Horst in Translation ([email protected]) "Die blutigen Geier von Alaska" (and this film has a handful other German and English titles) is another West German / Yugoslavian co-production directed by Harald Reinl and according to IMDb the language is German, but I am sure several actors in here got dubbed, especially lead actor Doug McClure. This movie is from 1973, so already fairly late compared to the Winnetou films by Reinl and the wave of Germans loving these European westerns may have considerably decreased by then already. Anyway, this one is easily over 40 years old and I believe it has not aged well at all sadly. On a more positive note I must say that Doug McClure certainly looks the part for a western film character and his acting is also better than the acting of most of the supporting players. This film has a handful fairly famous actors in the list such as Harald Leipnitz, Klaus Löwitsch and last but not least Roberto Blanco. His inclusion feels really random though. I guess with his character and portrayal they wanted to give this film a bit of a tone like the really appreciated Bud Spencer (rip) films from the same time. Very bizarre though. He adds nothing to the film at all and it would not have been a better or worse movie without him. All in all, they tried their everything to deliver in terms of drama and emotion, but most of the characters and the plot too were just so poorly written that it is not working out. I would not call the film a failure, but these slightly over 90 minutes also weren't a good watch. A big part of the cast is also Yugoslavian and these names don't ring a bell for me at all, so I cannot say anything about these actors. Overall, you have to be a huge western film buff in order to see positive in here. I do not recommend the watch. Thumbs down.

Leofwine_draca 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.

lauramerle 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!

John Seal Doug McClure, the very poor man's Warren Oates, stars in this thoroughly wretched West German-Yugoslavian co-production set in the wilds of Alaska. Here in Alaska, the local natives do not appear remotely Inuit, but do bear a striking resemblance to Winnetou and his friends. That's just one of many bizarre aspects of this film, directed with a complete lack of grace by the generally reliable Harald Reinl and featuring a score that it doesn't deserve from Bruno Nicolai. There's stuff about stolen gold, a seriously ill boy, a black former prize fighter called Ham A Ham (played by a Tunisian actor of Cuban descent who lives in Germany), and a saloon where they keep the whiskey in beer barrels. It's poorly dubbed, badly shot, apparently edited by a blind woman, and schizophrenically plotted. McClure probably hoped this film would become The Movie That Time Forgot, but sadly it lives on in video store dollar bins and on budget DVDs.