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Reviews
Küçük Kiyamet (2006)
beautiful, haunting epic
I saw this movie years ago, when it was first released. It's a beautiful, haunting epic that has stayed with me all these years.
I had no idea what to expect when I walked into the theater, so I was taken on a roller-coaster ride that began with the mundane (a family setting out on a vacation), turned frightening and surreal (the nightmarish vacation by-the-sea), and ended on a disastrous, poignant note that made perfect sense.
I particularly like Yucel's delving into the subconscious (or perhaps unconscious) aspects of disaster and fear. The Taylans handled the material with grace and kept the plot moving in unexpected and delightful ways.
A really enjoyable experience that was the very essence of international cinema.
The TV Set (2006)
Inside TV-land comedy
This is a behind-the-scenes primer on why America gets served a steady diet of mediocre television programming. David Duchovny and Kranz are great, but it's Sigourney Weaver's role and her superb performance that carries the show.
Among the high points are the movie's take on focus groups and their outlandish role in network decision-making -- surpassed only by the inappropriateness of Sigourney Weaver's teen-aged daughter's decision-making power.
Seth Green's cameo as host of Slut Wars is a perfect little gem that hits just the right, sleazy note.
Hababam Sinifi (1975)
Hababam sinifi doesn't travel well
Whether it's a cultural chasm or an outdated comic sensibility, Hababam sinifi doesn't travel well. The comedy is as juvenile as Welcome Back Kotter, with even flatter characters. The plot revolves around students in their mid-20s (they look more mid-30s) still attending boarding school in Turkey. The "kids" don't want to learn and the teachers -- with one exception -- are inept. The pranks are predictable. The acting and directing are heavy-handed. We were particularly put off by the eye-rolling performance of "The Cow." Production values are poor. Sorry, I wanted to like this flick, but I'm afraid its fans are blinded by nostalgia even more than the fans of 1978's Animal House.