Die blutigen Geier von Alaska

This is one of the dumbest movies I have ever seen! There is a bar fight that reminds me of "Night of the Living Dead" and a jail break that could be a scene from the "Little Rascals" series! Nothing is interesting at all about this movie, unless you just want to waste some time!

And to think that on the cover it says "This is a movie you will watch again and again"! What sin could I commit to deserve this?!

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!

Hellhounds of Alaska is a film that is generally dismissed as belonging to the bottom of the barrel of Westerns made in Germany. I had seen it a while ago on a DVD of horrible quality and frankly I was left with a question mark about making a review.

But, surfing the internet I acquired a version that turned out to be much better than my old DVD because it kept the original wide format of the film. The image looked a bit faded but had no cuts and the language was English so I was happy to recognize the voice of Doug McClure, the protagonist and star who was invited for this experience of filming a western with an unusual setting.

The action is supposed to take place in the inhospitable Alaska but in reality exteriors in Austria and Croatia were used, interesting because they are not the usual settings of spaghetti westerns in those semi-arid regions of Spain.

Doug McClure earned every penny he was paid for his participation in this film. All of his hard-earned charisma on television and in mid-budget movies is put into his role as the rough, lonely fur trapper Don Rutland. Also Doug's fondness for outdoor activities was used and we look him horseback riding, dog sledding, doing everything possible to make fistfights and gunfights credible, since it seems that the stuntmen were not very numerous.

It all starts when he tries to do a favor to a gold-seeking friend and tries to take his son, who is suffering from a high fever, to the nearest town to see a doctor. He leaves the boy with a sheriff and his small contingent, who are transporting a shipment of gold from the local miners to be deposited in a bank. He returns to his friend, who has a wounded leg, and finds him in the hands of some aborigines who are slowly killing him. Don challenges the Indian chief to a single combat with knives and demands his friend's life as a reward if he wins. He manages to win the fight, but it is too late. His friend dies and previously asks him to take care of his son. But when Don enters the town where they were supposed to take care of the child, he learns that the gold had been stolen in transit and the sheriff and his party murdered. No one knows anything about the child. As you can see, it is a plot that quickly captures the interest and the film is filled to the brim with different characters: Mark Monti (Harald Leipnitz), the leader of the robbers, Betty (Angelica Ott) a bartender with a heart of gold, Rose Cotton (Kristina Nel), the energetic daughter of the murdered sheriff, Ham a Ham (Roberto Blanco) an African-American ex-boxer who does not want to cause more harm to another human being, Captain Brandy (Hanz Reincke), the owner of the tavern, a good-natured alcoholic, Buffins (Miha Baloh) the deputy sheriff and accomplice to the robbery, Billy Sanders (Ivan Stimac) the brave boy who finds himself a hostage among the murderers and even a dog that also plays a heroic part towards the end defending the life of this boy. All in all, it is a very decent action-adventure film, which did not in any way boost Doug McClure's career, but which showed him with the same enthusiasm as always to give his best for the project for which he had been hired. Finally, I am at peace with Hell hounds of Alaska.

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.