Written by: Michael Den Boer on July 20th, 2008
Theatrical Release Date:Turkey, 1973
Alternate Title: Turkish Batman
Approximate running time: 62 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Full Frame
Language: Turkish
Director: Savas Esici
Writer: Savas Esici
Cinematograper: Suat Kapki
Cast: Levent Çakir, Emel Özden, Altan Günbay, Funda Ege, Nalan Cöl, Ceyhan Cem, Renan Fosforoglu, Nurettin Kaygisiz, Yilmaz Kurt, Hüseyin Sayar, Mehmet Ugur
Since 1939 Batman there have been many cinematic interpolations of the character starting with a movie serial simple titled “Batman” and it was followed six years later with a second serial titled “Batman & Robin”. In 1966 Batman would be adapted for Television a series that would last three seasons and a movie before the cape crusader would once again put up his cape. It would be over twenty years before the character would be resurrected for four movies Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Batman Forever (1995) and Batman & Robin (1997). After four films that cape crusader once again put on ice. In recent years new life has been breathed into the Batman character with two new films Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008). Besides these Hollywood based adaptions of Batman there have been a handful of unsanctioned versions of the Batman character to emerge around like Bathman dal pianeta Eros (Italy), Alyas Batman en Robin (Philippines) and the most notorious of all the Turkish Batman film titled Yarasa Adam Bedmen.
Yarasa Adam Bedmen is a bizarre concoction which pits Batman and his sidekick Robin against a Blofield like villain who could fit in perfectly in a James Bond film. Batman is not all business he finds time to woo the ladies and when things get to R Rated he even sends Robin out of the room. Someone wants to silence all the beautiful women in town so they send their henchmen to track them done and kill these lovely ladies before they can speak. Luckily Batman is nearby as he foils the henchmen’s attempts to kill his chance as getting tail. In a race against time Batman must find out who is behind this diabolical scheme before all they kill off all of his potential hookups.
Writing a synopsis for a plot that is as wacky and confusing as Yarasa Adam Bedmen is not an easy task. The bad guys never have a chance in this film since Batman and the boy wonder Robin are skilled martial art like fighters with fine tuned acrobatic leaping skills. Even though the plot is all over the place one need not know exactly what is going on to enough the insanity that ensues. One of the coolest tricks of Batman & Robin is that they can be dressed in their normal clothes and when they get out of a car they are in costume.
Unlike all the Hollywood version of Batman this version doesn’t try to hide his identity as he freely reveals who is under the mask many times. This Batman is not family friendly as he sleeps with many women. Also most of the female cast members appear to be allergic to clothing which comes off without hesitation once Batman arrives. The films soundtrack is a melting plot of music cues from some very famous films like Henry Mancini’s “Charade”, an instrumental version of the Rock N Roll song “Whole Lotta Love” and several music cues from various scores that John Barry composed for the James Bond films series.
Ultimately Yarasa Adam Bedmen is classic example of Turkish cinema melting pot style of filmmaking.