Cüneyt Arkın, The Greatest Turkish Action Star Of All Time!

There are legendary action movie actors, and then there's Fahrettin Cüreklibatur, better known as Cüneyt Arkın, a man who transcends a mere word like "legend".



In his home country of Turkey, Dr. (that's right, doctor) Cüneyt Arkın is an institution of epic proportions, a revered figure known to all. There's a reason for that, and once you've witnessed this expert in several forms of martial arts in action, you'll understand why.

Let's take a look at En Buyuk Yumruk (The Biggest Fist)...



Oh man, did you see those moves?!?

Don't try and tell me that's just some made-up karate, what you've seen is Cüneyt-Fu, a deadly art that only this one Turk has mastered.

In every film I've had the pleasure to see Dr. Arkın in, he cuts a super-human swath through his opponents without even breaking a sweat. The bad guys barely even get in a punch before being pummeled by one of his deadly blows. Why I've even see him chop his foes in half!



Which brings me to what is probably Cüneyt Arkın's most infamous role, his absolutely mind-blowing turn as the heroic Murat in the film Dünyayı Kurtaran Adam (The Man Who Saves the World), or perhaps, as you may know better, Turkish Star Wars...



Yeah, I know it's confusing. Hell, I'm not sure what in the world just happened either. (As a matter of fact, Dr. Arkin wrote the screenplay!) Turkish Star Wars deserves it's rep as one the strangest films ever made.

It's a bizarre mishmash of ultra low budget craziness mixed with a healthy dose of stolen footage from the real Star Wars mixed to snippets of music from other films. But you know, it's certainly got more entertainment value than Lucas' prequel trilogy. It's the Citizen Kane of grade Z films.



Not content with saving other planets, Dr. Arkin has taken stabs at ancient history as well. In Lionman, he plays a man raised by... well, lions. He rises up to battle evil christians who dare impose their will on his fellow Turks with a badass pre-Wolverine set of claws that he utilizes into his rather unique fighting style. (At least I think that's what's happening, my copy isn't dubbed) I think the fight scenes in this movie are even more absurdist than the more famous Star Wars rip-off....





Now here's my personal favorite Cüneyt Arkın classic. He tackled sci-fi and crime movies, and now finally we have a proper ninja flick, directed by the man himself! Nothing is more over the top and completely insane as Olum Savascisi, aka Death Warrior!

Alright, I wouldn't usually do this, but here's the ending of this incredible movie. It's not like I'm giving that much away anyhow. Here we see the Doctor fight off waves of evil henchmen with his trampoline-assisted acrobatic fighting technique, until only the boss remains, and the villain is VERY unwilling to die.

Warning: This is going to warp you for life.....



Dr. Arkın is still around these days, he even made a sequel to Turkish Star Wars. (with CGI effects, apparently) He's quite well-loved in Turkey, and I have to say I love the guy too.

It would easy to dismiss Cüneyt Arkın as a maker of cheaply made kitsch, a hack with movies that are unintentionally hilarious, but you know what? I think he's a real inspiration. A man who puts his heart into his films and is clearly having a lot of fun. Cüneyt Arkın has never been in a boring movie, and you can't say that about many people.

Here's to you, Dr. Arkın!

My Favorite Place in Japan, or "Why Does Fuji-san Keep Talking To Me?"

No doubt the initial image of Japan for most people is the glowing lights of Tokyo, the busy crosswalk in Shibuya, or even the otaku paradise of Akihabara, but for me, there's something bigger and yet quieter than those things. When I imagine Japan I see mighty Mount Fuji before me. It's my favorite image of Japan, and my favorite place in the world to dream of.



Photo by swamysk


At 3776 meters, Fuji-san is the highest point in Japan, a glorious symbol of nearly symmetrical perfection that was revered as holy in Japan's past. It's a gorgeous, majestic volcano that hasn't erupted in over a century, but still holds an intimidating presence standing high on the landscape.


Photo by palindrome6996


I've seen many images and interpretations of Fuji-san over the years, usually in the opening credits of Japanese films, on packs of green tea, and in those lovely woodblock prints, but most recently the amazing photos gathered on Flickr have become burned in my thoughts. I could almost say that I feel like the mountain is talking to me sometimes.

Every year thousands of people from all over the world climb Mount Fuji and stand on the peak as the sun rises in the sky. Climbing Fuji-san doesn't need to be a fantasy or a pipe-dream, it's a feasible goal that a determined person can achieve, and lately I'm feeling pretty determined.



Photo by frcsyk


With this in mind a personal epiphany recently came to me. I've decided I'm going there, and I'm going to march up that mountain like a man on pilgrimage, and instead of thinking about doing it later, I'm going to do it very soon.

This post is my statement of intent, and writing this in my blog is the first step that confirms that now I can' t turn back. I will stand on top of Mount Fuji, like millions of other people who set that very personal goal, and watch that sun come up, and know how alive I really am.




I've got a lot of work to do, physically, mentally, and a bit financially. But the most important realization is that I can do this if I want it bad enough, and right now I really want it. I have a serious feeling Fuji-san will be teaching me humble lessons and demanding my respect, (probably before I even set foot in Japan) but I'm going to do my absolute damndest to face it.


Photo by emrank


See you soon, Fuji-san.

A note about this post: The images linked are shared via Flickr through the Creative Commons license. These images were available for use thanks to the generosity of the photographers, and all credit for these brilliant pictures goes to them. Thanks!


This post is also my entry in the May 2009 Japan Blog Matsuri....

Night Lights On The Fabulous Strip In Las Vegas, Nevada

Another one from my postcard collection, a nice night-shot of Las Vegas featuring the famous Flamingo Hotel, the classic Caesars Palace, and off in the background, the absolutely legendary Sands Hotel.

I've got an even cooler Sands postcard right here...

Scott Walker sings "Loss of Love"

The incredibly awesome reclusive genius Scott Walker, making a rather rare TV appearance...

Crying Out Love, In the Center Of The World

Sekai no chûshin de, ai o sakebu ( Crying Out Love, In The Center Of The World ) is the Japanese film adaptation of Kyoichi Katayama's sleeper smash-hit novel Socrates In Love, a story that slowly swept across Japan to became a multi-media phenomenon spanning manga, a tv series, and this film.




"Crying Out Love" is a story of love, loss, and eventual closure. It's a seemingly simple tale of romance and tragedy that succeeds in being bigger that the usual Lifetime Channel fare you'd expect. Yeah, this movie is an absolute tearjerker that will set you back a box of tissues, but somehow it never manages to feel like cheap manipulation and overwrought melodrama. This is the type of film that I wouldn't normally seek out, but I was indeed moved, and a week later I still can't stop thinking about what I watched.




In the film, we meet Saku (portrayed by Takao Osawa), a 30ish man with an oppressive air of sadness to him as he slogs through life in his with a heavy heart. An unexpected return to his hometown stirs up a painful past. With an old walkman, he tours the cold, gray town as he goes through a pocketful of cassette tapes, listening to the youthful voice of a beautiful girl named Aki. (Masami Nagasawa) The tapes were an audio diary of sorts, and through Aki's voice and Saku's vivid flashbacks we learn what happened to his first love.





As the story of the past unfolds, a new plot line surfaces as Saku soul-searches for closure to his grief, as well as coming to terms with his fiance, Ritsuko (Kou Shibasaki), who's also listening to one of the tapes herself, and is piecing together the story from other sources. The result is powerful, lovely film that's impossible to forget.


Crying Out Love, In the Center Of The World is beautifully shot and directed by Isao Yukisada. The color palette changes with the mood of the story, at times wonderfully sunny or sadly subdued as needed. The centerpiece of this film is the terrific acting of the two youthful leads, Mirai Moriyama and Masami Nagasawa. Their portrayal of two young people in love is critical to the movie working, and they succeed wonderfully, carrying the film to it's full potential. The soundtrack completes the film, including a gorgeous piano solo performed by Masami's character.


The only drawback you may find is that there's no domestic DVD available over here, at least not right now, so a little extra hunting might be needed. I'd say it's very worth it.



You can see the trailer Here

Her Room Is Her Castle...

Yet another found photo from that mysterious shoebox. There's just so much grooviness in this photo, from that kids boots, the cat trying to get away, that loud floral pattern, and best of all, those awesome examples of big-eyed art on the wall!

I'll Miss Dom DeLuise

Mr. DeLuise always made laugh. He was terrific in Blazing Saddles, but it was his role in The Cannonball Run as Victor "Captain Chaos" Prinzim that will remain my childhood memory. Dom DeLusie always seemed like a an incredibly warm person who loved life, and we loved him.

Rest well, Captain.