Karışık Pizza (1998)

Ever since the internet popularity of their cult cinema, a lot of Turkish films get saddled with unofficial titles like Turkish Star Wars, Turkish Batman, etc. Most of the time these nicknames are well deserved, but the further they go on they get a bit more tenuous (Like how Turkish Jaws is an unrelated crime flick with half a minute of shark action). I was curious how the so-called Turkish Pulp Fiction would earn this title!...

A hapless pizza delivery boy arrives to his latest call, finding a gorgeous woman. He lingers too long and discovers she has a body in her bedroom! She pulls a gun and ties him up, and claims he is the killer when a criminal associate shows up. With his life hanging by a thread, can the poor guy escape, or will he be sliced like a pizza?...

Karışık (Mixed) Pizza is a late 90s crime flick with a quirky side. It's a fun thing to see from Turkey. How does it stack up as a film though? It's okay. It's nothing amazing, but it also wasn't bad, and does a few things well.

Despite being made so recently, this wasn't exactly a widespread film, and while I was able to find it, only in what appears to be a workprint, with a constant time-stamp, no credits, and an almost complete lack of music. There's also a version on youtube in better quality, but missing 20 minutes and having three watermarks. You just can't win sometimes, can ya! But short of searching the bargain bin racks in Turkey, or pirating a local TV signal of Kanal D, I guess this is it for now.

Pizza has a sudden beginning, and gets straight to the biscuits. The majority of the film is set in this apartment, and it does drag on a bit in this early section, before the flashbacks get going. It's quite light on dialogue in places too. The movie does manage to work despite its cramped setting, but I feel it was isolated for just a bit too long.

The story is simple on the face of it, but with added complexity, and a series of flashbacks. Not all of which really involve the main story. They allow us to know the mystery lady better, as well as the two crooks. Things do get a little confusing, especially if you haven't figured out who exactly is who yet, but for the most part it's not hard to figure out. Though I was still wondering a couple of things after the movie ended.

The protagonist is ostensibly the pizza guy. We never really get to know him normally, beyond his opening pep talk to a mirror. He spends most of the movie tied up, but does get a couple of moments where he almost escapes. Early on he tries climbing out the window, which is impressive and ballsy, though he was an idiot for trying, and even dumber for going back in. The least he could've done was stand behind the door with a vase!

I've read online summaries say he has fantasies where he's a tough guy against the crooks or saving the day, but this never happens. There are a couple of fantasies where he's in a different role, but when the lady is spinning a yarn to convince her buddy. Since he's otherwise tied up I think the movie could've actually benefited from more such scenes, and lived up to that inaccurate synopsis.

The mystery lady is the most important character. Sexy, crafty, and playing all sides against each-other, we're not quite sure who she is or what her motives are until the end. She's interesting to watch, and we can easily believe how she can wrap others around her little finger, as well as take her seriously as a threat.

Then there are two hitmen(?), one of whom starts out the movie as a corpse. In the flashbacks we see them enjoying their gangster life as they go around blasting rivals away, and planting clever bombs, while both putting the moves on their ladyfriend. Interestingly, if we compare this to Pulp Fiction, we actually see 'Jules's' reaction to 'Vincent' dying.

The last act culminates in an alright encounter. A little lacking in some ways, and I've got no idea why 'Jules' was shot when he was, but the telephone trick was fun! The pizza guy getting shot felt a bit pointless and mean-spirited, though he's ok, and we get an amusing police questioning, mirroring his earlier predicament. Poor guy can't catch a break! I didn't get him wiggling his tongue at the audience though! Cut that out, mate!

The action in Karışık Pizza doesn't disappoint. There are scenes where a single burst of violence is the climax, then we've got a manic shootout, followed by an impressive POV chase scene! You've gotta wonder how 'Jules' thinks he'll get away with openly chasing someone with a gun, and shooting him dead in public!

The movie's got a dark but goofy sense of humour too, like one gangster's sweary reaction to getting shot in the shower. The violence throughout is good too! I assume this was a low-budget production, but it gets around any limitations well.

And now we come to the most important area to discuss-Is Karışık Pizza really the Turkish Pulp Fiction? Not really, but kinda. It's not a copy of that film directly, though it shares a couple of visual choices, such as the two suited-up hitmen, one of whom has long hair (though neither are black, since this is Turkey)]. This feels more generally inspired by Tarantino's style. A quirky but violent tone, a non-linear narrative with a through-line, and scenes of talking punctuated by sudden violence. There were a lot of films in Tarantino's wake that tried and failed to emulate his style, and the lightning in a bottle that was Pulp Fiction. But while not a perfect film in its own right, Karışık Pizza does well, and seems to get Tarantino in a way a lot of these knock-offs didn't.

The direction in Karışık Pizza is one of its best qualities! There are some creative shots, nice framing, and the movie is filmed well despite its minimal setting. The action is shot well, and there's a great stunt in one scene, which I can only wonder how they accomplished. I looked up the director out of curiosity, to see how his career's gone, and it seems to be going pretty well. He's done a few music videos (some of which I've seen!), sports docos, and the new fantasy soap opera Shahmaran! That was a surprise. Here's an obscure Turkish pulp flick, helmed by the same guy behind a big Netflix release.

The acting is good. Olgun Şimşek performs what's either a thankless or easy role, and does well. And assuming it's him, I applaud him for his stuntwork! It's Meltem Cumbul who steals the show, with her sultry and dangerous role as the lady. The rest of the cast is fine, if overacting at times, including Cem Özer as a Jules/Vincent combo who resembles Turkish singer Barış Manço.

Karışık Pizza is an interesting little curio, and has its positives, especially if you're a Tarantino fan. There's a lot better out there to enjoy, even among Turkish crime, but it's worth checking out if you're interested...