Reichsfuhrer-SS Heinrich Himmler (David B. Stewart III) wakes to find himself in Hell, where he is confronted by demon Erebus (John Martineau), who forces him to recount one of his many crimes, where The Führer tested his loyalty by ordering him to kill a young female prisoner (Angelina Leigh) from Dachau concentration camp.
WWII was a dark time for mankind, witnessing the deaths of millions worldwide; still, every cloud has a silver lining, the war resulting in one of exploitation cinema's most dubious pleasures, the Nazisploitation sub-genre, which enjoyed its greatest popularity during the 1970s.
Reichsfuhrer-SS, from writer/director David B. Stewart III, is an attempt at a contemporary Nazisploitation movie, with just a little demonic horror thrown in for good measure. It delivers a smattering of torture, some gratuitous female nudity (Angelina Leigh going full frontal), a spot of gore (arms reduced to bloody stumps, a head bashed in) as well as some surprisingly decent costumery—just where does one go for accurate Nazi regalia? (not that I want any, just to be clear).
Where the film suffers badly, though, is with the pacing (some scenes really drag) and the acting, which sees a few of the performers attempting bad German accents, but the main characters speaking with a strong American twang (who knew Himmler hailed from the States?) which really detracts from the overall effectiveness of the movie.
Overall, Reichsfuhrer-SS is far from essential Nazisploitation, not nearly as mean-spirited or as sleazy as many of its '70s counterparts, but still worth a go for avid fans of the genre who have seen all of the 'classics'.
4.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 5 just for attempting to revive a much-reviled sub-genre.
