Semum
Encyclopedia
Semum is a 2008 Turkish horror film
produced, written and directed by Hasan Karacadağ which reportedly recounts the true story of a woman who lives in İzmir
, Turkey
.
the director argues that, "he tried to create a model of a Turco-Islamic horror film and that he would make the world recognize this model, of which he sees Semum as the first example. Semum will be compared with The Exorcist
and star Ayça İnci will be compared with Linda Blair
, the director told Today's Zaman
, noting that the Turkish horror films made so far have been far from satisfactory.
with a total gross of $1,827,047.
, notes that this film, like the director's previous hit Dabbe, once again draws on Islamic mythology and demons as its inspiration, but that, he had a better budget to work with this time and the cinematography is a good bit better while also indulging Turkey's traditional campy edge. Cinematography and design work is dead solid and I do believe I detect notes of both Death Note
and Constantine
in the demon and hell effects, he adds.
AnthroFred, writing for Slasherpool, wrote, Forgettable Exorcist rip-off which didn't do much for me. It's an okay movie but it's a bit too long and a bit too unoriginal for my taste. It's refreshing to see something different from Turkey though but I just wish that they would stop recycling others scripts and come up with some ideas of their own instead. Worth a watch if you're a fan of The Exorcist.
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
produced, written and directed by Hasan Karacadağ which reportedly recounts the true story of a woman who lives in İzmir
Izmir
Izmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Plot
Twenty-seven-year-old Canan (Ayça İnci) and her husband Volkan (Burak Hakkı) have just moved into a large, new house. Life seems to continue on its routine track in the young couple's new house until one day, when Canan starts feeling that strange things are happening to her although she cannot understand what and why. Canan gradually starts turning into an evil creature as a mysterious and malicious being takes control of her body and actions day after day. Semum, the most loyal servant of the devil, has taken control of Canan, leading her toward hell.Cast
- Ayça İnci as Canan Karaca
- Burak Hakkı as Volkan Karaca
- Cem Kurtoğlu as Mikail Hoca
- Sefa Zengin as Raci
- Bahtiyar Engin as Macit
- Nazlı Ceren Argon as Banu
- Yıldırım Öcek as Emlakçı
- Hakan Meriçliler as Profesör Oğuz
- Levent Sülün as Ali
- Süha Tok
Production
Talking about the film in Today's ZamanToday's Zaman
Today's Zaman is one of two English-language dailies based in Turkey. Established on January 16, 2007, the newspaper's main competitor is the older Hürriyet Daily News....
the director argues that, "he tried to create a model of a Turco-Islamic horror film and that he would make the world recognize this model, of which he sees Semum as the first example. Semum will be compared with The Exorcist
The Exorcist (film)
The Exorcist is a 1973 American horror film directed by William Friedkin, adapted from the 1971 novel of the same name by William Peter Blatty and based on the exorcism case of Robbie Mannheim, dealing with the demonic possession of a young girl and her mother’s desperate attempts to win back her...
and star Ayça İnci will be compared with Linda Blair
Linda Blair
Linda Denise Blair is an American actress. Blair is best known for her role as the possessed child, Regan, in the 1973 film The Exorcist, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award and two Golden Globes, winning one. She reprised her role in 1977's Exorcist II: The Heretic.-Biography:Blair...
, the director told Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman
Today's Zaman is one of two English-language dailies based in Turkey. Established on January 16, 2007, the newspaper's main competitor is the older Hürriyet Daily News....
, noting that the Turkish horror films made so far have been far from satisfactory.
Release
The film opened in 142 screens across Turkey on at number 1 in the box office chart with an opening weekend gross of $441,665.Box office
The film was the thirteenth highest grossing Turkish film of 2008Turkish films of 2008
A list of films produced by the Turkish film industry in Turkey in 2008.- Highest-grossing films :- References :...
with a total gross of $1,827,047.
Reviews
Todd Brown, writing for Twitch FilmTwitch Film
Twitch Film, also known simply as Twitch, is an English language Canadian website featuring news and reviews of mainly international, independent and cult films. The website was founded in 2004 by Todd Brown, a cinephile with personal interests in arthouse and grindhouse cinema...
, notes that this film, like the director's previous hit Dabbe, once again draws on Islamic mythology and demons as its inspiration, but that, he had a better budget to work with this time and the cinematography is a good bit better while also indulging Turkey's traditional campy edge. Cinematography and design work is dead solid and I do believe I detect notes of both Death Note
Death Note
is a manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and manga artist Takeshi Obata. The main character is Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook, the "Death Note", dropped on Earth by a god of death, or a shinigami, named Ryuk...
and Constantine
Constantine (film)
Constantine is a 2005 American action horror film directed by Francis Lawrence as his directorial debut, starring Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, with Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, and Djimon Hounsou...
in the demon and hell effects, he adds.
AnthroFred, writing for Slasherpool, wrote, Forgettable Exorcist rip-off which didn't do much for me. It's an okay movie but it's a bit too long and a bit too unoriginal for my taste. It's refreshing to see something different from Turkey though but I just wish that they would stop recycling others scripts and come up with some ideas of their own instead. Worth a watch if you're a fan of The Exorcist.