Kemal Sunal: Turkish King (1976-1980)

Kapıcılar Kralı (1976)

Seyit is a much put-upon janitor in a busy apartment building, constantly doing favours to improve his standing, yet his clumsiness and gullibility often work against him, as does the strong dislike everyone around him expresses. Things reach a head with the arrive of two new tenants, secretly crooks, and the balance of power threatens to explode. And only one man may be able to fix it...if he doesn't make it worse...

The first in a cycle of films starting famed Turkish comic Kemal Sunal, Kapıcılar Kralı (King of the Doormen) is a decent comedy, with a more thoughtful side to it if you're familiar with its country's history. The title conjures to mind a hotel doorman, which could easily make for a good Kemal film (and may have, if memory serves correctly!), but this follows a different line.

Seyit is not quite a landlord, but an apartment housekeeper, who tries to be the big man doing all these favours and errands in order to curry favour with the other tenants, until they see him as an equal, or a better. Unfortunately for him it isn't quite working out, as they see him as easy labour to walk all over. The more he does for them the less they respect him for it.

The story here is linked with themes of the day, from general Turkish character studies, to the then-ongoing political violence, and is still relevant to this day. Not so much in the specific content, since I don't think 'doormen' like this still exist, but the people with this kind of social-climbing attitude, consequences and other people be damned, are very much still present. In fact they might be part of why Turkey's economy is consistently awful, alongside scummy politicians.

Whether or not Seyit is a likeable character is an interesting question. His goals are pretty dodgy, and his motives not the brightest. But he also represents the common man trying to triumph over the bullies of the world no matter what. Unfortunately his methods basically turn him into just as big a bully. His treatment of his family is what I considered to be his lowest quality.

The other tenants aren't much better. A bunch of amcıklar if you ask me! They are so touchy they threaten to call the police on those who dare use their brooms to clean their apartments  and the second Seyit can't shop for them they conspire to get him kicked out, and chase him down to steal his tips. My favourite were the two adorably psychopathic girls!

The villains meanwhile are a conniving pair, though not much worse than everyone else here. They get their just desserts, while the rest of the tenants and the brutish landlord get theirs too, when their whipping boy fulfills his dreams of domination.

The comedy here is fairly amusing. Some of it worked for me, and some was a bit much. The fire extinguisher scene most of all just made me groan. Like how stupid can some people be, really?

The score here is weird, and emblematic of what happens when you give a Turk a synthesiser. It sounds kinda like the dying squeals of a casio, but the tune has a fun ring to it, and it's not so warbly it's unlistenable. It's got a certain charm and high energy.

Kapıcılar Kralı is a good example of the political side Turkish comedies could have, and is a decent film in its own right. It'd have to be for anyone outside of Turkey to get any enjoyment out of it! I didn't find it a masterpiece or anything, but it's a fine watch...

Çöpçüler Kralı (1977)

I generally enjoy classic Turkish films, particularly those starring Kemal Sunal. But this isn't always the case. There was one that I took a strong dislike to-Çöpculer Krali. I'm possibly the only one though, as it's frequently regarded one of the country's best comedies! Since I did watch the film without subtitles last time, and my Turkish wasn't yet at a fluent level, I thought maybe I just misunderstood. I decided to give the film another chance and go into it with an open mind when the time eventually came for a review...

Apti is a poor but humble street sweeper, who has feelings for neighbour Hacer. She's also the object of desire for a municipal officer, who does everything he can to make Apti's life miserable. Things seem to work out in the cleaner's favour, until a string of bad luck. He goes from romantic betrayals, to life-or-death chases and near misses, and even has time to find fame as a lounge singer. All in a day's work for an average street sweeper?...

Çöpçüler Kralı (King of the Street Cleaners) is a quintessential story of the little guy and their struggles against the world. Be it authority, bullies, or toxic partners. All three in this case, as street cleaner Apti tries to navigate them without crashing

Part of why this movie didn't gel with me is that as it went on it hadn't really accomplished much. What also rubbed me up the wrong way was that the romance seemed to take a turn for the worse, with the marriage breaking off and love interest Hacer suddenly hating our hero. This did make more sense on a 2nd viewing though, once I separated the actors from the characters, and noticed the flaws in the character and relationship more.

Then in the last 20 minutes the film takes a sudden detour! After running from pissed off in-laws, Apti stumbles into a nightclub, where he performs an impromptu number on the stage and becomes a famous nightclub singer, using his street image as his persona. I don't know if it's this whole turn that bugs me, or how late in the game it is. It felt a bit jarring.

The ending was mixed for me. It all felt a bit mean. Hacer is still a bitch and their romance is never rekindled, and she ends up with the rival boss she hates, while they scream at each-other in a loveless marriage. While Apti meanwhile discovers how fleeting fame is, and is soon back to his old job like nothing happened. The 'landing back where you started from' angle is also a bit obvious, but handled well. In a way it is effective how his poor and clumsy exterior is a novelty for the ritzy audience, until it becomes an inconvenience for them, and they boo him off the stage.

Apti is a nice enough leading man, innocent and simpleminded, and doing his thankless job with relish, despite everything thrown at him. He keeps his self-respect, and is happy by the end, and hopeful for better things. One moment near the end I liked is when he starts singing, then pauses for a moment as he remembers what's come before, but continues happily.

This isn't to say he's a flawless character, as he gets pretty irate when rejected by Hacer, trying (and immediately failing) to...umm, 'take his husbandly reward'. This verges on uncomfortable, especially since this is an otherwise innocent film, but it's probably that innocence that stops it from being creepier, since we know Apti's not really gonna do anything more (well, we hope so anyway!).

Apti's rival is municipal boss Şakir, who tries eliminating his rival either by trying to get him fired, or giving him impossible tasks, so that he might win Hacer's affections instead. Despite his higher rank in the community, Şakir is himself a small cog in the system. Big enough to boss his underlings around, but not enough to use his status to win over Hacer, until he caves to her whims with a little attempted defenestration.

Hacer starts off nice enough, if a little detached, but as the film goes on we see her uglier sides, and she's a bit of an opportunist, cut from the same cloth as the rest of her family.

Kemal gives a well-remembered performance as a typical everyman, with comedic exaggerations, while Aysen Gruda is certainly meaner than usual! She's still cute in her distinct way, though gets more subtly bitchy and conniving moments. Şener Şen is an amusing presence, just as wild and angry as you'd expect. The rest of the cast does fine, and look Turkish all-round.

The music is nice enough, with some notable tracks, and a decent song or two. The lip sync can look a little off at times, although at least it's clearly still Sunal singing.

I rate Çöpçüler Kralı a bit higher than my last watch, and I felt I did understand certain things better this time round, but it's still not my favourite. Still, if it sounds up your alley and you don't mind comedies that are a little mean (this is hardly Crank or anything!), watch if you like...

Bekçiler Kralı (1979)

Şaban is a newly graduated member of the police force. He may only be a watchman, but he inflicts the full letter of the law upon any he sees, no matter how high. This earns him the admiration of the people, but the enmity of local businessmen and bigwigs. They thrive on corruption, and officers who do what they're told, but an honest cop could upset their apple cart. Can their efforts tempt or break Şaban, or will he upend the whole system?...

Bekçiler Kralı (King of the Watchmen) is a bit of a budgetary downgrade compared to the previous two entries, and has a slightly different feel. But it's a good movie regardless, and I liked it more than Çöp. The commentary is still there, with Sunal once again playing a symbol of society.

The story is a good one, simple but amusing. Our hero is a somewhat naive but eager rookie, who's accidentally privileged when a misunderstanding leads his bosses to think he's the nephew of the police chief. By, shock horror, actually following the law as intended, he becomes a hero to the people, openly stopping bad people and practices the authorities normally let slide under mounds of red tape. And since he's the chief's nephew, corruption of another sort has an unintended positive side effect!

Bek has good themes on how policeman ought to act in a just society, versus how they might otherwise act when bureaucracy stops them from doing anything meaningful. It's cathartic, if sadly unlikely, seeing these usually untouchable figures being succesfully challenged by this honest citizen.

The film also does have a (perhaps) unintended message, that following the law to the letter can be authoritarian, and that an occasional bending of the rules is necessary for a free society. Otherwise the cops breathing down your neck for the tiniest offense every single time could feel stifling, akin to a dictatorship. This message doesn't stick till the ending though, since Şaban never oversteps any bounds with us or the people.

Our hero's personality is fairly basic, in a good way. Policing takes up his whole life, and while those graduating him don't expect anything of note, he shows them wrong. With is trademark whistle he wanders around town in search of wrongs to right, and thinks on his feet, with effective, if disastrous consequences. He goes unopposed for much of the first hour, until the bad guys try taking him down a peg.

Şaban's love interest is nice enough. Unfortunately his idea of flirting is reprimanding her for legal violations, earning her ire. Eventually though she falls for him, just in time to step up and do the right thing.

The villains here are fairly non-descript. They're just random authority figures, who try bribing their problem away, then using his would-be girlfriend against him. The townspeople are likewise ok but nothing special. And of course there's Şaban's dog, who's a little cutie.

Aside from Kemal, the cast here is pretty unfamiliar to me. They do decently, even if there's no-one really distinctive besides the leading man.

Bekçiler Kralı is a pretty low budget affair, but works well within its means. Maybe this nature is why even the so-called 'Restorasyonlu' on Youtube looks pretty brownish and murky. It's be nice to see the movie get properly spiffed up, if possible.

The music here is a pretty good, and varied. There's a warbly and slightly deafening theme over the credits, some funky tunes throughout, including one with a reverse sort of sound to it (best way I can describe it).

Bekçiler Kralı is an alright film. I wouldn't recommend it unless you're already a fan of Sunal or Turkish cinema, since it's definitely on the more minor side of things, but it's still a nice enough time...

Gol Kralı (1980)

Bride-to-be Sevim is in trouble for her wanton ways, and tries impressing her family by seducing Sait, a clumsy and near-sighted but well-meaning millionaire. He falls head over heels, and decides to take up sports to impress her, and win her back when she throws one of her moods. But he may have much more on his horizon than one fickle partner, as he becomes a real sporting success, and may find true love along the way...

Gol Kralı (...Goal King, it's how it sounds!) is the last in this 'series', and brings it into the 80s. I don't know how deliberate the King motif was, but if I had to guess the first two were linked by the same creative team, and both Bek and Gol were just random films capitalising on the title.

Whatever the origin, this is a decent enough film. Sunal is a shoe-in for a sports comedy, with his weedy and gawky physique tailormade for an athletics comedy.

Despite the name, sports plays a surprisingly small role for the first half hour, though is still an omnipresent element in the background. Romantic shenanigans take up much of the runtime. It's not laugh-out-loud funny, but decent enough. The film's fairly low on the social commentary front, setting this apart from even Bek, let alone the more politically overt first two films. This isn't a big issue though, and the film stands well on its own merits.

 

Sait is a good protagonist. On paper it's hard to feel bad for someone rich and privileged, but he comes off as a humble, generous, and curious guy, and just happened to be born into a wealthy family. And he's pushed around and abused by others keen on taking his wealth for themselves, which makes him more sympathetic in our eyes.

Sevim is an unlikeable girl, trying to schmooze Sait at first, but after a certain point stops making the slightest effort, and breaks off the engagement for the most minor of reasons. Then she acts outraged when he finds someone else.

There's soon another woman in the picture, who turns out to be married! An increasingly desperate Sevim sees her as an obstacle, leading to a cat fight between the two, while an amused Sait watches on, and gives a sportsy commentary.

Sait's ultimate love interest is the short-haired nurse who helps train him, and they share disappointingly little time together. Pretty much their only romantic scene is at the very end, and we just assume they end up happy. It's a shame we don't see more of them, but the film does right by having the hero kicking the wrong girls to the kerb.

The last act is the most disappointing for me. Everything is resolved, but the execution left a little to be desired. After being sidelined, sport is finally at the forefront in the last 20 minutes. I expected there to be tension whether newcomer Sait can win the match, but no. He's just a genuinely great player, the crowds all love him, and he wins the final matches without much trouble. Not the most dramatically satisfying! The ending is nice enough though.

Sunal gives a performance that's mature yet kind. The girls here entertain in different ways, ranging from gorgeous yet bitchy, to cute. The remainder of the cast are ok, from grizzled old trainers, to stern patriarchs, young sportsmen, etc. Then there's the Turkish sports announcer, who rivals the enthusiasm of South American commentators, like "Abalarfflrrlrnvnfzzoiozizpo, GOAL! GOAL! GOAL!!!"

Gol King is another lower budget film, and handles these limitations admirably. You can tell how scenes were done, with the wide stadium footage shot separately, and the field scenes on off hours, or on a random green lawn, and it's zoomed in juuust enough to hide the seams, but not so much that it's taking the piss.

Gol Kralı is a pretty decent comedy. It doesn't totally live up to the promise of its premise, but is certainly watchable, and never annoying. As an ending spot for the 'King' series it's pretty random, but that's what you can expect for such a loose collection. The fact that it's good is the most satisfying ending such a series could hope for...

Al Filo del Terror: On the Edge of Terror (1990) [The Deadly Doll's House of Horror Nonsense's The Shortening]

Armando Sanchez, alias El Griego, is a ventriloquist whose act has gotten stale. Instead of accepting the criticism, he gets mad and punishes his dolls. Despite his daughter Karlita's protests, he destroys one. Things don't improve, until he comes up with a sneaky idea-Griego dresses his daughter up as a new doll. It's a smash hit, but people soon become suspicious, and Griego becomes homicidal to protect his secret. But he's not the only one who's about to get violent, as his abused dolls are planning their revenge...

Al Filo del Terror (On the Edge of Terror) promises to be a horror centreing on ventriloquist dummies. A pretty ripe concept for the genre! And this film has a bit of a difference. It's the human master who's the bad guy, and the very much alive dolls are subject to his brutality. It's an interesting spin on things, and I was curious to watch, even if I was going in with Mexican VHS expectations.

The film starts off very quickly, with no real introduction to these living dolls, where they came from, or what their owner knows. Just BAM, they're alive, no questions asked. The ball gets rolling, showing an effective character portrait.

El Griego thinks of himself as famous, enough to the point where he insists assistants hold up mirrors for him at exactly the right angle. Because he's a star, don'tcha know. And yet his audience consists of about 20 chairs in a high school auditorium, half of them empty. And the audience he does have look about as interested as a paint-drying convention. except for one guy who's a little too entertained!

It's no wonder Griego's act isn't doing as well as it used to, because it is truly awful! It's embarrassing to watch him do these squeaky voices, lame jokes, coupled with the sour look he gives when a show doesn't land. Naturally he takes no blame, thinking it's everyone else's fault and lashing out. It's his ungrateful audience, the critics, etc. Obviously he didn't decline. Everyone must just have it out for him. And then there are the dolls themselves. Clearly they are the uncooperative ones! In fact, if the dolls are actually real living beings, that does beg the question of if Griego is even a ventriloquist at all!

This attitude is close to getting him fired if he can't breathe new life into his act. Eventually he hits upon the solution to all his troubles-Dress up his daughter and make her a new doll. Perfect! No-one will know the difference. The crazy thing is this actually works! Despite still only being a guy making silly voices, just with a new doll and a couple extra jokes, somehow this works well enough to even break into America! Yeah, I can imagine this Spanish speaking ventriloquist with his clown doll really setting the States alight.

Despite being an aging ventriloquist with severe anger issues, Griego is a surprise hit with the ladies! He's got one lover on the side, then tries his luck with others. There's also a would-be blackmailer, who digs his employer a body pit that comes in handy more than once, and Griego figures since there's room, BANG, so much for his blackmailer.

The other characters include Griego's brother-in-law (who I thought was his dad for most of the movie), who's aware of the guy's negatives, but is forced into his scheme (going so far as to call it a demonic fraud, and looking on sadly during the make-up process like the girl's being killed! Overstating it just a little), and ultimately meets a sticky end. Daughter Karlita is a sweet girl, who has a special bond with the dolls, yet is a little dopey and trusting. There's also an old maid(?), Karlita's friend, and a few women, including a plucky journalist. I was a little confused who was who at times, which may be because I don't speak Spanish, and because some look the same. Maybe it's the film itself, who knows.

And the dolls are a friendly bunch, and slow to anger, but when they cut loose they'll roast and slime you!

You're probably wondering after all this how this is a 'killer doll' movie, when I've barely mentioned them. That's because they barely appear! Despite an early introduction, they vanish for large swathes of movie, and it's only in the final minutes when they enact their revenge. It's a shame, because that's the movie at its most bonkers, with dolls spitting fire and slime at their tormentor. They're so powerful it makes you wonder why they didn't do this 80 minutes sooner!

Besides this, Al Filo's biggest problem is that it would've been fine at 70-75 minutes, but the 92 minute runtime leaves the movie full of fluff and dead air. You could cut out so many scenes that accomplish nothing, and be left with a much tighter film. Instead it takes forever before anything horrific or crazy happens. It's the middle act which suffers the most. By the end, Edge of Terror feels like a perfectly adequate, if overlong drama about a crazed artist and his daughter, that the makers decided to turn into a killer doll film, but didn't change enough to compensate.

The film borders on black comedy, like one part where Karlita is trying to calm her friend's suspicions. See, her father is a good guy, not as bad as he seems...before immediately cutting to him punching his brother-in-law! For the heinous crime of removing his daughter's make-up. Because it's only logical to wear clownface 24/7!

Interestingly, Al Filo has a somewhat del Toro style flourish. With the 'ugly monsters' being friendly and persecuted, little girls as the heroes(ish), and a brutish human who proves to be the real villain. This is the kind of story I could totally see him remaking! While we're on the subject, that does make for an interesting topic, seeing these VHS-based Mexican horror flicks from the 90s, and comparing them to Del Toro's feature debut Cronos! In terms of quality these obviously don't compare, but they share a nice co-existence. It's little films like this that led the way.

While Al Filo may not be the best at showing scale, it's the dolls that are the most important thing to nail. So does the movie succeed? In a way. They're clearly people, but the make-up is good, and the pyrotechnics at the end are pretty neat.

The acting is ok, with Fernando Almada giving a strong lead performance. Karla Talavera is a cutiepie, and everyone else does fine. Dwarf actors must be so grateful for weird horror movies. Because while they may yearn for audiences to accept them in normal roles, they know horror has always had room for 'em! Are you making a film with aliens, trolls, mutant elves, or killer dolls? You know who's on hand to help! As with Herencia Diabolica (and Munecos Infernales if we go further back) it is a little weird when the dolls are portrayed by real people, but they do fine jobs, despite the goofy voices.

Al Filo del Terror is an interesting little horror, but doesn't quite get there in the end, and is a bit of a bore in places. Worth watching if you're really into Mexican horror, or killer doll films! Besides that it can be skipped...

This post is for The Shortening, a blogathon set up by Emily of  The Deadly Dolls House of Horror Nonsense.