The Turkish Magnificent Seven
The Hollywood Original: The Magnificent Seven
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Yedi Belalilar (1970)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: We all know that The Magnificent Seven itself borrows liberally from Seven Samurai , so really who can complain about the similar storylines? Still, the frequent use of Turkish progressive rock music is a bit of a change in style.
The Turkish Lassie
The Hollywood Original: Any film featuring Lassie.
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Mavi Boncuk Lassi (1971)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: The story of a kid and his brave dog – what could be different? It could even be the same dog for all we know.
The Indian My Best Friends Wedding
The Hollywood Original: My Best Friend’s Wedding
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Meri Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai (2002), which literally translates as “My Best Friend’s Wedding”, because at this point the filmmakers were laughing in the face of copyright law.
Biggest Deviation From Canon: In this instance, it’s the male hero who decides that he has fallen in love with his female and sets about ruining her wedding. Still doesn’t make it right.
The Turkish First Blood
The Hollywood Original: First Blood
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Vahsi Kan (1983)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: Aside from the lead’s reliance on his martial arts skills, this film is very similar in tone to First Blood . Although, the beginning is quite different, which, in this case, sees a woman’s family killed by zombie bikers, setting the rest of the film in motion.
The Turkish Star Wars sequel
The Hollywood Original: The Empire Strike Back (kind of – it’s basically a sequel to the first Turkish Star Wars rip-off)
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam’in Oglu (2006), translated as “Son Of The The Man Who Saves The World”, but otherwise known simply as ‘Turks In Space’.
Biggest Deviation From Canon: The entire film is a deviation really. Based purely on the success of the first Turkish Star Wars , this film is a follow-up made 20 years later and is supposed to be a comedy in which the son of the hero from the first film has to save the day. Most disappointingly, it doesn’t even reuse George Lucas’ own Star Wars footage like this film’s predecessor did. It’s like the filmmakers don’t even know why we enjoy making fun of these films.
The Indian Thriller
The Hollywood Original: Michael Jackson's mini-movie music video for Thriller.
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Donga (1985)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: This is actually a regular Bollywood movie (the title translates as 'Thief'), but it just so happens that one of the musical numbers steals the look, choreography and apparent wardrobe of Jacko's version.
The Turkish Batman
The Hollywood Original: Batman
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Betmen Yarasa Adam (1973) (and not, unfortunately, Betmen Yarasa Adam West)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: In this version, Bruce Wayne doesn't seem to be all that rich. Instead of fancy gadgets and vehicles and a cape, this dark knight drives around in a normal car and shoots criminals dead. He's basically the terrifying, sociopathic vigilante that any real-life Batman would be.
The Turkish Wizard Of Oz
The Hollywood Original: The Wizard Of Oz
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Ayecik ve Sihirli Cüceler Rüyalar Ülkesinde (1971), which translates as - SPOILER ALERT - "Little Aye and the Magic Dwarfs in the Land of Dreams".
Biggest Deviation From Canon: There are lots of sexual overtones in this film that are lacking in the beloved 1939 classic. But while the magic dwarves are constantly ogling this much more 'of age' Dorothy, the most surprising flirtations have to be that between the scarecrow and the tin man.
The Indian Jaws
The Hollywood Original: Jaws
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Aatank (1996)
Biggest Deviation From Canon: The human shriek that the shark makes is pretty bewildering, but we'll have to go with the horrifyingly gruesome shark-related death of the film's leading lady mid-musical number .
The Turkish Superman
The Hollywood Original: Superman
The Amazing Foreign Rip-Off: Süpermen Dönüyor (1979) – “The Return of Superman”
Biggest Deviation From Canon: There’s no real villain to speak of, just a bunch of gangster-type henchmen. Perhaps that’s why Superman shows a casual disregard for their life? At one point he impales one baddie with a steel pipe, and he forces another to walk off a bridge. Still, he gets results.
