Die blutigen Geier von Alaska

German made adventure movie set in Alaska during the gold rush era. The late-great Doug McClure(who starred in a number of fantasy-adventure movies in the 70's) stars as Don Rutland, who, despite being an all around good guy, ends up being framed for the robbery of a towns gold shipment and the murder of the transporters. Lots of nice scenery, likable characters, plenty of action & a good score by Italian maestro Bruno Nicolai(who frequently collaborated with Ennio Morricone) makes for a very enjoyable flick. Although 'Hellhounds Of Alaska' has the feel of a family movie, it should be noted that there are a few brief scenes of brutal violence/torture.

Well I guess you have to be careful about movies you get 5 for $10 at Albertson's...but even so, you would think a movies a movie called Hellhounds of Alaska would contain some sizzlin' dog attack action, especially when the cover of the DVD has a snarling wolf on it. But NO. There was only one dog in the movie and he got shot for some reason. Once again this movie amazingly has NOTHING to do with wolves, vicious dogs, werewolves, were-dogs, dog wolves, wolfhounds, or lupines from hell. Caveat emptor. What you do get is a disjointed, poorly dubbed, and unintentionally hilarious study in trainwreck movie-making. Don't miss the pointless Indian knife fight, the verdant deserts of Alaska, wild vacillations between day and night scenes, and the piano player with one white and one black hand. My favorite is the worst staged bar fight of all time. Where were the MST3K guys on this one, it would have been perfect for skewering. Oh well, my friends and I did it ourselves. A worse movie...I don't recall.

The landscape doesn't even come close to alaska and the plot is as bad as a spaghetti western ... it made me laugh hard once when mc clure was cracking a whip over the sled dogs ... no respectable alaskan musher would treat trail dogs that way ... this film is more like a farce on how not to make a western

HELLHOUNDS OF ALASKA is a German western shot in the Austrian alps, featuring a performance from likable American leading man Doug McClure. The best thing about it is its look, which is achieved thanks to the presence of Austrian director Harald Reinl, who directed tons of cult and classic German movies during the 1960s (including krimi, the famous Winnetou series, and the horror classic THE TORTURE CHAMBER OF DR. SADISM).

The story - written by Kurt Nachmann, who seemed to have plenty of experience writing sex comedies and dramas - is probably the worst thing about this. It tells an entirely predictable tale about some ruthless gold robbers who think nothing of committing murder and who occupy some prominent positions in the local town. When a fur trapped outsider (McClure) falls into the mix, he's naturally suspected of being the robber, so he must fight to clear his name.

HELLHOUNDS OF ALASKA sounds like a Jack London type adaptation but the only hound in it is an Alsatian, a loyal companion of our hero. I'm guessing the term "hellhounds" refers figuratively to the bad guys. McClure has never looked more rugged as the leading man, but the supporting cast is largely forgettable and the film is saddled with an annoying kid, which is a pity. Still, Reinl stages some good moments, such as a vicious encounter with an eagle and a lengthy, chase-focused climax.

I came across this gem of a movie in the "$1.00 DVD" bin at a local supermarket. I thought the title was intriguing and for a buck, I figured why not? I'm always interested in how outsiders portray our state. Boy, I had no idea what was in store for me! From the sprawling scenery of what could be Alaska/California/somewhere in Europe to the portrayal of a gold rush town and the Alaska "Indians", it is comedy gold. My favorite line is when one of the bad guys announces, "We head for the border...California!" That's quite a ride on horseback. And then there's the inimitable Captain Brandy, who seems destined for alcohol poisoning. This film is packed with high-quality cheesiness. Have fun!