Fantastic Fest 2015: REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF – The Review

Before the title is even shown, two directors/producers are shown arguing over how many types of films can be made. The average between the two is somewhere between 30-37. There’s a formula to film. Well, at least if you were working in the Turkish film industry between the early 1960’s to the late 1970’s. Films were practically released on an assembly line, one after another. Actors are interviewed stating how many films they performed in. Some say 200, others tout how they starred in 1,000. It becomes clear very quickly that the type of cinema that was being turned-out during this time period was a product. REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF delves deep into this product. It is an informative document of a period of time that is often overlooked in world cinema. Although, I prefer to think of cinema as more than just a formula or a product, this well-intentioned documentary treats its subject rather seriously – perhaps even more seriously than the actors and directors treated the films they’re discussing.

Considering that the actors and directors are so obscure – even for the most seasoned film aficionado – most of the film consists of clips snappily pieces together. It’s an effective tool that gives you a taste of Turkish cinema, without having to endure an entire film. Having seen THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD aka “The Turkish Star Wars” and being a huge fan of the universe created by George Lucas, I still found it a chore to get through. So watching these films as part of a highlight reel will likely make you appreciate these films more than if you sat down and watched each of them start to finish. Even though I think of a film like THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD as a cheap novelty, I also recognize that films such as that exist in a time-capsule and represent a point in film history that should not be ignored.

REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF shows that every genre and famous film was fair game. How is this possible, you may wonder. Because there were no copyright laws in Turkey back then. As a result you will see clips from the Turkish version of FIRST BLOOD, THE GODFATHER, even the TV show The Golden Girls. My favorite though might be the short clip from THE EXORCIST rip-off (SEYTAN aka THE DEVIL, 1974).

All that being said, there’s something to be said for having very little money and making something out of nothing. When the film dives head first into the stunts and spectacle that these films incorporated, you will find your mouth agape. These actors risked life and limb for their art. “A film has to have six brawls,” states an adamant producer in one of the interviews. Each of these scenes featured death defying stunts that would make Buster Keaton nervously sweat.

REMAKE, REMIX, RIP-OFF has a passion that is infectious as you watch it. I’m a sucker for film history, so learning more about a cinematic movement that was relatively unfamiliar to me was interesting even if I question the subject from a “film purist” standpoint. Even though I don’t like to think of “cinema as a business,” I can’t ignore the passion that director Cem Kaya shows for his subject in this admirable documentary.

Overall rating: 3.5  out of 5