O Homem que Comprou a Morte

Just because "Der Hexer" was so good and so entertaining, I decided to immediately watch the sequel, although with the knowledge and caution that sequels generally don't surpass the quality-level of the original, and that most of the surprises have been revealed already. Still, although remarkably less great as the first one, "Neues from Hexer" remains a solid Krimi with a different type of plot and a couple of fascinating new characters. One of them is the inevitable but always-fantastic Klaus Kinski, in a for him very familiar Krimi-role, namely that of a sinister and mysterious butler doing all the dirty work. For the first time, at least to my knowledge, Kinski has a beard that makes him look quite handsome!

Following his spectacular escape from Scotland Yard in the original, the now exposed Magician is forced to return to London because somebody is committing murders in his name. Scotland Yard inspector Wesby is on the case as well, but the master-criminal with his tricks and disguises, is much more effective in solving the murder puzzle than the "intelligence" services.

As said, weak in comparison to the first film but enjoyable enough as a stand-alone thriller. The best scene comes quite early in the film, when The Magician disguises himself as a judge in court, and basically raises all the smart questions that Scotland Yard should ask themselves.