TOPRAGIN TERI
Turkish ultra-violent horror / thriller directed by Natuk Baytan in 1981
Cast: Fikret Hakan, Güngör Bayrak, Erol Tas, Bulut Aras, Esra Bora,
Atilla Ergün, Metin Tabak, Nubar Terziyan, Baki Tamer

TOPRAGIN TERI means BLOODY EARTH in English. When I put this flick on video about 2,5 hours ago I didn't know what to expect...Director Natuk Baytan has shot many cool & violent action/crime, sword/epics and cult films, like KILIC BEY, KARAMURAT films, THREE SUPERBOYS films, LION MAN, IKI ESIR, FANTOMAS: APPOINTMENT IN ISTANBUL etc etc...So I thought this one here -one of his last films- should be good too.

But TOPRAGIN TERI is not just good, it's definately a gem! Something between horror and action thriller with superb cinematography, good acting, spooky music, tons of brutal violence, blood, rape, decapitation, sleaze, torture, and of course belly dance...what else should I expect?

A family - father, mother & boy - comes to stay in the man's village. Into the airplane the beautiful woman (the sexy Güngör Bayrak reminds me somehow Edwige Fenech, at least in some scenes, her body, her face, her hair, her figure!) has a terrible nightmare with her, a haunted house and two huge green hands coming from inside the earth! Arriving at the village it seems empty...and guess what, their new house is that house of her nightmare!

Erol Tas plays the rich & evil master of the whole area...He doesn't like the new ideas that the new man brings to the village. Also the sexy lady is a scandal for the religious women and the men of the village. Two mysterious evil eyes are watching her when she has a bath in the river wearing bikini or when she walks around with sexy clothes...And when the real action begins we have savagery, tons of wild violence, but still some horror elements too.

One of the most cruel and violent Turkish films I've seen so far.
Highly recommented !!

The original VHS cover:

Thanks for the cool sleeve. TOPRAGIN TERI was a mainstream movie and a huge box-office hit when released in 1981. There are some cool slow-motion action sequences too. Rather than a horror, to me it was something like a Sam Peckinpath (Straw Dogs) meets Sergio Leone on speed!

I'll add to the already informative plotline provided by Miltos.

Fikret Hakan plays a man who returns to his small village with his modern American/Turkish wife and his young son. The village is still in the clutches of the wicked agha (rural lord) played by Erol Tas in one of his best roles!

Fikret decides it's time to put an end to this traditional rural Lord system and bring prosperity to this forgotten little village. He plans to build a dairy factory - a factory where all the peasants will have a share. In order to do so, everyone must chip in. Of course, Erol Tas gets whiff of this plan but decides to let Fikret Hakan collect all the money. Once the money is collected he will steal it and put the blame on Fikret Hakan and declare him a charlatan for all the missing cash! Then all the peasants will turn on this man who genuinely wants to help them. And that's when all the bloodthirsty action starts. Great storyline, great action, lots of gore and violence ... don't say you know your Turkish films till you've seen this action classic TOPRAGIN TERI! :D

Thanx for the info, Ayman...as always :)

So it was a box-office hit? Very strange for a violent flick like this one! As I said, I didn't expect it to be so damned good...and so damned violent !!

Sounds awesome! Another great find guys!

Yes definitely. It was a super-smash hit. Easily the favorite local film of the early 80s. The critics slammed it for being way to violent, sadistic and gory, but the male crowds loved it. This one calls for a DVD release with English subtitles any day!

Also, it's good to see a mainstream Turkish action flick being reviewed for a change as most of us here are only familiar with the no-budget flicks of Cetin Inanc, Tulgar, etc. There is a huge difference in quality :lol:

We like them all for what they are, of course, but that's a separate argument.

Any chance we'll see a ONARFILMS release of this title in a far away future?
And is that VHS the only release, no VCDs or anything?
Seems like its right up my alley.

Only on VHS, I think...

Oh Miltos ! :o

You got me and all people that grews up during 80s in Turkey. This movie's plot nightmare scene ( hands come inside from earth ) was came all children's that watch it sleep as nightmare :D

It was broadcasted in 1989 summer at Turkish Goverment Channel (TRT 1) and it was one tv channel of Turkey so all people who lives in Turkey was watched it (also children too)

This movie call as "Unlimited Budget Movie" in Turkey too. Mehmet Soyarslan was produced it and given all financial requeriments. He is owner of Turkish movie releasing company OZEN FILM;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3fjaOjWo5o

Soyarslan also a rock guitarist during 60's and he was playing near of Turkish rock legen Cem Karaca and probably Topragin Teri's music tracks belong to Soyarslan's performances.

I'm back up to my childhood and understood that miss this classic :(

Greetings;

I'm so glad about it :)

Hi Miltos;

This is Topragin Teri's soundtrack LP.

One of most important jazz orchestra of Turkey, Onno Tunc Jazz Band performing there and all tracks belongs to Mehmet Soyarslan;



Unfortunately some years ago Onno was dead in a plane crash :(

Greetings;

Got this in Vhs and Betamax.... :hello!:

Here are the pics....