User reviews

This movie is an attempt to make use of a script, which was already turned into a masterpiece by William Friedkin only a year ago in 1973. To make things worse, they had only a tiny budget for this remake and well, I'm sure that the producers of this movie had made some money at the end, yet it was a useless risk for the big director Metin Erksan, who had won the Golden Bear in Berlin with his 1964 movie Susuz Yaz (Reflections).

If you are a fan of The Exorcist you probably should watch it, yet for others, it will probably only be a waste of time. It is not so funny either, so if you attempt to watch it for a few laughs, in many cases you will just end up being bored. There are some Ed Wood/Cetin Inanc type low- budget B-movie mistakes in this one as well, yet someone has to point them out, so maybe you should invite some friends over to share this ridiculous experience, or maybe a talk-show host should examine the movie with the help of a studio audience, and in Turkey that was actually done for this movie ;)

"Seytan" is a shameless Turkish remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist" that copies it scene after scene.It uses the same exact set-up as "The Exorcist"-a young girl,living with her well-to-do mother,becomes possessed by Satan after tooling around on a Ouija board.Of course there's the head spinning,the mustard spitting,the message written across her abdomen and even the scene where she comes downstairs to pee herself to the dismay of her mother and her guests.Some of the shots are even exactly the same and the house they use as the setting for most of the film looks pretty much like the one in Friedkin's "The Exorcist".This film is simply hilarious,so grab some beer and give this amusing piece of trash a look.5 out of 10.

Think of bad movies occupying their own solar system, getting more and more obscure as you drift away from the sun. The inner rings would be occupied by Godzilla movies, bad US monster flicks from the fifties, Italian zombie films. Then you have the Filipino action movies and Kung fu flicks, culminating in a massive gas giant constructed solely of Godfrey Ho ninja films, whereupon things get sparser as you pass the rightly neglected Jess Franco planet and the Andy Milligan asteroid belt. Eventually, just as you are about to leave the system and see what counts for a bad movie to a bunch of aliens, you'd pass the Turksploitation film.

Simply known in English as whatever film they are ripping off with the work 'Turkish' stuck in front, these films are not for the faint hearted. I've only watched a few myself, but I do remember Turkish Star Wars being so painful it took a few attempts to get by the initial scenes, which basically involved Turkish actors pretending to be piloting ships while someone actually projected footage from Star Wars onto a wall behind them. I'm not kidding.

You have Turkish Spiderman, Turkish E.T, Turkish Some Like It Hot (?), Turkish Wizard of Oz etc etc. These films occurred, from what I understand, not to rip-off successful films for cash (like the Italians did) but because it was cheaper just to remake them in Turkey, rather than pay to import the actual film. Therefore, you get cheap knock offs of Hollywood films at a fraction of the budget, usually with results that will give you a nosebleed.

Now, the problem with Seytan (Devil) is that it follows the film the Exorcist almost exactly to the letter. It has the same music, same story, everything. Only it features different people acting in the exact same roles, and doing the exact same things, so what I'm not going to describe is...The Exorcist.

Out at an archeological dig, an old man is confronted by an ancient, cheaply made, statue of a demon, and looks at it thoughtfully. Back in Istanbul, some lady is hearing noises in her attic and just about the same time her daughter starts playing with a Ouija board. At the same time again, some writer is having to deal with his mum getting dementia and becoming ill. Blah blah demon possession etc.

Nearly everything from the original is included here, from the girl pissing herself at a party, to the medical experiments, to the head spinning and the pea-soup spewing (although here it's like a budget portion of mushy peas). What's toned down is the foul language (no "Your mother sucks cocks in hell" here) and the violation with the crucifix is changed to what might be a letter opener, but it's not clear because even the person translating the dialogue into subtitles admits to being confused...within the subtitles.

What you'll also notice if you get bored enough to watch this is that for obvious reasons the Catholicism angle has been removed. You don't have Muslim clerics doing the exorcism (exorcism being common in Islam) rather than two academic types. Everything else is the same however. Only, you know, not as good. Except the bit where the guy tried to punch the demon out of the little girl and the bizarre special effects used to simulate electro-shock therapy.

Out of all the Turkish rip-off films i've seen, this one is the most palatable in some ways (not the most entertaining, but watchable)... It may have helped that i had subtitles for this one, but part of it was the fact that they follow the Hollywood version very closely, and the basic narrative of the exorcist is solid...

On the other hand, this movie is a perfect example of why story and script can only take you so far in a film... The story is almost identical to the Hollywood version with only a few changes to make it more culturally relevant, but the direction and all the cinematic aspects are much worse. The end result is a movie that fails in every way.

There are no scares, and every scene lacks intensity compared to William Friedkin's version... You would figure that somewhere in the movie there would be at least one scene that would be superior in some way... Some inventive touch that would surpass the original, but even though every scene has a counterpart in Friedkins film, the Turkish version of the scene is always vastly inferior to the point were it's almost depressing. The lighting isn't even remotely atmospheric, the camera choices are all horrendous (except when they copy friedkins exact camera angles), the acting is soap opera level (at best).

This movie is a perfect example of why directors (not writers) are the most important figures behind the creation of a movie. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lucio Fulci (one of the masters of Italian horror) routinley worked with scripts that were much worse than this one, yet consistently churned out movies that were 10 times better. You can't even really use the poor budget as a justification for this film because many of the problems have nothing to do with any budgetary constraints. It's cheap, but that's not why it's bad.

Most of these Turkish rip-off films play as pure comedy for me, not this one... There is a bit of unintentional comedy here and there, but it's so close to the original exorcist that you can't help but constantly compare the two and the end result is a greater appreciation of the Hollywood version. It will make you thankful that all movies aren't as blandly made as this rip-off.

Worth watching just for the interesting contrast, but not worthy as entertainment of any kind.

Seytan (the devil) is almost and exact remake of William Friedkin's "The Exorcist". The only differences are the special effects look very cheesie, and instead of using the Bible they use the Holy Qur'an; not to mention the differences in acting, etc. I saw this film before I saw "The Exorcist" and it really did scare me. But I was a kid. Also you should check out the scene where the girl sits on her bed and twists her head 360 degrees. You can easily see the head resting on a stick and her night gown pinned to the bed. Very fake effect but still fun to watch.

A hallucinatory alternate-reality Turkish shot-for-shot adaptation of the infamous American "horror" film The Exorcist in which Christian iconography is replaced with Islamic iconography. Over-the-top scenery-chewing performances and high-school science-project-quality special-effects make this the prefect film to experience with a few friends and a lot of mind-altering substances. This film follows in the tradition of other Turksploitation films in providing similar thrills on a limited budget. I can truly say that this has to be seen to be believed. If this is the kind of thing you're into, there's a whole genre of Turksploitation films known more commonly by titles like "Turkish Star Wars" and "Turkish Spider Man" and "Turkish Indiana Jones".

Just from the box art, you know your in for a treat. This movie made me laugh so hard i almost choked! They follow the Exorcist from the start to the end. This baby must have been on a budget of $100. The FX are horrible, the acting is stale, and they play tubular bells 800 times in this movie! But it is so bad its hilarious and i highly recommend it. Pure cheese! One part during the exorcism, the room is all lit up, when the girl levitates, the room becomes dark [to hide the wires i guess] and when she comes back down, the room is dark again. Its in Turkish though, but if you want it dubbed, just dub the Exorcist audio over the whole movie, i am sure it will fit.

There was a long standing tradition for Turkish remakes of huge Hollywood blockbusters . These remakes have miniscule budgets and are made quickly so that they can be released soon after the original.

The Exorcist was remade in Turkey for a tiny proportion of the original's budget. This means that we get hilarious special effects, truly garish decors and the worst hairstyles ever committed to celluloid.

But whilst we know what we're getting this film is a true cult movie through and through. It might be cheap and tacky but its also what a lot of more expensive films struggle to be- utterly charming, engaging and a pleasure to watch.

Let me leave you with a question- would you rather watch a film like this or a Hollywood studio multiplex movie that has a budget of millions but also has characters you couldn't care less about, an uninspired plot and CGI that makes the film look more like a computer game?

I hope these Turkish remakes get restored and released on Blu ray. I'd buy them.

As I understand it, Turkey made a bunch of no-budget versions of some of our most famous movies. "Seytan" is a prime example. This hilariously ridiculous "Exorcist" rip-off has...well, you can probably figure out what happens. It's exactly the sort of movie with which "Mystery Science Theater 3000" would have had lots of fun. As this is a pretty obscure movie, probably one of the only places where you can find it is Portland's video/DVD store Movie Madness, under Turkish Action Cinema. Mind you, the subtitle translations are almost as moronic as the stuff that we find in kung fu movies. So check it out.

I am gonna have to Google "zemzem". And just what did she mean by "book opener"?

Seytan is just one in a field of maybe two dozen or more Exorcist ripoffs made in the 1970s. Outside of the blaxploitation version 'Abby', I wouldn't refer to any of these movies as a "must see". However, because I like the plot of The Exorcist and I am also fascinated by demons and cases of demonic possession, I do tend to find all of these ripoffs rather enjoyable and this one is no exception. The effects and the make up are decent although nowhere near Exorcist levels of quality. However, I'm sure their budget was a speck of dirt compared to what French Connection genius William Friedkin was allowed. As far as our main characters go, the mother comes across with a bit more sex appeal, but far more bitchiness than Ellen Burstyn had. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, but are her cooks and housekeepers slaves or employees? Overall I'm sure it's just there to demonstrate to the audience how much she cares for her daughter Gül just as Burstyn had some of that anger. Gül is another thing that doesn't translate well to us Westerners as it sounds more like the name of a demon than a little girl. Canan Perver as the daughter is probably the high point of this film though. We realize that Linda Blair was a terrific child actor which is why her performance was so great. However, I wouldn't call Canan a great actress, but she does come across as a little unstable. She almost seems to love being possessed and this psychosis benefits her role as the demonic daughter. If you've seen The Exorcist you know the plot and I only recommend this film to you if you want to see another culture's take on the subject. Keep in mind if you are a fan of something like Turkish Star Wars don't assume this film will appeal to you. This film is not humorous in any way, shape or form...it takes itself and the story very seriously.

This is basically a Turkish scene by scene remake of "The Exorcist", so how bad could it be? Well, it also honestly isn't that bad but it of course is a totally pointless remake.

It's always credited as a remake but somehow I doubt this is actually an official one. They were lucky Hollywood did not find out about this movie, or else they would has most likely been sued for it.

It's just made to cash in on the success of the original "The Exorcist", in its native Turkey. Why else would you make and release a remake only one year after the original. And it's not like this movie is offering anything new or original, as compared to the original "The Exorcist". So seriously, I hope the Turkish people at the time were smart enough to catch the American version instead, which is of course also an infinitely better one.

I don't know why anybody should ever want to watch a cheaper and weaker made version of "The Exorcist". And that's basically all this movie is; A really cheap looking one, with some poor effects, weak acting and some bad film-making. Even though it follows the exact same story, this movie yet never manages to become a scary or intriguing one in any way. As a matter of fact, the movie starts to drag and repeat itself pretty early on already and it never succeeds at rising above the level of average.

The approach to the story is just boring and without any good ideas behind it. The directing and cinematography is the same, all the time. Often it starts with a closeup of a person and then zooms out. It becomes so noticeable and annoying after a while. It also just doesn't really manage to get its story of the ground and because of that its pace is also lacking, as is its horror. The movie still does has its moments but that is all simply because it's being based on some great source material, so can you truly give the movie credit for that?

But it does make this movie still a definitely watchable enough one. Those who like trashy, cheap horror flicks should definitely be able to appreciate this movie and seriously, it isn't half as bad as the movie might sound. Sure, it's a bit silly and clumsily done at times but overall the movie still remains a decent enough watch, despite the fact that it's being nothing more than a blatant ripoff, that adds nothing good, new or original on its own.

5/10

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Legendary turkish remake of "The Exorcist" is really a hoot. The little girl who gets possessed looks amazingly like Linda Blair, the christian references are severely toned down, (though not quite completely replaced by Islamic counterparts), and they do about what one would expect in such a production. Technical aspects are amazingly minimal, although that isn't really unusual for such Turkish productions. There is a bit of atmosphere and menace to this production, but the cheesy effects work against it. Very rare, I guess, but it should turn up any day now. I suppose it would help if I spoke Turkish, but this is still a mindboggling ride. heh

--Judex.1--

This is a exact clone of The Exorcist (minus the great effects, sound, and pretty much everything that made that movie the greatest movie of all time).

This movie is really funny, to the point where you may choke on food if you watch this while eating something. There are scenes that are so funny that I laughed until I cried, and laughed more afterwards. The story is great because it follows the book and movie, but the effects and execution are (once again) over the top funny. It is supposed to be serious but completely fails.

(Funny Scenes) The masturbation scene is so overacted and extremely funny, with one of the funniest face ever when the little girl turns her head around and smiles at her mother, the scene where the girl smacks the priest on the back of the head and suddenly begins praying to a cheap statue of Pazuzu, the scene where the priest takes forever to fall down a set of stairs, and so many more. This movie is a thing of beauty, one of the funniest movies ever.

The music is also extremely bad and it is like they are ripping off Tubaler Bells but change one note so that they hope they won't get sued. This is a bad movie, but a very entertaining movie, even more funny that Troll 2 and The Room.

Amish guy finds an evil looking medallion in the desert, just like in that *other* movie, while a Turkish mother/ daughter team begin experiencing unusually cold temperatures in their Turkish home. Playing with a Turkish Oujia board doesn't help. Scratching noises from their attic (which are nearly drowned out by the scratching and clicking and popping noises on the film's soundtrack) lead to attic shenanigans, before a Turkish priest (looking like Peter Sellers) is brought in to investigate, in this scene-for-scene clone of The Exorcist.

Bright, vivid colours give this an Italian giallo look and feel, which I enjoyed, but it so closely follows William Peter Blatty's book, and subsequent film adaptation, The Excorcist, that I felt as though I had already watched this. It made me think of that ridiculous remake of Psycho, only not as terrible.

Watchable, but not necessary, but more amusing than Exorcist II.

I couldn't finish it, that's all I'm going to say.

(The Turkish Exorcist) An incredibly bad reproduction of the immortal work of William Peter Blatty and William Friedkin. Metin Erksan is such a good director that he even directed this unbelievably bad movie.

Saw this the other day. What a laugh! Apparently, some films in the 70s were suffering from attention from Warners, who tried to ban them saying they ripped off their classic "The Exorcist". How this slipped by them I'll never know! Not a subtly or even majorly similar film, this is a complete remake! I mean even the same SOUNDTRACK! Tubular Bells is played EIGHT times in this movie. Get some imagination! They try their best I suppose. The actress playing Gul hasn't got any stunt performers standing in for her a la Eileen Dietz puking all over poor Jason Mller, no, this babe hurls the yellow (not green for once) puke herself. I totally loved the dramatic organ music when the bed levitated (God, it took so LONG!) and then the same music a few minutes later when the bed descended. Fantasticaly crap! The mother reminded me of my make up tutor. Hmmm. Couldn't look at this actress without seeing a foundation pot and a bruise wheel. Not to worry. How these people think they can do this and not get sued (hell, they managed) I will never know. Turks have BALLS! See it. It's trash, badly made and completely pants. Great stuff. :O)

Seytan (Turkish Exorcist) (1974)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Turkish version of The Exorcist, which borrows nearly every scene from the classic movie and it also lifts the famous music score. This is the third or fourth Turkish film I've watched and this one took me by surprise because it actually tries to be a serious film and not just some sort of rip off or spoof. As you'd expect, a young girl gets possessed by Satan so her mother (Meral Taygun) gets help from a writer (Cihan Unal) who wrote a book on possession. As I said, I was really surprised that the film actually tried being a scary horror film and I was also shocked that for the most part it worked. There are some silly moments but overall this was pretty effective and gets the job done a lot better than many of the Italian rip offs out there. The opening sequences of the mother searching the attic and hearing various noises up there worked very well as did the final exorcism scene. I was also impressed by the performances especially Taygun as the mother. There are a few hysterical moments due to the lower budget and some of the possession scenes come off funny but I've found this to be the case in the majority of these films and that includes The Exorcist. The direction is a tad bit all over the place but for the most part it is good, although the zoom function is used way too many times and most of the time it's used very badly. Again, this film is far from a masterpiece but there's enough good stuff here to make it worth watching.

I'll also comment on the "official" DVD of this. I guess you'd call this an official bootleg since Warner would never let this film out there since it ripped their film off and used the same music score. I guess whoever was doing the subtitles just wrote them down on the paper and the makers of the DVD just copied them over without reading what they were working on. There are several times where the guy's notes are put in the subtitles and this leads to some very funny stuff. At one point there's talk of a letter opener and the subtitles include "what's a letter opener". Another funny moment is when the text contains a question mark with an added note to "search Google". When the film is over a "The End" credit pops up and the notes include "finally".

THIS THE WORST REMAKE MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN HAD NO GOOD DIRECTING ACTING BAD SCRIPT BAD QUALITY THIS IS NOT A MOVIE THIS IS A TRASH.