardless of being better or not).

Herzog's 'Nosferatu the Vampyr' falls short compared to these films in every possible term; imagery, acting, scale, ghastliness and glory. The only thing it brings to the table is a very good Nosferatu character (and make-up). In this sense the film is parallel to the Hammer's 'Dracula'. Both are great films. Both have unforgettable Counts. But both are overshadowed by films which are the titans of horror literature.

Iffet (1982)

A cult classic for Turkish cinema

[8/10 · 21 April 2006]

Starring the Turkish sex icon, superstar Mujde Ar, "Iffet" is a Turkish mainstream hit in 1982 and a daring film for its social overtones. Some over-acting and cheesiness further adds to the atmosphere of the film. The famous rape scene and the immoral male character of the film (Cemil) have long become a part of Turkish pop culture.

A generation grew up, in the 90's and early 2000's, watching "Iffet" over and over on the private TV channels who exploited the film by screening it over and over again. Yet this exploitation elevated the film to a even greater cult status.

Being more than a turkploitation, "Iffet" delivers great directing (compared to other Turkish films of its time) and a gripping storytelling, regardless of some technical defects.

The super-slowmotion scene, where Iffet's father learns about 'Iffet's affair through the gossipping women in his butcher shop, is a gem.