Alfred Edel Movies

Just as there are wide-angle lenses and wide-spray shotgun shells, there are broadly aimed spoofs, and this is one of them. Left, right, neo-Nazis and do-gooders all come in for brickbats in this equal-opportunity slam. Even the reunification of Germany falls under the category of "tasteless modern inventions." In the story, a secret service agent and his female partner are given the job of investigating the murder of some people seeking political asylum in Germany. In the vision of the world that emerges while they chase the very baddest bad guys, the powerless enjoy being messed with by bullies and rapists, and mental health is a nonsensical idea. This dark, nihilistic view of life reportedly suited this film's largely teen male target audience to a "t," but more sensitive sorts (almost anyone else) is liable to find it offensive. Nonetheless, this is a fast-paced, expertly made thriller in addition to being a spoof, and it can readily be appreciated on that level. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this comedy, a lesbian lass emigrates from Germany to New York to become an actress. Once there she begins sharing an apartment with a gay fellow. Things are just dandy until her straight-laced dad Hans announces that he wants to visit and meet the husband she had written so much about. Of course there is no husband and Vicky must think of something post haste. Finally she manages to talk her leather-wearing, ultra effete roomie to pose as her hubby. Things go from strange to stranger when Hans finally arrives and both father and daughter begin embarking upon a variety of adventures in the very foreign Big Apple. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This esoteric comedy is designed specifically for linguists who are fluent in German - or native German speakers with a passion for language used in the service of (as one reviewer put it) "intellectual anti-intellectualism." Others may find the film's rapid-fire wordplay which skillfully subverts the grammatical and linguistic conventions of the German language difficult or frustrating to follow. The story, such as it is, is that Mixwix is the owner of a department store who literally squats on the roof of his store, while a horde of attendants flatter him and look after his every imaginable want. Even the name of the owner is a play on words, connoting someone who masturbates. The symbol is apt, in that this almost onanistic fantasy is intended to poke fun at the awful seriousness of Germany's intellectual classes. Director Herbert Achternbusch, who has been at this sort of drollery since 1971, has numerous fans in Germany. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In this German comedy, the Robin-Hood theme receives an entirely new spin. A gourmet tramp, a bankrupt film producer, an aspiring actress and a low-ranking tax inspector join forces to improve their lives and those of others by blackmailing the officers of a large phony charity into donating money to the one they have set up. How these disparate people get together is at least as interesting as the sting operation itself. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In a low-budget stream-of-consciousness approach to people and scenery, director Pia Frankenberg as Martha and Klaus Bueb as Alfred travel though Hamburg talking to each other and occasionally narrowing their focus on minorities: a Turkish family, an East German family, some commune dwellers, a transvestite, and people on the street. If Martha and Alfred had anything trenchant to pass on to audiences, the great photography would have been complemented by an intriguing narrative. Perhaps one out of two is not bad. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A book salesman (Diethard Wendtland) at a financial point of relative security moves into a new and modern apartment building and is satisfied with his successes except for one important thing, he does not have a perfect, ideal companion to end his lonely nights at home. Intent on remedying that situation as soon as he can, he is intrigued by the concept of a "mail order" bride after he meets the loving, docile woman married to a friend of his through just that system. So he goes ahead and chooses a bride from the Caribbean (Alisa Saltzman) and then waits for her to arrive and fulfill all his dreams. When she does arrive, however, her dreams are not exactly the same as his. She prefers sleeping out on the balcony, redecorates to her own tropical tastes, and wanders around with a toy monkey. He valiantly takes on the role of Pygmalion but she is no ivory statue and refuses to be molded into his concept of perfection. The battle of the sexes continues as he tries to change her and she resists. One of the problems he may be having, along with Latin American viewers, is that "Beanboat Banani" as she is called is an unfortunate stereotype of what the Euro-centric masses consider to be a Latin woman. If director Manfred Stelzer had offset his bourgeois type with a real Latina, the comic potential would hardly have lessened. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Can anything be bleaker than the shabby slums of Berlin? Yes, argues director Werner Herzog in Stroszek: try Wisconsin sometime. Bruno S.. stars as an ex-mental patient who dreams of the so-called promised land of America. He aligns himself with like-minded prostitute Eva Mattes and elderly, near-senile Clemens Scheitz. Upon their arrival in Wisconsin, the three misfits find that they're just as trapped in Dairy Country as they'd been in Germany--if not more so. The sour and bitter Stroszek earned worldwide critical and commercial acclaim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

German director Werner Herzog's internationally acclaimed "breakthrough" film is based on the famous story of mysterious 19th-century child genius Kasper Hauser. As played by Bruno S., Hauser shows up unannounced in the middle of a village square, frightening the populace with his bizarre behavior. He cannot talk, nor is there any indication of his parentage, thus Kaspar is immediately the object of close scrutiny from the authorities. When he finally does develop the power of speech, he reveals a highly advanced state of intelligence, as well as a seeming gift of prophecy. The winner of the 1975 Grand Jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Every Man for Himself and God Against All was originally released in Germany under the title Jeder für Sich und Gott Gegen Alle. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This film combines both black-and-white and color photography to tell the story of a circus beset with financial woes. Leni (Hannelore Hoger), the director of a circus, has just lost her father in a trapeze accident. She tries to keep the circus out of debt and vows to continue the performances under the big top. Helped by a small and unexpected inheritance, Leni has high hopes of keeping the circus operating. She must decide if her dedication to the show is realistic or merely wishful thinking. Curt Jurgens appears as the animal trainer Mackensen in this symbolic but slow-moving feature. The film took the Gold Lion award at the 1968 Venice Film Festival. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide