Hababam Sinifi Sinifta Kaldi [The Chaos Class Failed the Class] (1976)

(YouTube Streaming, December 2022) If you’ve read my review of The Chaos Class, then you don’t need to read this one about its sequel, because it’s pretty much all of the same points except that the result is worse. I get that the enduring popularity of this film in popular movie sites is almost entirely due to a combination of its being a Turkish TV staple in the 1980s, a very specific kind of accessible humour and the presence of people who were and remained well-regarded Turkish comedians. But none of these factors cross national or linguistic boundaries, and so from a North American perspective, we’re left with a film in which thirtysomething hirsute men in unflattering outfits somehow play high-schoolers who spend more time on pranks than studies. There’s a female character whose sole purpose is split between leering and humiliation, an older character who unaccountably likes that band of underachievers and an atmosphere that feels like the worst Adam Sandler movies, except without any production expertise. In other words: unless you grew up with The Chaos Class Failed the Class, the result is dismal, unfunny and practically unbearable to watch. Ugh—the terrible things I watch solely because they get a lot of votes on IMDB…