Kilink and Bedmen
From “When Tarzan and Superman Came To Istanbul”, by Emrah Guler
… It is hard to imagine cinema without Tarzan, James Bond and American superheroes as epitomized by Superman. However, it is time for audiences to get ready for something new: Turkish action films. Superheroes and comic book adaptations have graced Turkish cinema for about three decades as part of a remarkable era. These B-films, with homemade special effects and the most bizarre story lines, are now a treasure for pop culture aficionados in Turkey and even for some filmgoers abroad….
Most popular among these fantastic heroes proved to be Kilink, inspired by the Italian sadomasochistic, erotic photo-novella character Killing, a villain who wears a tight black one-piece suit with a skeleton design on it. One Kilink movie followed another. The first two were “Kilink Istanbul’da” (Kilink in Istanbul) and “Kilink Ucan Adama Karsi” (Kilink vs. Superman). Kilink movies also created a chance for other superheroes to appear, as Kilink got to fight Mandrake the Magician, Superman, and Frankenstein….
And then there were the Turkish superheroes inspired by superheroes from the West. “Binbasi Tayfun” (Major Tayfun) was an obvious variation on Captain America, with only the American flag on the original costume altered. “Disi Tarzan” (Female Tarzan) was inspired by Tiger Woman. And when Clark Kent, the alter ego of Superman, traveled to Istanbul, his name became Kent Clark. Far and away the best of the variations was Batman, who became Bedmen in Turkish cinema. Many cult groups in America and Europe have embraced these films in the last decade, before the Turkish audience has had a chance to re-discover them. This undiscovered B-film territory is a pop culture heaven, and everyone should see a Kilink film once in their lifetime or at least see Superman fight Bedmen.
Wow… Great stuff… I really admire your study on Turkish cinema. They’re really absurd.