Götz George

While a number of American and European films have examined the horrible legacy of the Third Reich and the Holocaust, Du Sollst Nicht Toeten is one of the first dramatic films from Germany to examine the crimes of the Nazi era and their impact on the German psyche. Peter Rohm (Kai Wiesinger) is a successful lawyer living in Berlin with his wife Rebekka (Karoline Eichhorn). One day, Peter receives an unusual package in the mail -- a Nazi officer's uniform. Puzzled, Peter does some research which suggests that the uniform once belonged to fugitive war criminal Josef Mengele. Peter is soon visited by a mysterious stranger named Mueller (Heinz Trixner), who slips him a powerful drug. When he awakes, Peter is in Argentina, where he's introduced to an elderly man who has lived for years under the name Heinz Baumgarten, but announces that he is in fact Joseph Mengele (Goetz George). Mengele has decided to return to Germany to stand trial for war crimes, and he wants Peter to represent him; Peter reluctantly agrees. As the German media goes into a frenzy and angry demonstrations crowd the streets, Mengele calmly argues that he was merely a research scientist whose work ultimately aided humanity, and that no firm evidence links him to any murders. While a handful of eyewitnesses offer support to the accusations against Mengele, no one seems able to present hard evidence that contradicts Mengele's claims. Adapted from a screenplay by American writers Christopher Riley and Kathleen Riley (which no U.S. producers were willing to film), Du Sollst Nicht Toeten so impressed Goetz George that he helped finance the film to the tune of one million marks; Kai Wiesinger was also enthusiastic about the material and waived his usual fee in order to aid production of the picture. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Hermine Huntgeburth wrote and directed this German comedy-drama about a trio of travelers who veer their caravan toward pockets they can pick. Before Zobel (Gotz George) linked up with Karl (Christan Redl), he had a hetero lifestyle that brought him a daughter, Lizzi (Jeanette Hain). After Karl dies in a car accident, Rudolf (Felix Eitner) joins the team -- and both father and daughter take a sexual interest in Rudolf. Lizzi leaves, accusing Dad of using her to procure younger men. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

This taut, well-wrought German drama was originally made for television in 1995 but was such a critical success that it was released in theaters the following year. It is the gripping story of a young journalist who begins reporting on a series of prostitute murders. Ina Littmann's prime suspect is author Henry Kupfer who was recently released from prison after allegedly murdering a string of hookers. His newest book is on that subject. As her suspicions mount, Ina begins gathering evidence but she does not learn the truth until she interviews Kupfer live on television. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

In this slapstick satire, Fritz is a life-long forger of Nazi memorabilia. He got his start as a boy, selling items of clothing as something Hitler wore. His current income-generating scam is to sell "original" portraits by Hitler of his mistress Eva Braun to connoisseurs of Nazi art. He runs into an ambitious journalist who works for a tabloid-style magazine (a thinly disguised "Der Stern"), and the two of them concoct a scam which will garner headlines for the journalist and plenty of cash for the forger. With some care, Fritz creates "Hitler's Diaries," and his creations become a household word before the scam is uncovered. Film buffs may recognize the title of this film as a term Charlie Chaplin used in The Great Dictator to refer to Hitler. This satire hews pretty closely to the actual news story it is based on, but the movie plays it strictly for laughs, a tactic which won great popularity for it in Germany. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Evoking the complexities of life in 1946 postwar Berlin, this detective drama focuses on the efforts of a small group of bank robbers to bring off their heist and avoid punishment for it. Due to the need throughout society to replace active Nazis with politically untainted officials, a large part of the police force working on solving the robbery is composed of amateurs and "civilians." In one ironic scene, the detective interrogating the safecracker reveals that during the war, he was interrogated in the same building by the Nazis for his activities -- as a safecracker. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Gotz George portrays the unscrupulous police commissioner Schimanski in this grim crime drama. With his partner Thanner (Eberhard Feik), the two shake down patrons of a techno dance club in the drug-drenched Ruhr district, and there Schimanski recognizes a drugged-out dancer as Conny (Claudia Messner), the daughter of an old flame. He sets out to help Conny, now calling herself Zabou, escape from a situation that she has no desire to leave behind. Wolfram Berger portrays the oily club-owner Hocks. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

A stuck elevator is used as an allegory for modern German society in this provocative drama. Within the motionless box are four very different people. One is a light-fingered young courier, and another is an embezzler, while the other two are an unhappy couple on the verge of a breakup. Making it worse is the fact that the elevator seems to have a nasty mind of its own. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This is a fast-paced, well-acted, gripping drama about a man (Goetz George) especially singled out for physical abuse in a Nazi prison camp. The reason for the abuse soon becomes apparent. Flashbacks reveal that his own brother is in charge of the camp -- the family has obviously split over the issue of fascism. Knowing that his life in the camp is not worth very much, the sibling prisoner embarks on a dangerous escape plan. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

A combined force of Italian and American commandos are ordered to attack and take over an air base in North Africa with only two days to do it. The Italian film, dubbed into English, is also known as Sullivan's Marauders. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide

The first of several collaborations between cult director Jesus Franco and British producer Harry Alan Towers, this horror-tinged adventure is full of jungle action, creative murders, and violent sexual sadism. Christopher Lee portrays the mysterious Asian madman Fu Manchu, plotting world domination from his secret headquarters underneath the Amazon rainforest. Fu has discovered a rare poison which affects only men, and uses it as lipstick for ten beautiful women, who are to deliver a kiss of death to each of 10 public officials. Carl Jansen (Gotz George) and Sir Denis Nayland Smith (Richard Greene), a pair of Scotland Yard detectives, track Fu Manchu to his underground hideout and -- with the aid of Dr. Ronald Petrie (Howard Marion Crawford) -- search for the antidote to the deadly poison. Lee's wooden performance is alleviated by an amusing turn by Ricardo Palacios as a revolutionary, and a beautiful female cast. Vicente Roca and Marcelo Arroita Jauregui also appear in this entertaining, if extremely sexist, fourth entry in the Fu Manchu series. Nude torture scenes and snake attacks are featured in some of the numerous prints, running 91, 88, 82, and 61 minutes. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

A Nazi man chases his brother, a German pacifist, who escaped from a concentration camp. ~ All Movie Guide