5-Minute "Badi": The Turkish "E.T."

The Turkish cinema boom of the 1970s and 1980s produced some of the most blatant, micro-budgeted knock offs of well-known Hollywood movies ever produced.  Frequently, these movies were scene-for-scene remakes of the films that inspired them, with some culture-specific references added in to make them relatable to Turkish audiences.   Some movies translate a little better into the Turkish worldview while others--for example, "Seytan," the Turkish "Exorcist," substitutes Islam for Catholicism with Mixed Results--don't render quite so well.

"Badi," the Turkish version of "E.T.," is one of the most tonally bizarre children's films I've seen.  Granted, "E.T." was never a favorite of mine, but I think it benefits from NOT having scenes of child abuse and animal murder.  To spare you the traumatic experience of watching all seventy-plus minutes of "Badi," I've distilled just the finest five minutes into one clip. I left out the part where the dog dies, and left in only the best child abuse parts.  This still contains nearly as much loud screaming and youth rebellion as the Arab Spring.
 


Originally screened on September 30, 2011 with "Mac & Me" at 92Y Tribeca.