Video clip from Hoor My Lied

En Buyuk Yumruk (The Biggest Fist) (Turkey, 1983)  I read this described as ”wildest, most completely “don’t give a shit” action films you’ll ever see”. When you get a load of this you will soon see why. The print is so beautifully scratched and crackly. The editing is so slapdash and erratic it has scenes from James Bond films mixed in with stock footage and sometimes clips are used over and over.  Car chase scenes where the car goes past the same building over and over chased by madmen in balaclavas with no motivation behind it. The same men then go into a crowded  shop and completely obliterate the crowded place with Uzi’s because the owner has not paid protection money. This film really has it all. Some of the worst fight scenes I have ever witnessed. His female side-kick is dressed like something out of an Italo-disco sideshow exhibit and seems so out of shape yet still beats ups ten thugs while barely able to lift her legs above her knees. She is quite cute and later fights over Cuneyt against an ugly blonde bull- dyke looking woman in a bikini. In another fight scene he beats up a room of ten men to the unashamedly ripped-off soundtrack to James Bond by doing backflips. One of the criminals is set up by a hairy man in drag with a borderline beard covered with a veil. After chasing a bunch of unknown bikers while the weather changes from overcast to glaring hot to sunset within 10 seconds he drives from an industrial backdrop to a forest just by turning the wheel. A car carrying a crate of oranges smashes into a tree and his female side-kick flies backwards holding the camera after being hit by a bike. In the final scene he has a secret weapon that has to be seen to be believed. Cut within an erratic mix of fireworks display stock footage he blows up an entire village of men in balaklavas to high heaven; especially cool as if you remember we were in an industrial area so this village has appeared around them magically. Predicably, the films ends with the defeat of his arch-enemies. A fat slimy blob and his Turkish bath washing henchman who has braces on his teeth. If you’re drunk or really stoned this one is recommended. There is no need for this pretentious crap like plots and screenplay or acting.  What we have here is a pure unadulterated cinematic experience at its most brutalist with an amazing disco soundtrack.The print looks like a genuine grindhouse rarity covered with scratches and crackly audio.

En Buyuk Yumruk (The Biggest Fist) (Turkey, 1983)

 I read this described as ”wildest, most completely “don’t give a shit” action films you’ll ever see”. When you get a load of this you will soon see why.

The print is so beautifully scratched and crackly. The editing is so slapdash and erratic it has scenes from James Bond films mixed in with stock footage and sometimes clips are used over and over.  Car chase scenes where the car goes past the same building over and over chased by madmen in balaclavas with no motivation behind it. The same men then go into a crowded  shop and completely obliterate the crowded place with Uzi’s because the owner has not paid protection money.

This film really has it all. Some of the worst fight scenes I have ever witnessed. His female side-kick is dressed like something out of an Italo-disco sideshow exhibit and seems so out of shape yet still beats ups ten thugs while barely able to lift her legs above her knees. She is quite cute and later fights over Cuneyt against an ugly blonde bull- dyke looking woman in a bikini.

In another fight scene he beats up a room of ten men to the unashamedly ripped-off soundtrack to James Bond by doing backflips. One of the criminals is set up by a hairy man in drag with a borderline beard covered with a veil.

After chasing a bunch of unknown bikers while the weather changes from overcast to glaring hot to sunset within 10 seconds he drives from an industrial backdrop to a forest just by turning the wheel. A car carrying a crate of oranges smashes into a tree and his female side-kick flies backwards holding the camera after being hit by a bike.

In the final scene he has a secret weapon that has to be seen to be believed. Cut within an erratic mix of fireworks display stock footage he blows up an entire village of men in balaklavas to high heaven; especially cool as if you remember we were in an industrial area so this village has appeared around them magically.

Predicably, the films ends with the defeat of his arch-enemies. A fat slimy blob and his Turkish bath washing henchman who has braces on his teeth.

If you’re drunk or really stoned this one is recommended. There is no need for this pretentious crap like plots and screenplay or acting.  What we have here is a pure unadulterated cinematic experience at its most brutalist with an amazing disco soundtrack.The print looks like a genuine grindhouse rarity covered with scratches and crackly audio.

Hoor my Lied (Hear my Song) (South Africa, 1967)

South African singer, Ge Korsten, stars in this story about the magic that song can bring. Dr David Retief and his daughter are in a car accident, which results in her being paralyzed. The head injuries her dad has suffered, will result in him being blind in two years. Lydia de Graaff, a nurse who is in part to blame for the accident becomes a hope for both father and daughter. David puts on a concert to bring in money for his daughter’s surgery but something magical happens…” (from DVD sleeve)

Now how do I do a film like this justice without scaring everyone away? First of all beware that this is one hell of a cheesy film. Back in 1960s South Africa Gé Korsten’s voice was seen as the ultimate. As you’ll see by this film, they didn’t seem to care what garbage came out of his mouth so long as he sang it. The soundtrack’s playlist spans from a children’s sing-a-long ABC song about a donkey to a rendition of The Lord’s Prayer! This film has to be one of the most melodramatic I’ve seen.

The plot is straight out of the Hallmark channel and yet, even still, this is a masterpiece! The plot in some ways reminds me of Douglas Sirk’s Magnificent Obsession. Despite this almost exploitative level of melodrama there is some superb photography with scenes of Table Mountain and Cape landscapes and in my opinion, really good acting, even from the young girl. The music itself too is very well done and yes, his voice will blow you away.

This is a very well made and interesting prison drama starring Jurgen Prochnow (and one of the key films in his filmography. It purports to show petty criminals can become further criminalised by the prison system. Franz Blum (Jurgen Prochnow), a banker turned petty thief, goes to prison for bank robbery. A respectable man, before incarceration he had a spotless record. On the inside he discovers that ignorance and brute force are the only worthwhile virtues within the prison system. After learning to fight back from beatings and oppression from fellow inmates he soon forms his own gang but ends up more brutal and corrupt than An intelligent, caring man, he quickly comes to realise that he has to survive in a world he can scarcely comprehend, where brute force and ignorance are more important than anything else. Slowly Franz Blum learns how to fight back from the insults and beatings that his fellow inmates inflict on him, soon becoming one of the most influential of the prisoners with his own ‘gang’. This adaptation however comes at a price, as he changes into an amoral thug more corrupt and vicious than the other warders and prisoners.. The film ends on a very ironic and philosophical note. His introduction to the morale of the prison system is acted out in reverse where he revisits the plight of a friend with a very different outcome. Available on DVD in German with no subtitles.

This is a very well made and interesting prison drama starring Jurgen Prochnow (and one of the key films in his filmography. It purports to show petty criminals can become further criminalised by the prison system.

Franz Blum (Jurgen Prochnow), a banker turned petty thief, goes to prison for bank robbery. A respectable man, before incarceration he had a spotless record.

On the inside he discovers that ignorance and brute force are the only worthwhile virtues within the prison system. After learning to fight back from beatings and oppression from fellow inmates he soon forms his own gang but ends up more brutal and corrupt than

An intelligent, caring man, he quickly comes to realise that he has to survive in a world he can scarcely comprehend, where brute force and ignorance are more important than anything else. Slowly Franz Blum learns how to fight back from the insults and beatings that his fellow inmates inflict on him, soon becoming one of the most influential of the prisoners with his own ‘gang’.

This adaptation however comes at a price, as he changes into an amoral thug more corrupt and vicious than the other warders and prisoners.. The film ends on a very ironic and philosophical note. His introduction to the morale of the prison system is acted out in reverse where he revisits the plight of a friend with a very different outcome.

Available on DVD in German with no subtitles.

“The film is based on Elsabe Steenberg’s original story Rondomtralie.Salomien, played by Petru Wessels is sent to prison for murdering her husband (Don Lamprecht from Siener in die Suburbs). She is found guilty and has no memory of events but the head of the prison (Wilna Snyman) believes she can restore her memories if she writes down what fragments of events she does remember. And so unfolds the story of her husband’s murder” (DVD sleeve) The film is a kind of film noir, psychological drama, and women in prison hybrid. It’s very melodramatic and in flashback she tells us what exactly happened between her and her preacher husband that landed her in jail. Their happily married life takes a turn for the worse when her husband runs into an old friend who relays the fact he has an illegitimate son. Torn between feelings of paternal responsibility and his good standing within the church, he cannot ignore his emotions and attempts to regain custody of his son. The effects of this leads to the loss of his career in the priesthood, the destruction of their relationship and eventually to Salomien’s imprisonment. The film often has a bizarre sense of puritanical ethics and numerous absurdities which made this a little disappointing at times. The film has no problem with the prison chaplain (played by Cobus Roussouw) falling in love with in-mates yet the husbands illegitimate child is depicted as something from the omen just for the sin of being born. This is also an incredibly tame women in prison film, which makes it hard to recommend for exploitation fans. Even in the bad old days of Apartheid South Africa this prison comes across as a therapy group in uniforms. If however you enjoyed some of the earliest films of this type like Caged (1950) or Women’s Prison (1955) you might find this surprisingly enjoyable. A rare one for collectors of very obscure women in prison films. This one is available from kalahari.net in Afrikaans with no subtitles.

“The film is based on Elsabe Steenberg’s original story Rondomtralie.Salomien, played by Petru Wessels is sent to prison for murdering her husband (Don Lamprecht from Siener in die Suburbs). She is found guilty and has no memory of events but the head of the prison (Wilna Snyman) believes she can restore her memories if she writes down what fragments of events she does remember. And so unfolds the story of her husband’s murder” (DVD sleeve)

The film is a kind of film noir, psychological drama, and women in prison hybrid. It’s very melodramatic and in flashback she tells us what exactly happened between her and her preacher husband that landed her in jail.

Their happily married life takes a turn for the worse when her husband runs into an old friend who relays the fact he has an illegitimate son. Torn between feelings of paternal responsibility and his good standing within the church, he cannot ignore his emotions and attempts to regain custody of his son. The effects of this leads to the loss of his career in the priesthood, the destruction of their relationship and eventually to Salomien’s imprisonment.

The film often has a bizarre sense of puritanical ethics and numerous absurdities which made this a little disappointing at times. The film has no problem with the prison chaplain (played by Cobus Roussouw) falling in love with in-mates yet the husbands illegitimate child is depicted as something from the omen just for the sin of being born.

This is also an incredibly tame women in prison film, which makes it hard to recommend for exploitation fans. Even in the bad old days of Apartheid South Africa this prison comes across as a therapy group in uniforms. If however you enjoyed some of the earliest films of this type like Caged (1950) or Women’s Prison (1955) you might find this surprisingly enjoyable.

A rare one for collectors of very obscure women in prison films. This one is available from kalahari.net in Afrikaans with no subtitles.

This Island Earth (Joseph Newman, 1955)

A scientist is recruited to do research by a group of Oompa-Loompa looking businessmen from the planet Metaluna which is supposedly under attack by guided meteors sent from their enemies the Zahgons. The plight of their dying planet however is soon revealed as a smoke-screen for their plans to take over the earth.

 It’s very original and strange with very good special effects for the time. Their rockets are clearly toys being pulled through fireworks on a string but in a bizarre way it actually works as the screen shot below hopefully shows.

I still think this is one of the best sci fi films from the 1950s. Maybe not for its special effects or brilliant acting but because it is highly original in many ways and ambitious for its budget. The alien world has a lot of detail and whether or not its realistic (which I think is irrelevant anyway when you consider they have travelled half way across the universe) it is visually striking and aesthetically pleasing.

Interesting plot, visually absorbing and definitely weird enough to keep you glued. This is just too good a film to have been shown on Mystery Science Theatre.

Demoniaques (Jean Rollin, 1974) Although I am not really a fan of Rollins, this is by far the best film of his I’ve seen.The plot is basically a revenge tale with some bizarre add-ons. Two young women are ship-wrecked and raped by a group of men called ”The Wreckers” (basically a gang of beach-combers/ plunderers. The captain is soon possessed by nightmarish images of their two victims but when he returns to kill them, they escape and plot revenge with the help of a clown. Together they free the devil trapped within the ruins of an old castle. The plot is sometimes confusing but the photography is stunning.The release through Redemption films is available through second-hand sellers on Amazon.com with English Netherlands Deutch Espanol Portugues Suomi Dansk Norsk Svenska Polski subtitles.

Demoniaques (Jean Rollin, 1974)

Although I am not really a fan of Rollins, this is by far the best film of his I’ve seen.

The plot is basically a revenge tale with some bizarre add-ons. Two young women are ship-wrecked and raped by a group of men called ”The Wreckers” (basically a gang of beach-combers/ plunderers. The captain is soon possessed by nightmarish images of their two victims but when he returns to kill them, they escape and plot revenge with the help of a clown. Together they free the devil trapped within the ruins of an old castle. The plot is sometimes confusing but the photography is stunning.

The release through Redemption films is available through second-hand sellers on Amazon.com with English Netherlands Deutch Espanol Portugues Suomi Dansk Norsk Svenska Polski subtitles.

Jannie Totsiens aka Farewell Johnny (1970, South Africa) Here is a rare South African horror film in Afrikaans I ordered from kalihari.net. Luckily I grew up there and was able to understand the language. “A catatonic mathematics professor (Cobus Rousseau ) with an Oedipus complex (as if the poor man didn’t have enough hassles already) is committed to an asylum which is a microcosm of South African society, circa 1970. The inmates band together to attempt to restore him to life once more and when one of their number commits suicide because of him, they then attempt something more on his behalf: murder.” (DVD Sleeve) Although various sites seem to think there are no South African horror films this is untrue- this however is the first according to many. The film is basically a political metaphor of many different currents running through  South Africa during Apartheid. There is the generation gap between Cobus Rousseau’s character and his parents which is mirrored in the relationship between the child-like woman played by Katinka Heyns and her parents. Koos, played by Don Leonard appears in several other Rautenbach films. In this one is he a deranged ex- army racist who went insane after seeing his comrades killed. He seems to embody the madness of the contradictory polarities of Apartheid and Christianity in his attitudes towards the black staff. He constantly shifts from rants of abuse, forgiveness, loving affection, violence. The film feels like a Gothic Romance Psychodrama but it is dark and depressing. I guess it depends if you classify Kafka’s The Trial as horror- it’s somewhere along those lines. There’s also moments of absurdism and humour which could easily class this as something like black comedy with sad and disturbing bits which reminded me of Fassbinder. This is my first mini-review which I have partially pasted from an old site where I reviewed previously. An unmissable film available from Kalahari.net- unfortunately in Afrikaans but Dutch speakers should understand it easily and if you know some Dutch people, you could get them to translate for you.

Jannie Totsiens aka Farewell Johnny (1970, South Africa)

Here is a rare South African horror film in Afrikaans I ordered from kalihari.net. Luckily I grew up there and was able to understand the language.

“A catatonic mathematics professor (Cobus Rousseau ) with an Oedipus complex (as if the poor man didn’t have enough hassles already) is committed to an asylum which is a microcosm of South African society, circa 1970. The inmates band together to attempt to restore him to life once more and when one of their number commits suicide because of him, they then attempt something more on his behalf: murder.” (DVD Sleeve)

Although various sites seem to think there are no South African horror films this is untrue- this however is the first according to many.

The film is basically a political metaphor of many different currents running through  South Africa during Apartheid. There is the generation gap between Cobus Rousseau’s character and his parents which is mirrored in the relationship between the child-like woman played by Katinka Heyns and her parents.

Koos, played by Don Leonard appears in several other Rautenbach films. In this one is he a deranged ex- army racist who went insane after seeing his comrades killed. He seems to embody the madness of the contradictory polarities of Apartheid and Christianity in his attitudes towards the black staff. He constantly shifts from rants of abuse, forgiveness, loving affection, violence.

The film feels like a Gothic Romance Psychodrama but it is dark and depressing. I guess it depends if you classify Kafka’s The Trial as horror- it’s somewhere along those lines. There’s also moments of absurdism and humour which could easily class this as something like black comedy with sad and disturbing bits which reminded me of Fassbinder.

This is my first mini-review which I have partially pasted from an old site where I reviewed previously. An unmissable film available from Kalahari.net- unfortunately in Afrikaans but Dutch speakers should understand it easily and if you know some Dutch people, you could get them to translate for you.