Friday, November 09, 2007

DVD Review: TARZAN ISTANBULDA



Directed by Orhan Atadeniz
Turkey; 1952

I'm not the biggest Tarzan fan, I must admit. And if it wasn't Turkish I probably wouldn't care one bit about this latest release from Onar Films. But it is Turkish, and so of course I'm curious to check it out. TARZAN ISTANDBULDA is a historic landmark in Turkish popular cinema, for several reasons. It is one of the earliest examples of cinema fantastique to be produced in that country (along with DRACULA INSTANBULDA) and director Orhan Atadeniz was a industry pioneer as well as older brother and seminal influence on Yilmaz Atadeniz, who went on to become one of Turkey's most productive and innovative film-makers. What makes the older Atadeniz so important (according to the priceless bio notes penned by Turkish cinema historian Ayman Kole) was his contributions to the craft of making narrative films, it seems as though he was sort of the 'D.W. Griffith' of Turkey with his innovations cracking the Anatolian film industry into areas before unknown to the burgeoning film-scene. But what about the movie itself? It's pretty fun; silly and inconsequential on its own, interesting mostly due to its utterly primitive cinematic techniques and the facts of its nationality. But without it historical importance, I'm not sure Onar would've released it and therefore we probably wouldn't be reviewing it. But that's OK there's room enough on your shelf for this mid-century cinematic oddity.



There is actually not much Tarzan action going on in this movie. He only really enters the plot it what amounts to the third act of the film. Until then it's a standard jungle adventure story, with a quest for a lost treasure, double crosses, racist depictions of African tribes and stock footage galore. But these elements will keep you happy until the yelping white king of the jungle throws things in third (well, maybe just second) gear for the last half hour.



A journalist is on Safari when he discovers the corpse of a western explorer. He nosily reads with doomed man's journal (which - luck of luck - just happens to be in Turkish!) revealing the details of his gruesome fate at the hands of bloodthirsty tribesman (a flashback shows his son [a young Kunt Tulgar in his first role!] escaping into the wild, soon to become ...) and the whereabouts of a lost treasure. Our hero takes the journal back to Istanbul and gives it to his brother, who seems un-phased by news of his brother's passing. They hatch a plot to grab the treasure, enlisting three pilots (a dude, a chick and a retarded coward who provides the typical Mediterranean cinema comic relief) to fly them to Africa, which only takes only a few minutes seemingly as they soar past stock footage of the pyramids. Their safari continues to grow with a group of trackers and some unfortunate African guys to haul all their stuff. Sure enough, with a treasure up for grabs, the trackers hatch a double cross and the action is on. There are animals from scratchy newsreel footage and from scenes shot in a Turkish zoo where some of the animals actually fight each other! I guess there was no Istanbul branch of PETA in those days. Anyway, Tarzan comes in a while into the movie, impresses the girl pilot and saves (some) of the hapless treasure hunters from the bloodthirsty Africans. There's a bit of tragedy but everything more or less ends up well as Tarzan ends up returning to Istanbul in the end. Yay! Not much plot and really not many of the wacky details that usually make Turkish movies so much fun. But it is diverting enough to keep entertained for an hour and a half, and what more can you ask for than that?



For what was once considered a lost film, TARZAN ISTANBULDA looks fairly good. So many films from this era of Turkish film-making are now gone forever, their negatives sold off for the silver contained therein, so that this one survives is a minor miracle in and of itself. It does look pretty ragged as you might expect, but is never anything less than perfectly watchable. Just be happy it exists, OK? Onar once again piles on the extras for this historic release with the most important being an interview with Kunt Tulgar whose father was a producer for the movie and who even appeared as a young Tarzan early on. While it covers more or less the same ground as the interview featured in the TURKISH SUPERMAN DVD released earlier this year, it is still a highly fascinating and comprehensive look at the history of Turkish fantastic cinema. Onar have also unearthed a brief but interesting little bit of film, a camera “check sequence” featuring some of the actors (including a little Kunt) in more candid poses. Only a few seconds long but a pretty neat extra nonetheless. The aforementioned Ayman Kole’s wonderful and informative bios (for Ohran Atadeniz and Kunt Tulgur) are a standouts as well; someone really needs to get this man a book deal! The usual batch of awesome Onar trailers completes the lineup of features and you should check em all out, especially the one for CASUS KIRAN which is what comes next from our generous friends from Athens.



All in all, TARZAN ISTANBULDA is not nearly as fun or essential as most of their previous DVDs but is certainly a must own for anyone even remotely interested in Turkish cinema. The movie itself is great escapist fun and you will marvel at its primitive hand-made aesthetics. The design for the covers and the menus are just flat out fantastic; slick, humorous and user-friendly. Onar is a top-notch operation and while the movie itself is no great shakes the DVD is totally freakin’ cool. It is a piece of cinematic history and its very existence is reason enough to track it down and lay down your hard earned cash. Soon enough: CASUS KIRAN! We can’t wait!!

Available from Onar Films!

40 comments:

Vargas said...

Hello

I would love the opportunity to be included on your links. My name is Jay and run www.gottaseedvds.com . I am getting great traffic and would love to include your link on my site as well.

Thanks so much
Jay Vargas

Anonymous said...

Bu onars filmde maşallah zamanında ne taklitçiymiş be kardeşim..
ozmanın teknolojisiyle çok büyük bir yapıt görünsede şimdilerde sadece gülmek için izlenebilen filmler için onars filme teşekkürler..
www.hiperboard.com

Anonymous said...

worldweirdcinema.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.

Anonymous said...

Web design
very andy, thanx a lot for this article -- hTis si what I was looking for.

Anonymous said...

This website is the simplest I enjoyed it quite a bit

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, may all your wishes come true!

Anonymous said...

Service : Client service was ideal. Lady on the telephone had a pleasant voice and also My hubby and i was sent dollars fairly fast.
Value :Simply put i was given a good value for the reason that fast loan rates were definitily really quite cheap.
AAA Vancouver Payday Loans 310-4088 Cambie Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 2X8 (778) 785-2087 payday loans vancouver
AAA Calgary Payday Loans 1014 Macleod Trail Southeast, Calgary, AB T2G 2M7 (403) 614-4637 payday loans calgary
AAA Ottawa Payday Loans 503 Avenue Gladstone, Ottawa, ON K1R 5N9 (343) 883-1422 payday loans ottawa
AAA Edmonton Payday Loans 10223 97 Street Northwest, Edmonton, AB T5J 0L5 (780) 669-1284 payday loans edmonton

viagra online said...

this Turkish Tarzan is the most incredible character ever made hahaha

Joy said...

I consider every person should read this.

Anonymous said...

xanax cheap does ordering xanax online work - will a .25 xanax show up in a drug test

Anonymous said...

viagra online without prescription cheap viagra online overnight shipping - generic viagra professional

Anonymous said...

viagra 100mg generic viagra wikipedia - does viagra work for women

Anonymous said...

soma cheap drug interactions soma flexeril - soma muscle relaxer pills

Anonymous said...

These are fundamentally brief term loans that do provide you meet your fiscal matters within a preferred particular time period.
Contemplating time limitations these loans are specifically developed above an obligation free platform.

As such, these are kept absolutely absolutely free from credential checksums.
Challenges such as defaults, arrears, bankruptcy, CCJs and even IVAs are not regarded as right here.
Further, there are also no collaterals connected with these loans.

There is minimal paper perform needed on the component of borrower.

There are also no hidden or further documentation or faxing necessary here.
Applying for these loans is also highly practical.
Individuals only need filling an internet form and when this gets
approved money is received within 24 hours time frame. These loans are normally provided below hassle-free terms and situations.

The basic simple applicant criteria right here is that they should certainly be a
UK resident and of 18 years of age.
My web blog ; www.funeralq.cz

Anonymous said...

buy soma online order soma no prescription - soma 2410 v side effects

Anonymous said...

order soma soma quarry - legal purchase soma online

Anonymous said...

generic soma drug enforcement agency soma - buy soma muscle relaxant online

Anonymous said...

tramadol generic tramadol hcl obat - buy ultram tramadol online

Anonymous said...

buy cialis generic cialis wiki - buy liquid cialis online

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online where to order cialis online - buy cheap cialis 20mg

Anonymous said...

order xanax no prescription long does take 1mg xanax work - generic xanax round white

Anonymous said...

generic xanax xanax 2mg cheap - generic name xanax bars

Anonymous said...

buy tramadol overnight tramadol used get high - tramadol dosage bnf

Anonymous said...

xanax online xanax bars no markings - xanax xr overdose symptoms

Anonymous said...

cialis online buy cheap cialis online us - buy cialis from us

Anonymous said...

xanax online is ordering xanax online safe - xanax 2mg sr

Anonymous said...

xanax online medications used xanax withdrawal - xanax effects on brain

Anonymous said...

buy cialis online can i order cialis online - buy cialis at boots

Anonymous said...

generic xanax buy prescription drugs online xanax - xanax effects and dosage

Anonymous said...

klonopin pill klonopin dosage restless legs - klonopin wafers tablets

Anonymous said...

buy klonopin online long until klonopin withdrawal starts - klonopin wafers .5

Anonymous said...

http://buytramadolonlinecool.com/#63102 buy tramadol online with paypal - high on tramadol

Anonymous said...

learn how to buy tramdadol tramadol dosage dogs bone cancer - buy tramadol american express

Anonymous said...

buy klonopin online cheap klonopin anti anxiety drug - buy klonopin online mastercard

Anonymous said...

buy klonopin online klonopin sublingual wafers - roche klonopin 2mg

Anonymous said...

buy ativan withdrawal 2mg ativan - ativan overdose permanent damage

Anonymous said...

carisoprodol 350 mg carisoprodol 350 mg price - carisoprodol tablets dosage

Anonymous said...

soma carisoprodol vicodin online no prescription overnight - carisoprodol 350 mg directions

Anonymous said...

Thе ρoѕt fеatures proνen
neсеssarу to me. It’s гeаllу infοrmatіve anԁ you really агe ceгtаinly reаlly κnowlеdgeable
in this arеa. You have got oρеneԁ mу sight to be аblе to νarіous thοughts аbout thіs subϳеct mattег using intriguing anԁ
reliаblе articlеs.

my ωebsite - ambien
Also visit my website ; ambien

Anonymous said...

Your own reρort providеs established necessary to me.
Ιt’s гeally eԁucatiоnal
and you arе obviοusly quite knowledgеable
in this field. You have poρpeԁ my persοnal eyes to be able to varying oрinion of this specіfіc matter along with intriquing,
notable аnd sοlid content mаterial.


Here is my websitе: phentermine
Also visit my web blog - phentermine