Change Your Image
Uther Pendragon
Reviews
Pehlivan (1984)
Wrestlemania; in Turkish style
The movie is about a Turkish wrestler who very much wants to win the Kirkpinar Championships. He isn't getting younger and so he decides this year it would be his last chance to be champion. Tarik Akan is one the best male actors of all time in Turkey, (unfortunately he never had the desire to go to Hollywood). He plays his role brilliantly till the very (anti-climax-esque) end... Note: Tarik Akan was covered in olive-oil voor this role. The oil the wrestlers use is extra "thick", therefore the smell of olives is present for a few months.
Another great movie with Tarik Akan is "KAN", which means blood.
Rocky IV (1985)
the bashing continues
One shouldn't take films like Rocky IV seriously... It's all about 'bashing' and cheap melodrama.
It's a bloody shame the Rocky series end up like this. The first film, Rocky (1976), had at least a new concept.
From that moment on it's only a rehash...
Gladiator (2000)
The Roman Empire Strikes Back
Films like Titanic, The Mask of Zorro, Saving Private Ryan have re-introduced classic genres to new (young) audiences. Gladiator breaths new life into genre we know as 'Roman epic'.
Like other great Roman-history films, Ben-Hur (1959), Spartacus (1960) and the Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) is Gladiator a feast for the eyes of moviegoers. Who better could direct this film than Ridley Scot; a former commercial-director. He had made a number of epic, visually mind-blowing films before; Alien (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Legend (1985), Thelma & Louise (1991) and 1492:Conquest of Paradise (1992) I have to say that in some of his films the actual story gets pushed to the background at times. Blade Runner's storyline was totally inferior to the visual aspects. Scott isn't the only director who tends to 'visualize' his films in that way. Michael Mann is also known as a maker of great visual epics like Last of the Mohicans, The Keep and Heat.
Gladiator offers a variation of entertainment; a love story, costume drama and "R" rated violence. Body halvings, decapitations, unhandings and impalements are the types of gore you can expect Gladiator. The cast is outstanding, except Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus. Phoenix has been miscast. The talented Russel Crowe is a strong impressive lead. Like his other good roles, in the Insider and Romper Stomper, he gives a superb performance. The same goes the late Oliver Reed. He died during the final shootings last year. A body double, with Reed's digital simulated face, completed the film.
OK, enough already; Stop reading this stuff and just go see this movie for yourself.
Propaganda (1999)
Excellent
The cast of Propaganda was outstanding. One of the best Turkish actors in the lead, Kemal Sunal, gives a truly brilliant performance. Mertem Cumbul is most promising; she's very beautiful and very talented. She is in preparation for her Hollywood-debut. Also beautiful are the locations where it was shot...
I urge you to see this awesome production.