Helge Schneider
- 2007
Sixty years after the fall of the Third Reich, German filmmaker Dani Levy takes the bold step of playing the most notorious man of the 20th Century for laughs in this offbeat historical comedy. In December 1944, the war in Europe is in its final stages; Germany has been decimated by Allied attacks, and the Third Reich is fated to collapse in just a few months. With the Nazi empire in tatters, Adolph Hitler (Helge Schneider) is understandably depressed, and while he's scheduled to give a major address to the nation on New Year's Day, he can barely summon up the enthusiasm to get out of bed. Joseph Goebbels (Sylvester Groth), Hitler's propaganda czar, realizes the Fuehrer needs some help to get out of his funk, and thinks some coaching from a trained actor would help him put on a brave face for his big speech. Goebbels approaches Adolf Gruenbaum (Ulrich Muehe), one of Germany's most respected thespians, and asks him if he'd be willing to help Hitler prepare for his address; since Gruenbaum is Jewish and currently residing in a concentration camp, he jumps at the chance, provided his wife and children are also released and the camp is shut down before the next round of executions. While Goebbels and his men have no intention of honoring Gruenbaum's latter request, they are willing to free his loved ones, and soon Gruenbaum is spending his days with the emotionally immature dictator as he tries to help him get back on his feet. Meanwhile, Goebbels and SS Leader Heinrich Himmler (Ulrich Noethen) suspect that Hitler may be too far gone for help and start hatching a back-up plan, in which they'll kill the Fuhrer in a phony accident and seize control of the Reich. No stranger to controversy, writer and directory Levy's previous project was Go For Zucker, a comedy which poked fun at the division of Berlin during the Cold War and one man's opportunistic embrace of Orthodox Judaism. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helge Schneider, Ulrich Mühe, (more)
- 2005
One of the world's most beloved fairy tales gets a slightly twisted update in the off-the-wall comedy from Germany. An enchanted forest is home to seven dwarves who, contrary to popular belief, are not noticeably shorter than the average guy and whose special skills are not all that special. The dwarves are, however, all guys who have been burned in their relationships with women, so when they happen upon beautiful Schneewittchen (Cosma Shiva Hagen) in the woods, they're interested but hardly optimistic. However, it turns out she's looking for refuge, and they're more than happy to help. Schneewittchen is on the run from the Evil Queen (Nina Hagen), who with the help of her henchman Spliss (Hans-Werner Olm) is trying to eliminate her more virtuous rival once and for all. When the Evil Queen manages to poison Schneewittchen and seal her inside a large plastic container suitable for leftovers, its up to the dwarves to rescue her and find the man who can bring her back to life. Nina Hagen, the noted German punk rocker who plays the Evil Queen, is the mother of Cosma Shiva Hagen, who appears as Schneewittchen; Nina's mother Eva Maria Hagen also makes a cameo appearance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Otto Waalkes, Heinz Hoenig, (more)
- 1994
This animated feature film, based on a successful German novel, was made for adult audiences and feature graphic depictions of feline sex and violence. " Felidae" is the Latin word for cats. Francis is a suave cat who investigates murders. A series of female cat murders leads him to uncover a plot. The plot centers around the forced breeding of superior cats as a means to take control of the world. The cats masterminding the plot have every high-tech device at their disposal. Francis encounters explicit brutality reminiscent of a not too distant German past. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mario Adorf, Klaus Maria Brandauer, (more)
- 1987
Johnny Flash (Helge Schneider) is an electrician who becomes an unlikely rock star with his simplistic tune called "Love's Not Embarrassing" in this unusual comedy. He soon is trapped when his domineering mother/manager (Andreas Kunze) and the busty television producer (Heike Melba-Fendel) argue over what direction his career should take. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Helge Schneider, Andreas Kunze, (more)
