Epistrofi ton katharmaton

I picked this up on DVD under the title "Return of the Bastards" (in Greek, with English subtitles). It is either a shockingly inept piece of trash, or a brilliant parody of trash movies in general. What to expect: overexposed photography, lame fight scenes, non-existent "acting" (it should really be called "line-reading", because it's nothing more than that), ludicrous sound effects, fake gore and a plot lifted wholesale from "Marathon Man" with Laurence Olivier and Dustin Hoffman!!! I'm not kidding - they even included the famous "is it safe?" scene! I give this film 0 stars because it is truly terrible in every possible category, but that doesn't mean it's not fun to watch. For maximum laughs, probably best seen with an audience.

Everyday films are being produced and come out,trying to be real cult,scary etc. but because there isn't anything more brutal than reality itself forget all that, here is the real deal! cult but exceptional script, many many cult star in here acting and a lethal mix of crime/thriller with a touch of gore! you are nailed as you watch it and forget anything else! It's a film truly inspired and made with passion. Influences come not only from Greek 80s cult thriller masterpieces (for example : Ta Katharmata and more) but from foreign movies too. If you want to see something original,something that will shake you then don't miss it! such films don't come out anymore! get it!

ps. If ever the Greek cinema industry resurrects making some serious things this will be in the classics hall of fame.

This is perhaps one of the finest films I have seen in recent years, since Schindler's List.

The story follows the path of a former-wrestler on a mission to find the drug-dealing murderer of his daughter. The film uses some incredibly innovative use of Street Fighter II sound effects to possibly accentuate the cartoon quality of all modern revenge films since Hitler's days. The wooden dialogue and constant buzzing effect also achieves to bring forward ideas about breakdown in everyday life, perhaps from a linguistic point of view. Amazing stuff! The film geniously follows predictable plot evolutions, constantly challenging the viewer to engage with the otherwise asinine reality of the every-day life of a jaded wrestler; you are constantly left amazed as to how the film evolves and are left wondering what other more plausible/conventional ways the film might later evolve. The cameo appearances of other seminal Greek cult actors only adds to the amazing content of the film.

I cannot recommend this film any more, I will however urge you to track down the DVD and also delve more into similar films from a similar era through the highly informative accompanying special features.

OK, for those who don't know, in the 80's Greece was a paradise for cult b-movies! There were films that were made to be just fun b-movies and they served that purpose well but there were also films that were made with serious intentions... And that made them even more ridiculous :D It was the decay of the once very good Greek cinema and we enjoy those works even today! "Ta Katharmata" (or "The Bastards" in English) were an example of the second category. It was hilarious!!! And now, 20 years later, we have the sequel which is probably one of the most cult b-movies ever shot! Not only in Greece, perhaps in the whole universe! Yes ladies and gentlemen, it's that bad!! I mean, seeing Apostolos Sougklakos in sex scenes that last 10 minutes is one thing. But the whole thing is so messed up!! Ah, the lines they deliver... The actors... I doubt Tsachiridis and Pitsilos had played in anything for about a decade but now we see them both again in their full b-movie glory!!! When I saw this movie with my friends we just couldn't stop laughing!! My heart ached afterwards from all that laughter. Yeah, the 80's are back and this is the greatest proof of all!!! Fellow b-movie fans worldwide: take my advice and search for this movie. Surely it must be somewhere on the internet, what the hell. You won't regret it. In fact you will keep this DVD like a jewel. And don't forget to check out the 11-minute commentary of Pitsilos on the classic Greek cult films of the 80's. I just wish he had included a few more! I would just like to end this review by saying that I have had the honour to meet Apostolos Sougklakos in person. My father used to be a wrestler too and they are friends. But although I had already seen plenty of his films when I met him, I hadn't seen this one yet. I just hope I will meet him again soon! Man, this movie is a monument

This movie is a remake of the very unique case of world cinema "The Bastards". Apostolos Sougklakos (who also was the protagonist in the original movie) is wrestler who abandoned fights because of his daughter death from drugs. His brother is involved in a drug syndicate, which executes him. Apostolos seeks for revenge where a horrible truth awaits him.

The movie is probably the first attempt to bring back the style of the 80's Greek cult cinema. Fokion Bogris managed to make a very enjoyable movie with very few means and money. It has lot of action for Greek standards, and a splatterish scene. The dialogs are full of unpredicted quotes...actually almost every sentence is a quote itself. Many memorable scenes include the fight of a thief and boss' brother, or the discover of drug usage by daughter's boyfriend, and in my opinion the top moment is the attack to ksifias with wrestling techniques. The cast is excellent and includes many Greek cult actors and figures like Natsios, Polydouris Pitsilos, Tsachiridis, kalopaido(what is his name?) and...Tromaras!! I almost forgot to say that the music is excellent and the sound effects of fights top notch.

Too bad this movie is very rare. I can't wait for the DVD release of Fokion Bogris' second movie "Athens 2004, horror and violence in the city".