Crappy Foreign Film Knock-Offs: Turkish “Star Wars”

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We continue our examination of terrible international versions of American films with the seminal Turkish wedge of crap cheese Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam (The Man Who Saved the World) also known as Turkish Star Wars. The film's plot is only vaguely like Star Wars. Instead of the tale of rebels overthrowing the Empire, it follows two perfectly quaffed heroes saving a strange world from a wizard and his army of giant Muppets and skeletons on horseback. Instead of the force, the guys have the power to attract women by whistling, which if you think about it is a much better power than lifting rocks with your mind. In the end the heroes defeat the wizard with the help of magic boots that blow up rocks and stuff when kicked.

The reason that the movie is known as a Star Wars knock-off is its gratuitous use of images and music from the films. In the opening scene, in which the two guys are piloting ships in a space battle, you see a rear projection of Star Wars through the windows of the cockpit. Mind you, not only shots of ships and lasers that would have been seen by Luke Skywalker, but close-ups of Mark Hamill and shots of technicians in the Death Star. The filmmakers also spliced in stock footage from the Soviet space program. But Star Wars isn't the only copyright that is gleefully violated. There is also music from the Indiana Jones films and Queen's soundtrack for the 1980 Flash Gordon. Even the Charleston Heston men in skirts classic Ben Hur isn't safe from these Anatolian auteurs. Lucas never went after the filmmakers because, honestly, why? Turkish Star Wars really is a delightful orgy of goofiness. Watch the entire film here. In the meantime, enjoy the wonderfully bizarre training montage.