The Hababam Sınıfı Series (1975-1981)

Hababam Sınıfı

While Turkey may presently be known most for the cheesy knock-offs popular on the internet (for good reason!), internally its biggest products are melodramas and comedy, having produced a large number of classics. With so many great films to pick from, and so many beloved actors, you'd think picking a favourite would be difficult, but most Turks will probably have one easy choice-Hababam Sınıfı...

Çamlıca school has just received a new deputy principal, 'Bald' Mahmut, who is dismayed to see the quality of students being taught here. The miscreants known as the Chaos Class are the worst, finding every way in the book to cheat, smoke, wag school, and more. But they'll have their work cut out for them as they try and scare off their new enemy, just as Mahmut does in trying to turn them into productive students...

Based on a series of books by Turkich comic Rıfat Ilgaz, 1975s Hababam Sınıfı (translating to Chaos Class, or Rascal if you prefer) is still a great time even almost half a century later. It's your typical school comedy, and never tries resinventing the wheel. It simply does a great job at being what it is. Simple but very effective.

The story is devoted entirely to the various shenanigans the Rascals get up to as they try and trick their teachers, and one-up Mahmut. It goes hand-in-hand with the comedy, which never fails to get a laugh. While it may be a bit lowbrow for some (70s lowbrow mind you, not modern), it's inoffensive and often very funny, with great comic timing.

The film has some heart to it too, and a couple of dramatic or serious interludes, such as the whole class banding together to take care of Ferit's baby, or when it seems their geeky friend is going to be kicked out of school because his parents can't pay. Moments like these really help the characters be well-rounded, and good deep down. The ending itself is a poignant and effective way for the movie to conclude.

The characters are a memorable and distinctive bunch. Cheeky but likeable, without ever being annoying. There's Groom Ferit, Cow Şaban, Stubby (Shorty?) Necmi, and Dumdum Ali, etc, each with their various quirks. It's Şaban who 'suffers' the most, with the others n the class often cracking about his bovine namesake, or pulling other pranks on him. Despite these barbs, it is clear they enjoy each-other's company.

The cast assembled here is a great one. Pretty much anyone who was anyone in is here (except for Hulusi Kentmen, shockingly enough!), from heartthrob Tarik Akan, toothy funnyman Kemal Sunal, diminutive Halit Akçatepe, the cute Adile Naşit and her distinctive witch's cackle, and Münir Özkul. The supporting players are great too, from the other teachers, to a welcome Ayşen Gruda.

Something I really dig about Hababam Sınıfı is how the cast actually look. Tarik Akan is your typical handsome guy, but the rest of the cast have 'bad' skin, pockmarks, crooked teeth, etc. This extends to many supporting/minor characters too, including the students from a girls school we see later on. It's refreshing to see so many real looking people in a film!

The direction by Ertem Eğilmez is very good. A film set almost entirely in classrooms could appear flat with the wrong touch, but this manages to look vibrant. The ending is pretty visually spectacular too, and must have involved the entire population of Turkey!

There is a great colour palette too. From the bright clothes the characters wear, to the colours of the walls, everything blends together well (or clashes together well).

The film opens with a comedy montage, and it's good, but my only concern is that it kinda spoils several moments in the film. Not in a really bad way, but it's a slight nuisance all the same.

The music here is fun, predominately made up of a catchy main theme, and some softer rescorings. There's a musical sequence near the end, where three of the leads don Oriental maiden garb and perform local girl band classic Delisin.

Hababam Sınıfı is a comedy classic for a reason, and if you're looking for a good introduction to normal Turkish cinema, this is a great entry point!...

Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı

Returning to school for another term despite their best efforts at cheating, the Chaos Class meets their new English teacher-The young graduate Semra. Accustomed to old duffers, they are shocked to see an attractive woman as their teacher, and are smitten with her at first. Bemused by their childish antics, she soon becomes a target for their pranks. The goodhearted Semra tries to deal with it, but it threatens to become too much for the inexperienced teacher...

How there even can be a sequel to Hababam Sınıfı when all the Rascals graduated at the end is explained in the opening minutes of this first follow up, in an amusingly irreverent fashion. It does undermine that film's conclusion in a way, but I guess that's the price that had to be paid to have a sequel. In any case it's absolutely worth it that we got one, because Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı (Chaos Class Failed the Class) is a more than worthy follow-up!

Going into the film I assumed Mahmut and this new female teacher would have a May-December style romance, with him being 50 or so, and her 30-something. But it turns out she's actually 20! So that's a no then. She's also younger than most of her students! Most surprising of all is that there is no romance! She is a hot young female character who manages to get a complete story without getting a tacked on romance!

The characters are once again a misbehaving presence without ever going out of line. Their relationship with Mahmut takes a bit of a dive though. After coming to an understanding by the last film's conclusion, they're right back to slacking off, and so he's back on their case. This leads to them swearing him an enemy again, but this doesn't last.

Ferit doesn't get much to do this time round. I'm grateful at least that the movie didn't try and force a romance between him and Semra, which would have undermined his story in the last film (namely that he already has a wife and baby).

Semra is a nice newcomer. If I did have a criticism it's that we don't really see much downtime for her. She's mostly distressed by the Rascals' pranks, either sad or angry. We don't get to see her let her hair down much, so to speak.

The movie is full of little vignettes, like karate class with the new gym teacher, or Şaban's birthday. The other students are clearly happy, while also taking the piss, gifting him with a charming little necklace...that just so happens to ring.

The most impactful of these is the inspectors visit. I like how it's not direct action on the rascals' part that causes the misunderstanding, but a longstanding gag, and how the nearsighted Mr. Akil happens to react to it. The resolution to this subplot shows off the Racals' humanity, and how they aren't all bad.

The film's climax addresses the role their parents play into their development. The reason the Rascals are able to stay in school year after year is because their parents are both rich and inattentive. As long as the kids are out of their hair, they don't care, and the school certainly isn't complaining when they get a big fat paycheck every year.

The montage this time round is like a photo slideshow, which helps not spoil any of the moments its showing off.

The music here is predominately made up of recycled tunes, which is fine, and gives a nice familiarity to events. The climax has a neat musical medley, where three songs are performed by the main cast. They are short, and each stand out from the other.

Hababam Sınıfı Sınıfta Kaldı is a very enjoyable time, and made me look forward to the next entry...

Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor

As another term emerges for Çamlıca school, the Chaos Class receives a new student-The pleasant and hardworking Ahmet. A favourite former-pupil of Mahmut's, he helps the boy find a place after paying his way, determined to see him graduating. The Rascals meanwhile are keen to corrupt the nice new kid, and get him into trouble if it means getting revenge against Mahmut...

Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor (The Chaos Class is Waking Up) is another successful entry in the series. Things are back to the status quo, which is perhaps for the best. That way there's not a constant push and pull between tones. Helping this is the absence of a lot of previous students, meaning characters haven't regressed, but Mahmut is simply butting heads with the next generation (for the most part, since some familiar faces are still present).

The Rascals are as misbehaved as expected, jealous of the special privilege Ahmet gets. While we the audience knows he deserves this treatment, you also do feel for the others. This invariably backfires, and with each punishment they recieve, Ahmet is spared, which only incenses them further.

The teachers are just as much a part of the action as the students, getting their fair share of funny moments.

Ahmet is likeable, and not traditionally nerdy. Maybe a little naive in some ways, but also perceptive, and sweet overall. Ahmet's identity adds some further depth to the story, and some pleasant character connections.

His interactions with the other 'kids' is an interestingly portrayed. He's not totally onboard with their antics, but he also doesn't grass them out/on them. While this can be silly of him at times, it does show his sense of honour. Likewise, when he gets pissed at them, he gets pissed! And this isn't fixed until the end of the film either, lending it weight when he eventually forgives them.

The ending here is sweet, and leaves a nice impression (despite how silly it is that Ahmet is giving such an impactful speech to kids too young to possibly understand it). The overall message to Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor is a good one, and hopefully inspirational to others.

The comedy is once again great to watch, with many hilarious gags and scenes. The inspector makes a return in a classic scene with Hafize. Şaban and Stubby have a feud this time round, which leads to some fun. Other great moments are Şaban's 'son', the exercise war, olympics, and the antics in the opening montage.

The Great Escape section is a little over the top, and feels a bit random ,but isn't bad, and has an amusing ending. We have another quiz this time. I was surprised they didn't enlist the help of smarty Ahmet, but it's fun seeing things go pearshaped, also serving as karma for their cheating in the first movie.

The Ataturk scene is funny at first, with a great twist. It becomes earnestly patriotic without being phoney about it. In fact the very words they recite make it impossible to be jingoistic. Another effective poignant moment comes with the arrival of former student and now soldier Ismail. This breaks the shenanigans up and allows for some downtime, as well as sincere friendship between the rascals.

The opening montage this time round isn't to be missed, as it's not showcasing upcoming scenes, but is a montage of moments that happen offscreen! Whether these were deleted scenes that didn't make the final cut, or (more likely) were deliberately shot to create a more standalone] intro, I'm not sure, but I heartily approve of the decision!

The cast are once again very good. Tarik Akan is gone this time round, but the rest of the cast still remains. The biggest new addition is Ahmet Sezerel, and he does very well. He's visually distinct too, because of how good looking he is, in stark contrast with the comical features the rest of the class possesses.

As with the last movie, we have all the familiar tracks, along with even more of a musical side than ever. We get a fun rendition of Neler Oluyor Hayatta in the dorms, and then a triple medley during the grand finale, courtesy of the Rascals, and Hafize.

Hababam Sınıfı Uyanıyor is another great entry in the series, showing it still has plenty of steam, and not falling into the curse of threes...

Hababam Sınıfı Tatilde

A shake-up is happening at Çamlıca school when it begins accepting female students. Together with the arrival of a young new teacher, this spells chaos. The Rascals are first head over heels for the new girls, but soon become bitter enemies. Provided there's a school left after the crossfire, they soon end up facing perhaps their biggest obstacle yet...

Hababam Sınıfı Tatilde is a highly enjoyable 4th entry. There is no shortage of story, with us having new students (plus a new dynamic), a new teacher, a big camping trip (featured so prominently on some posters I went in thinking it'd be the whole film!), as well as the climactic dilemma everyone faces.

The characters are as always the main selling point. The students still have enough edge to make them all convincing troublemakers, while being innocent enough that they're never mean-spirited. I just wish we'd seen more class-disrupting shenanigans, but most are feuding pranks. Which is fine, of course. It's just that those scenes were always highlights.

This film contains Şaban's final appearance. He's funny as ever, and his sojourn as a spy for the girls is a hoot. While we're on the subject, Tatilde does what each previous entry does, and has new jokes about cows that always feel fresh. They don't overdo it, and it never feels like we're just getting the same joke over and over again. They keep enough familiar, while also giving it a fresh touch.

One weird element I didn't pick up on till fairly late is the complete absence of all other students. We only ever see the Hababam class, and literally no other kids. You'd think they were the only ones in the school.

Onto the teachers. Mahmut has his smallest role in the series to date. He has a more passive role this time round. He's also grumpier and less sensitive, though not to an inhumane degree. The status quo has come back once again. This time round the Hababam class has a completely antagonistic relationship with Mahmut (lasting until the end, naturally).

The rest of the teaching staff appear even less, though each at least get one or two funny scenes. They are thankfully not overshadowed by the newcomer, though only because he's pretty underused too!

Mr. Avni is a good character. I like how accommodating and friendly he is with the students. He takes part in their little games, while also laying down the law and being tough when need be. His problem is that he's a bit too trusting with the Rascals. It's not that he blindly trusts them, but his concern for student wellbeing can cloud his judgment. The film does highlight the importance of really getting to know a school before you rock the boat, or else the students or teachers could hang you with your own ignorance. This is highlighted in a conversation, where Mahmut admits to being no greater than any other teacher, he's simply experienced.

The adorably excited Hafize is at her cutest here. Likewise, coach Ekrem gets his best role yet. It's already funny enough seeing his kung fu classes, and his yelling is funnier than ever, but he also takes the reins for much of the camping trip.

While Hababam Sınıfı Tatilde is otherwise great, there are two problems I have here. The first is Mr Avni's screentime. The poor bloke vanishes from the movie for damn near an hour! This is connected with the next issue. The eviction from the school is an effective dramatic moment, and the response and solution is all great stuff. But it all happens to quickly, so late in the game. There's only about 15 minutes left when the movie's gotta do all this stuff. It does succeed, but only through the skin of its teeth!

The cast is all on top form here. The newcomers do well too, especially the girls (one of whom is a returning Ayşen Gruda).

The music is much the same, and the routine concert returns once again. Despite the simpler surroundings and lack of fancy costumes, they still manage to deliver a nice song and dance.

The film foregoes a montage this time round in favour of showing a simple sports match. It's a nice enough intro to the film, if a little basic compared to what's come before.

Hababam Sınıfı Tatilde has only minor issues, which don't detract from what's otherwise a great time, trying enough new with plenty of the old magic...

Hababam Sınıfı Dokuz Doğuruyor

The chaos class gets a new student when the son of a tribal chieftain enrolls. He begins throwing his weight around and is immediately about to learn the hard way what the rascals think of him, until they realise he can give them all free cigarettes. Now they have a new idol. Meanwhile, a new teacher spells trouble in more ways than one, and a pair of students fall hard for each-other, leading to trouble...

Hababam Sınıfı Dokuz Doğuruyor (look, it's an analogy, I'm not even gonna try translating it) was one of the entries I was most worried about, not only due to its spot as 4th sequel, but also the absence of all the old major players. Thankfully it did not disappoint!

This is a very dense movie, in a good way! A lot happens here, in a short time. 5 minutes will pass, yet so many events have happened you could swear it was 20 minutes! This could easily feel overstuffed, but a good sense of structure keeps it strong.

The pregnancy plot is similar to Ferit's subplot in the first movie, but handled in a different way. There it was just a matter of babysitting for him, whereas here we see the class prepare for a birth, and help hide the girl's condition, all leading up to the big event.

The students are almost entirely new now, with all the original major players gone. Only Dumdum Ali and Ismail remain, with the former getting the majority of the action. While the others are missed, and one can always question the wisdom of continuing the series without them, at least a school-based series can get away with such cast changes to an extent, since they graduate and new kids come in. This also solves the problem of the class's newfound respect for Mahmut clashing with the status quo flipback to raise trouble/cause a ruckus.

as soon as Bilo can offer cigarettes, suddenly a greek chorus of friendliness

"I haven't read this much since primary school"

funny   "Merhabalar"   made me piss myself laughing.

The big new student here is Bilo Ağa. When I heard the film was about a tribal chieftain's son, I was expecting a Central Asian kid with a giant fluffy hat and = robes, but he's only from a local tribe, meaning he dresses normally. He's a fun presence, and does ok to replace the likes of Şaban. Unfortunately he does take a bit of a backseat as the movie progresses. And as goofy as his moustache was at first for a high schooler, its absence is felt when he melts into the background.

While Bilo's inclusion gives this sequel a goofier element, Ömer's presence brings it back down to earth with a very normal, sweet, and sensitive lead, whose romance with Ayşe gives the film an emotional centre. They share great chemistry. My only complaint is that it feels like we come in halfway through their story. They already know each-other, and despite seeing them for the first time we're expected to know them.

I do question their intelligence though, for having sex on school grounds, and for Ayşe's attempted actions partway through. It's not that these are unbelievable moments, just that you feel like slapping the heads of kids you thought were smart!

The teachers are on top form here. The ones who get the most attention are Ekrem, who's funny as always (yelling like a champ, and having an adorably dorky run), and new literature teacher Hürrem, perhhaps the film's most distinctive character. She's a fierce feminist and man hater, not to mention strict disciplinarian. She raises hell for everyone in the school, students and staff alike. This results in a plan of action to try and 'tame the beast', by finding her love. She's hilarious all round!

The acting is fun. The new students do well, and even though they can't replace the old guard, the movie never really tries to replace them. Ilyas Salman is a good newcomer, while the two romantic leads are so normal in comparison with the others. Perran Kutman is an amusingly over-the-top presence, and you get the impression she looked at her stage directions and thought she could stand to double them.

Out of the returning cast members, the majority are in the staff-Münir Özkul, Adile Naşit in all her coffee swinging glory, Sıtkı Akçatepe, and Şener Şen. Most don't get large roles this time, but at least the story never pretends otherwise, so while they are missed, we also don't feel too shortchanged.

The direction here is splendid! It films the actors really well, and gets the most out of the various locations. It frames them really well too, and has a nice use of lens flares(?). Longtime series director Ertem Eğilmez took a break this time, handing the reins to known actor Kartal Tibet, who proves himself very well in one of his first directing gigs.

Another positive I'll give Dokuz Doğuruyor is that it looks like it has more extras running about, and we see more of the school, both of which go together in making it feel like a proper lived-in location. It also hasn't forgotten the progress made by the previous film, since not only are there still female students, there are a lot more!

The climax involves Ayşe going into labour during the middle of the musical show, resulting in a mad dash to eliver the baby, and distract everyone from the noise. It's an effective scene, though it's a shame to see the concert take a backseat. The girls becoming amateur nurses is ridiculous, and stretches credibility, but is cheesy in the best way. The ending itself is decent, but a little abrupt. They discuss what the baby's name should be, and I thought of a few great ideas (like Mahmut, Hafize, or Hababam), but instead

The montage this time round shows some general horsing around, while also 'establishing' the romantic couple. It's neat, and made me curious how (or indeed, if) these scenes would play into the rest of the film.

Hababam Sınıfı Dokuz Doğuruyor's biggest problem is that it could have easily been two different movies. But considering they'd both be good movies either way, that doesn't mean too much negative for this penultimate entry...

Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle

Many years after its previous heyday, Çamlıca has an all new chaos class, and a new literature teacher is coming. Country boy Mehmet has signed up for one of his first gigs as a teacher, and faces fierce opposition from the students, who mock him for his upbringing, his accent, and values. But he strives to educate them, or die trying. And maybe by the end of it, they'll all have learnt something...

Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle (Goodbye Chaos Class) is the final entry in the series, and is both the dawn of a new era, and the final end. Coming after a 3 year hiatus (due to political upheaval), the all new cast suggests this will be a new beginning, but the title says the opposite, like they fully intended this to be the last entry in the series.

There's a good balance of plots and subplots here. The film juggles them well, and they never get to be too much or too confusing. By the end I felt it had one of the stronger stories in the series. In a way that's different to the norm, feeling more like To Sir, With Love, but as a comedy.

There's no opening montage this time round, with the credits sequence simply showing us Mehmet coming into town. It's nice enough, and it's a change seeing the bays and stations of Istanbul in this otherwise very localised series, but I did miss the traditional style of montage.

 

Among the other changes, there's also a different set for the school. It's pretty distracting at first, given how consistent the series was, though I eventually got used to it. In terms of visuals, this reminded me of Mind Your Language Season 4. Only in appearance, thank god, not it quality! It too came after a long gap, was missing many cast members, and had a totally different set.

Not only are all the old students gone, so is Mahmut himself, the series' other big mainstay. The film makes no attempt to replace him, thankfully. There are five familiar faces, two in the form of returning actors, while the rest are also returning characters. Ilyas Salman was Bilo Ağa in the previous entry, and here plays a teacher! Ayşen meanwhile had two different roles in two previous entries. As for the returning characters, Hafize returns, as does Pasha Nuri, and daffy lab professor Şevket.

The series began in 1975, and there was a brief hiatus, so the remaining students would have looked far too old. With that in mind I can understand why there's been a total overhaul, especially when only a couple of the originals remained anyway. But it's still sad to truly see the last of the old guard gone, and it makes for a bittersweet final entry when you don't recognise anyone.

One positive is that the cast here actually look like teenagers (except for one guy who looks like he's 40!). Also, I didn't pick up on this right away, but they're all a lot more conventionally attractive. They also have regular names rather than fun ncknames. Whereas some of the students in the classic films were more recognisable by actors, or their appearances, here we hear their names fairly consistently.

The students include Ali, a proud and rude boy, but a big softie at heart. Kerem, a romantic sap with a love for women and awful poetry. Ekrem meanwhile is a little pervert, who is just asking for a beatdown. As for the girls, there's Gamze, who is an enemy to Mehmet at first, before becoming something more. Then there's Ayşegül, who's a real troublemaker, and daughter of Hafize! She's ashamed of her mother having such a lowly job, and lies and steals to try and improve herself, before learning the error of her ways. All in all, I eventually warmed to these kids, and they never felt mean-spirited.

The latest literature teacher for Çamlıca school is villager Mehmet Bülbül. While not a man of harsher discipline, he is not a pushover, and has enough verbal barbs to keep the Rascals at bay. They get surprisingly strong for a sweet young country boy! How the film handled the 'romance' between him and student Gamze is also very mature, even if it does lead to a melancholy ending (I get him not wanting to puruse the relationship, but why'd he have to leave??).

Science teacher Şevket is his usual self, managing to blow up the lab on occasion. This time he leaves the gas running while busting a student with a porn mag. I thought for sure he was gonna absentmindedly set the thing on fire (BOOM!), but it never happened! Still, it does blow up eventually, as we knew it would. Beyond that, he gets a fun new dynamic as he competes to to woo the female teacher.

There's a new gym teacher replacing Ekrem. It seems like a mistake after such an iconic character, but the film builds on this connection, giving us a replacement who's filled with inadequacy at his predecessor's memory. By the end I thought he was a decent enough character. The female teacher is plenty of fun too, a little too friendly with all the boys, and actively scornful of the girls. Unfortunately we don't see much of her teaching-There's nearly an hour between her classes.

The English teacher is a hoot. The bad dubbing is funny enough, as is the fact that this British voice work is clearly anything but. Where he really shine is in the content of these scenes, with this dope coming and expecting the students to teach him Turkish. Dude, you're the teacher here, don't expect them to do your work! Naturally, relying on the Rascals to teach you Turkish is a terrible mistake, as he learns.

Hafize gets a more dramatic role this time, and it works well! I only wish she had've gotten more goofy moments like in previous films, to balance things out. But it's still great seeing a new side to her. The way she's like a mother to all the Rascals, how Ayşegül could be so 'embarrassed' by her is crazy. Lastly, the new principal of the school is a pretty hardline guy, who favours beating the crap out of students. Mehmet, as strict as he can be at times, has absolutely no truck with this kind of behaviour, and publicly scolds him in a spectacular way!

The acting here is good all round. While none of these kids may hold a candle to the originals (and some overact a bit), that's hardly an enviable task. It'd be like expecting the Brat Pack to outshine Abbott and Costello. Ilyas Salman may look like no-one else on earth besides Ilyas Salman, but he still manages to successfully portray a totally different character to what he did only one entry prior. I was particularly impressed with Adile Naşit, who gets to stretch her dramatic chops more this time.

The music here is entirely recycled. Still perfectly fine, of course. It wouldn't feel like Hababam if the familiar music was missing. Although it is a little odd hearing old tracks over such a different cast and setting. The only major absence is that of a musical in the last act. That became somewhat of a staple, and while it's not something that needs to be in every entry (especially with such a different cast), it is sad to not see it one last time.

Overall, Hababam Sınıfı Güle Güle feels like it could've been a good beginning for a new series. If this had've even been the first entry in a reboot it may have worked. As part of this series it's a little weird, and as a grand finale it's lacking in some ways. But the important thing is that at least it's not bad. It might not be a classic, by any means, but it's a perfectly enjoyable way to spend 80 minutes. So in other words, if you're a bored student in class, this will serve as a nice distraction! [That means Hababam Sınıfı has done its job...]

Overall

The Hababam Sınıfı series is definitely one of Turkish cinema's best exports. I am impressed by the quality, consistency, and continuity here. With every new entry I went in expecting it to be good, but worried this might be the entry that breaks the camel's back. But no such thing happened. The only real point of concern was the final entry, but that proved to be a success too! It's not often when you can speak so well of a six-film series. Some can't even make it three without the wheels falling off.

The characters are a highlight, and the series wouldn't work half as well without them, and by extension the actors. They cycle out, but given a school setting, it makes sense. The students who don't return have presumably graduated, while any departed teachers may just be working elsewhere.  Departed characters do sometimes get a mention, but the series never dwells on who's gone, only on who's here now. And the departures of older characters allows for larger roles for the existing cast, letting more minor players naturally expand. The only time this isn't the case (for the most part) is the final entry.

Getting to the continuity, there are a few little hiccups here and there, but nothing that can't be ironed out or explained. Ahmet is said to be the first student of the Chaos Class to graduate. This does beg the question of what happened to characters like Ferit, but maybe he decided to leave school early to be a full-time dad. Or perhaps he was offered a job that paid from the get-go, with no graduate degrees required. Either way it can be made to fit. Then there's Ismail, who left to enlist in the military, and has grown as a person. By the next film he is back in school again. How is anyone's guess, and he's back to his old ways, but it's never in such a way that regresses his character. I guess it doesn't focus on him enough to do anything that bad.

Almost 50 years on, Hababam Sınıfı has endured as a classic of Turkish cinema, and deserves some wider appreciation. It's received a couple sets of remakes/reboots, with mixed success, but these original 6 movies still live in the memories of millions...

Mother of Tears (2007)

Italian director Dario Argento made a name for himself with his giallo classics, but it was with his seminal horror classic Suspiria that he cemented his status. One sequel followed, but despite there being Three Mothers, the trilogy was left incomplete. Until 2007...

After an archeological discovery, an ancient urn and tunic are sent to a museum for examination. Assistant Sarah Mandy leaves the room for only a second, and suddenly it's swarmed by demonic figures, who butcher the curator. A terrified Sarah flees, and realises she is now a hunted woman. Guided by the spirit of her mother, and finding aid elsewhere, she must take the fight to these evil forces and stop the Mother of Tears before Rome falls, then the world...

Mother of Tears was long awaited by horror fans everywhere, bringing closure to the Three Mothers series after a 27 year hiatus. Argento's previous films weren't exactly what you'd call well-received, but fans were hoping the importance of this project would bring out the best in him!...Well, some fans weren't disappointed.

For me, Mother of Tears is an absolute disaster! Stylistically it bears very little similarity to the previous films, with none of the garish colour, dreamlike tone, or artistic design, and is a poor conclusion. But it's the quality of the film itself that fares the worst. It's a noisy, ugly, and at times boring movie, that verges on unintentionally hilarious.

The plot to Suspiria was almost secondary, and there was no real inkling of a larger narrative. It was Inferno that laid the groundwork for a greater world, revealing the mythology of the Three Mothers. The final film in the trilogy should logically continue this, and bring it all to a grand conclusion. Argento spoke of the things he sought to explore, like alchemy, gnosticism, and terrorism, and that sounds like a really interesting idea, of old and new! A shame practically none of that is in the movie. There isn't much of a story here. The film consists entirely of going to see one person, then another, then another, then another.

Mother of Tears went through a number of scripts before finally seeing the light. The first was by Daria Nicolodi written right off the bat back in the early 80s, which for some reason was never produced. Then was a treatment by Dario himself, then one American writers Adam Gierarsch and Jace Anderson, followed by Dario again. How can a movie with a story this thin have gone through so many scripts? Frankly I think they should've stuck with that original version!

This film makes the most references to past entries than anything else before, but it all feels a bit obligatory and less than meaningful (and as for why Sarah's mother gravely wounded Mater Suspiriorum then just left and waited for someone else to kill her is anyone's guess). If there is one thing I appreciate though it's that the Suzy Banyon reference was positive, and didn't violently kill her offscreen like I suspected it might.

There are a few callbacks to random Argento films, like a sewage trawling scene reminiscent of the maggot pit in Phenomena. It's unnecessarily arduous, considering how late in the game it is, but as far as obvious cheap callbacks go, I thought it was better than most.

The film tries to aim for a big scope, and show how the Three Mothers can affect the whole world...yet we don't seem to get a good sense of this being a truly inhabited setting. We see some random acts of violence, but because we don't know these people, and never get a good glimpse of this world, it all feels a bit mindless, like a video game.

It's the climax where much disappointment lays. Mater Lachrymarum, the most powerful of the Three Mothers, is killed when her shirt is torn off, which immediately destroys her entire coven, with zero effort. Just toss an old rag onto a fire and the witch is dead, just like that. The heroes escape the crumbling lair, then the film just ends.

Sarah is an unhinged main character, screaming at people despite having only just evaded the police, who are still right there! She also takes far too long to catch on. In her first meeting with Marta, the woman explains who she is, and Sarah asks "Who are you?". She just told you, you dope! After being told about witches pursuing her, she still says things like "Why were there people in my apartment? I feel like I'm going crazy". Honestly she does come across as crazy, and it's more than the script to blame.

Her ghost mother makes a few appearances, giving some vague advice, and not much else. Her biggest part is later on. Despite telling Sarah she can't appear again, she does so anyway to save her, in a wholly unnecessary sacrifice. Sarah's already lit the guy on fire, and all she needs to do is leg it till he collapses!

Michael, the museum's manager and Sarah's boyfriend, gets a decent, if depressing story, but vanishes for a bit too long, Also here is detective Enzo, who's a good guy, and makes it through to the ending, although he contributes so little before that point that most in the audience will have no idea who he is.

The witches here are embarrassingly unhip. Instead of being old hags with pointy hats and moles, they're instead exclusively 20 year old punk models, with awful fashion sense and enough make-up to choke a cat. I'm not asking for them all to look like Witch Hazel, but if they could be less like Madonna, that'd be nice.

Lastly, Mater Lachrymarum is completely wasted. Despite getting an entire movie devoted to her this time, and the final capstone of the trilogy too, she barely appears, and has nothing to her. Previous mothers didn't appear much either, nor did they have super in-depth personalities, but I guess I was just hoping for something a little more for the grand finale than just a randomly evil bimbo.

Onto a couple of genre tropes. The curator at the museum inevitably cuts herself on the artifacts, and bleeds all over them, and I was all set to yell at her for activating the ultimate in evil. But it turns out they were coming anyway, so no harm no foul! Next is when Sarah is escaping the museum. It's smart of her to gently put the books down and take off her high heels! Maybe it's not the most realistic of reactions, but I'm glad she doesn't just drop them with a clatter and run, like anyone else in a horror movie would.

I also didn't mind the presence of the monkey. Many point that out as a singular point of lunacy in the film, but to me it makes perfect sense. Witches do have familiar animals after all. And while it's perhaps shown a bit too much, or doesn't do enough, it never does anything too weird.

For a movie about witchcraft, there's disappointingly little magic here. Despite all the lip service there is about Sarah's power inherited from her great mother, she turns invisible twice, and that's it. This is especially glaring in one scene, where white witch Marta is unable to make her car door unlock without her keys! I thought you were magical, lady!

Visually Mother of Tears is a disappointment. It's shot decently, in its own right, but has nothing that resembles Argento's classic output, least of all the Three Mothers trilogy. This only creates a further level of disconnect between those old films and the new. There's only one scene near the end that tries looking like them, in appearance or colour.

The film has an alright atmosphere in some ways. I liked the 'woman on the run' element, but that's about it. There are cheap jump scares, including an 'it was all a dream' fake-out. Very little of the artful or shocking scares of the original. It verges on the tasteless at times, and I didn't even know what the heck I was looking at.

Onto the next most important part of any Argento film-The death scenes! The first comes surprisingly quickly, with very little build-up. Just some dry chit-chat 10 minutes in, then poof, disembowelment! You leave the office for just 5 minutes, and your coworker is being strangled with her own intestines. Hilarious to watch, like Braindead or Riki-Oh...Except this wasn't meant to be a comedy.

The priest's death is hampered a little by the effects, but the ferocity of the attack is neat. The following sequence is disappointingly quick at first, but we do get a little more. Most disappointing is how sparse the deaths are. There are only three sequences, in an almost 2 hour film!

The effects are mixed. Some of the gore is well done, at least in terms of creativity, although I wasn't a fan of how dark the blood was. There is some embarrassingly bad CGI used, and some hilarious puppets that ruin the moment. Other things are better crafted, like a couple of cleavings later on, although the blood spurting is a bit fake.

I've seen Asia Argento in a few things, and while she sometimes gives fairly normal performances, all bets are off in her father's films. She's unhinged in a really bizarre and off-putting way. It takes away from her character's relatability and 'everywoman' status, and makes her come off like a mental patient.

The rest of the cast is almost just as weird. They suffer from manic direction at times, but do decent jobs for the most part, although some are quite bad (especially the obviously dubbed ones). I liked Udo Kier, and was sad he got such a small role. I was also glad to see Coralina Cataldi-Tassoni again (once again on the receiving end of an oral death scene).

The last big name to mention is Moran Atias as the titular villain. The previous actress in this role was Ania Pieroni, who played Mater Lachrymarum for a grand total of 30 seconds, yet whose shoes are impossible to fill! She had such an ethereal beauty that's unmatchable, and Argento knew this, trying to get her back. But Pieroni also knew that she was now 50 years old (not to mention retired), so the role went to Israeli model Atias. She does alright, and she certainly is good looking, but she looks more like a supermodel with fake-looking boobs than the ultimate in evil. And the modern American accent really takes away the ancient European mystique.

The music here is tolerable. Nothing bad, nothing amazing either. Ending the trilogy with a death metal track isn't exactly ideal either, certainly not when compared with the dreamlike or operatic pieces that close out Suspiria and Inferno.

The last thing to discuss is an interesting matter of titles. Suspiria was about Mater Suspiriorum, while Tenebrae...was a completely different movie, and Inferno was the one with Tenebrarum. This third entry could've been named something Lachrimae or Laychrymia if they wanted to keep with a consistent theme. I don't mind that they didn't, since Mother of Tears isn't a bad title, and it's not like Inferno was consistent either. Still an interesting thought though.

It took me years before I finally made myself sit down and watch Mother of Tears, and it is everything I was afraid of and more. It's a bad film all round, with very few redeeming qualities. While it may be technically better in some ways than his other latter-day films, I found it to be at the bottom. While I'll always watch Suspiria and Inferno again, this is not a film I'd ever willingly revisit...

Giallo (2009)

A serial killer is on the loose on the streets of Turin, taunting the police with photos and videos of his gruesome crimes. Known only as Yellow, the police have no leads, until the sister of a recently missing woman visits Inspector Enzo Avolfi. Together they investigate, and try to crack the case before it's too late for Yellow's latest victim...

After a few duds, and the polarising Mother of Tears, Giallo marked not only Dario Argento's next foray back into the giallo genre, but a special one, if the title was anything to go by. Sadly the general reception was not positive, from critics or fans.

Despite being titled Giallo, this really feels little like that genre, instead bearing a greater resemblance to the spate of 'torture porn' films of the mid 2000s. This is especially disappointing when the name promises this will be the ultimate example of a giallo. There is little mystery, elaborate murders, or touches of art or colour here. Less Deep Red and more police procedural with a higher rating.

One of the film's biggest failings is that it really doesn't build suspense well. A perfect example is the first abduction, which happens so quickly and without effort. This is also evident in Celine being kidnapped immediately! The first victim has only just been abducted like 2 minutes prior, and we haven't even gotten to know the main characters yet, and already one of them's being kidnapped in the exact same way.

The worst example of this is the big reveal of the killer...or lack thereof. With zero build-up and no waning, boom, it just shows us his face, like it's no big deal! It feels like a scene is missing where we were introduced

Another issue is that basically there are no death scenes! There are parts where victims die, but these are mostly just brief flashes, or minor bits. Argento films past (and indeed most giallos) are built around wild death scenes, but here only one victim dies in the present. The film is more focused on showing torture, but even there it doesn't have much.

The climax happens a bit quickly, but once it gets going it's a fun moment, with a great death scene for the killer. The ending is disappointingly abrupt though, and kind of a downer. Nothing bad actually happens (in fact there's good news), but it's presented in such a strange way, and there's no resolution for the main pair.

Giallo is simultaneously a quiet yet loud film. The dialogue is often low and mumbly, but the screams are pitched VERY LOUDLY.

Enzo is your typical grizzled detective, haunted by a tragic past, and always speaking like he's in a noir. He has his good moments. Linda is likewise alright, and I liked her drive to find her sister despite the chances, although she comes across as bitchy sometimes, especially in the ending.

It's funny how petty the killer really is. He may be jaundiced, but if he simply washed his hair, went to the barber every now and then, and learned how to speak nicely to the ladies, he could charm them like...well, Adrien Brody! If only he realised that ugliness is a state of mind, and bought a damn comb!

Also amusing is that the killer is able to be bribed! When Linda's sister offers him money if he lets her go, he actually agrees! Funny, but also annoying, since it basically confirms we're getting no more deaths for the whole movie.

The last thing to mention about Yellow is something bound to distract most viewers. He's played by Adrien Brody! No, he's not a long lost twin, nor is Enzo the killer in a disguise twist. He's just playing a dual role, for no apparent reason. It's strange, and I'm not sure if it was a good idea or not. I guess it's worth it for the spectacle, as it's more amusing than the rest of the film.

Linda's sister spends the whole movie in the villain's clutches, but still gets some good moments. As she's the one seeing Yellow's atrocities firsthand, she's the one we identify with most. I also liked how tough she was when put up against the wall, badmouthing the murderer. "You're gonna cut me? I'll never be as ugly as you!"

The cast here is mixed. Ok at best, pretty poor at worst. Adrien Brody is a milquetoast lead, and doesn't get a lot to chew on. As the villain (credited as Byron Deidra) he is clearly having more fun, even if his performance verges on bizarre. It's also amusing how perfectly smooth and flawless his skin is, like a typical Hollywood leading man, while all the Italian cast look more 'human'. Emmanuelle Seigner is an ok co-star, while Elsa Pataky makes the most of what could be seen as a pretty thankless part.

Giallo looks like a TV production. So in other words, perfectly acceptable, but not up to par with Argento's previous standard. This wouldn't be a problem if the movie itself was still good, but as it is... The effects are fairly good though. A little goofy in places, and I laughed at the hammer death, but that shouldn't be seen as a complaint! The make-up for Yellow is a bit strange. It's not quite as yellow as you'd expect, and the prosthetic nose Brody gets is odd.

The direction is ok. I've read some say it's like Argento has forgotten to "block shots, or direct actors, or even move the camera", but I didn't find it that bad. It's not that great either. Overall it's passable, with a nice shot here and there. There were two little touches I liked. One is the yellow tinge of Enzo's flashbacks, which manages to be subtle and effective, living up to the name. And second is when we see the giallo books in the killer's apartment, and it's only a brief moment, rather than obviously lingering for a while.

One interesting behind-the-scenes tidbit is a lawsuit involving Adrien Brody. The production company didn't pay him the full amount owed. Thankfully this was just the producers being sneaky, and not Argento or the film itself responsible. Brody has stated he has nothing but good to say about them, which is a relief to hear.

 

Another factoid is that Argento was reportedly unhappy with the current 'producer's cut' of the film. Whether this is the truth, or just him trying to save face for having made yet more rubbish is up for debate. I'm inclined to believe him in this instance, given what I know about modern cinema and studios. Although I don't think this was ever much good even if in a director's cut (but I would watch. Not happily, but...).

Giallo isn't a terrible film in its own right, but when you consider who made it, it takes a serious dive, especially when you take its title into consideration. This is a film that arrogantly titled itself after a genre, as if to say it's the epitome and height of it. For it to be bad is one thing, but for it to not even be a giallo is pretty inexcusable...

The Admirable Crichton (1957)

The upper class Loam household has an ordered hierarchy, with Earl Henry and his three daughters at the top, and the servants, head butler Crichton included, at the bottom. Everyone seems to know their place, but after a cruise ends in disaster, everyone ends up stranded on a tropical island, far from civilisation. Here only the strong survive, and the elite may find the roles reversed...

The Admirable Crichton is a classic British comedy. Based on a play by J.M. Barrie, it focuses on the class struggles of the day, where lords and ladies were considered rightfully superior to the common riff-raff, who were expected to know their place, and be servile. Though they speak in such coarse and vulgar ways, if they're going to work for a good household they simply must improve their manner. They're still more furniture than man, but they must imitate their betters even if they are not equal. That's the way England was back in the day, and there are still traces in the present, but thankfully with far less influence as back then.

The first act of the film is devoted to introducing us to the characters, and their status quo.

Something that confused me going in was that the Earl begins the story already on board with the idea of equality among men. I figured he'd be the last person to accept that. This turns out to only be a temporary though, as for all his interest, he switches right back the moment it's inconvenient. His three daughters are the same. They may come across as nice and forward thinking girls, one even taking part in Suffragette riots, but the idea of treating their maids like real people has them acting like spoilt brats.

The Loam family and staff, plus three suitors, are soon going out for a fancy cruise, which finds trouble when the ship is capsized, and they are all stranded on a deserted island. It's here where everyone's true mettle is tested. The upper class lot find themselves utterly useless at pretty much everything, until they're told to shut up and put their back into it. The 'lowly' staff, however, are not only more than suited to both roughing it, but without the influence of modern civilisation, they have no reason to keep acting like the idle rich are genetically better than them. Here on this island, the most capable are the ones who'll thrive and endure.

Time passes, and we see an amusing and interesting reversal of roles, as everyone has become accustomed to island life. They've built low-tech versions of all their old creature comforts, and there are various romantic entanglements, before things reach a dramatic conclusion with the possibility of rescue. Now that they've accepted their new life here, do they even want to be rescued?

It's the ending to The Admirable Crichton that really loses me. Pretty much everything after the party get back to the mainland is a disappointment. The characters are all back to square 1, while the romance fizzles and is met with a downer of an ending, the final relationship feeling more like settling. It feels like the film undermines its own ending. At first you have a pretty good idea of how things will turn out, but then we get a curveball, and enjoy the new direction...But then it suddenly undoes all that and goes back to the original ending.

Overall I think it's a cowardly way to conclude the story, and the same goes for Barrie's original stage play. I don't care if it would've caused a stir back in 1902. Screw all those toffs. He shoulda stuck with his principles and given us the deserved ending.

Primarily a character piece, the collection we have here all entertain. Crichton is a set in his ways butler, who thinks only of his lord's needs. But when push comes to shove, he takes charge, and asserts his dominance. Eldest daughter Mary meanwhile is a fiery lass. The longest of the elites to hold out, before finally falling in love with her former butler. The pair have good chemistry, and are believable together.

The remainder of the characters all have their moments, even if only minor, and none felt particularly wasted, given their varying levels of importance. The 'coarse' but sweet Tweeny is a good presence, as are all the suitors who soon come to be pining for her.

The cast do a fine job, with Kenneth More doing great as a quintessential butler but also fits the part when his inner self comes out, and we see his physical side too. Sally Ann Howes is a good mix of feisty and sweet, mostly the former, while Diane Cilento is decent. Cecil Parker is as reliably good as always, and we also get a young(er) Gerald Harper, along with the remainder of the guys and girls.

The Admirable Crichton is gorgeously shot, and despite being a British film, it manages to look like there's serious money behind it. There are sumptuous manor houses, and a beautiful tropical island. The makeshift structures in the last act are great too, and make life on a deserted island not look like such a bad deal after all.

The film is also known as Paradise Lagoon, which is technically not incorrect, since there is a lagoon, and it's indeed a paradise, but that title still feels wrong. It conjures up images of South Seas adventures, and hunky romance cover men embracing women on the beach, as opposed to a British comedy on the class system.

The Admirable Crichton is plenty of fun, and a solid reminder of why the class system was always full of shit...