Saturday, November 11, 2023

Churchill's Leopards (1970) with Klaus Kinski, Richard Harrison

Richard Harrison—in a twist worthy of a Jean Claude Van Damme flick—stars as twin brothers (!), one a Nazi officer, the other a British commando. In an effort to cut off the German supply lines and leave them "hamstrung" (mmmm, hamstrung), Churchill himself concocts Operation: Overwatch (or something to that effect) which is designed to drill a hole in the base of the dam, plant some explosives and make it go BOOM. The surrounding area would be flooded, roads would be destroyed, and two Panzer divisions would be forced to eat one another. 

Klaus plays the suspicious, chain-smoking Captain Holtz who seems to think something is hinky with Lt. Muller (Harrison) right off the bat. Sooner or later, you know Klaus is going to get to the bottom of it, but you're not sure how. It's a meaty supporting role for K2 and he gives Holtz more personality beyond the typical evil SS officer with impeccable fashion taste. He has a sense of humor and appreciates the finer things in life. But he's not above taking 20 hostages to sweat a confession out of the townsfolk for the murder of two German soldiers. 

In the end it's a race against time as Muller's girlfriend (Helga Line of HORROR EXPRESS, HORROR RISES FROM THE TOMB, LORELEI'S GRASP and NIGHTMARE CASTLE) arrives and is sure to get to the bottom of the deception. Or will she? Other familiar faces include Frank Brana (RETURN OF THE BLIND DEAD) as a French Resistance fighter and Giacomo Rossi-Stuart (FIGHTING FISTS OF SHANGHAI JOE, CRIMES OF THE BLACK CAT, DEATH SMILED AT MURDER and tons more) as the head of the commando unit. 

Another nice package from Wild East. I'm sure it looks great compared to what was previously available and despite a couple audio glitches early on this is an entertaining "gotta blow up the dam", French Resistance and Brit Commandos vs. Evil Nazis flick. Contains a second Klaus-tastic WWII flick—SALT IN THE WOUND (aka THE LIBERATORS)—with the German Olivier as a Yank GI! – Dan Taylor

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