Search - Ski Troop Attack on DVD

"Do you think all Germans are freaks, sergeant?"

Dave | Tennessee United States | 03/16/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"While at first glance this little-known WW2 movie looks like a flop worth missing, it's actually entertaining, given the limitations of its ultra low-budget. If it's star quality you're looking for, forget it. This is merely a guilty pleasure for hardcore war movie buffs!

As the Battle of the Bulge begins, five U.S. soldiers go behind German lines (via skis) to blow up a railroad bridge as well as gather information on enemy troop movements. Michael Forest plays the stone-faced lieutenant in command of the patrol, and Frank Wolf plays the sarcastic sergeant who constantly challenges the lieutenant's authority. And yes, that IS Roger Corman playing the German squad leader!

On their way to the bridge, the five American soldiers must contend with German ski patrols, freezing weather, and a deadly fraulein (with a Luger pistol!) they discover in a cabin. The special effects are pretty ridiculous, as well as the battle scenes, script, and the actors themselves. In one scene a German soldier "harpoons" a g.i. with his ski! A lot of actual footage from WW2 is used (to good effect, surprisingly) for the scenes of German infantry and tanks. South Dakota high school ski teams serve as extras, and the movie itself was filmed in Deadwood.

Despite the St. Clair Vision dvd's claim of "carefully re-mastered", the picture and sound quality are awful for a 1960 movie. Credit should be given to Roger Corman for directing (and producing) a 61 minute shoe-string budget war movie that's surprisingly entertaining. Even though it's a bare bones dvd, it's at least bargain-priced and thus I highly recommend it to diehard fans of war movies!"

Wear A Sweater While Watching!

Dufus | Arizona, USA | 02/09/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Low budget, mostly poor acting, but the work involved in shooting this in that kind of terrain and weather is why I give it two stars and not just one. There seems to be some frames missing and the film copy used for this DVD is poor. But hey, it was less than four bucks!"