Very Cool!!!

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Hell Hounds of Alaska is not as bad as some reviews make out and if you like a good old-fashioned adventure western,then I think you will enjoy this. The music is scored by Bruno Nicolai,who many people know conducted lots of Ennio Morricone scores. The main title,thus far unreleased is superb and reminds me of the style of Morricone's La Tenda Rossa/The Red Tent and Bruno Nicolai's own El Cristo Del Oceano/Christ of the Ocean. The other music in the film has been used before in Bruno Nicolai westerns.

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.

I first bumped into this film last year on the Movies 4 Men channel (known for its dubbed or appallingly cheap films), I tuned in at the end and I was horrified that Doug McClure's character stated his intention to take a young boy into the Mountains with him!(I saw the film was dubbed but wasn't expecting such behaviour from our hero-even if the message had been lost in translation!)Anyhow I got bored last week and saw the film was back on so I decided to watch it again. It was worth every second!......It was full of unintentionally classic scenes...I could not stop laughing!Firstly the plot is dreadful (blah blah gold rush, blah blah dead man's promise, blah blah sick boy etc..)but so many scenes are bad that it seems as if the film is a comedy! I loved the Bar fight scene, it went on for hours and was so fake that i was on the floor laughing!, then the sick boys dad is tortured by Indians (or Eskimo's?)but they look more like Russians!, and Doug McClure (poor man's roving American in 1970's Euro films)has to promise the dying Man that he will find his sick boy and take him to the Mountains!....The boy is meanwhile captured by the bad guys who talk very loudly about what to do with him!...he manages to escape and gets in a fight with a terrifying house trained bald eagle who does more staring than tearing!, It must be said also that this is not a 'Call of the Wild' rip off.....because they couldn't even be bothered to put a dog in the film (let alone a Wolf or a Hellhound!)..well, apart from some flea bitten Alsatian who gets killed within 5 minutes!, The film seems to last for 25 hours and you end up saying ...'come on', 'look behind you'! or 'It's the bloody Sheriff you idiot'! But please watch it , you won't regret it!

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!