The Setup

There are a lot of things that came out of World War II: Israel, East and West Germany (who eventually reconciled their differences), the Atomic Bomb, and a whole generation of Americans that were once gleefully referred to as “Baby Boomers” (yet strangely enough, none of them spontaneously exploded). But none of these were more important than this final bit: we now had the perfect villain in popular pulp fiction novels, movies, comics, and video games for at least the next 60 years.

More than 40 years after the war, Raiders of the Lost Ark burst on the scene with some Arian-ass-kickery to huge box-office success. Hell, Nazis have been the cannon fodder to heroes in Comic books since long before Captain America ever hit the scene, yet his arch nemesis The Red Skull is still a major foil more than 60 years later. The Wolfenstein video game franchise is close to 20 years strong now, and it’s entire selling point is shooting supercharged Nazis in the face with scientifically saucy weapons.

It’s not hard to guess why the killer krauts have stood as a mainstay villain for so long. These villains, who committed gross amounts of evil beyond the pale-and did it in such numbers, represent the last time America had the clear moral high-ground in a war action. It’s also the last time America had a clear check in the “win” column. So of course creators pull them out of the drawer whenever we want to tell a tale that harkens back to a simpler time.

As such, there really only is one kind of Nazi movie that will fall into the Cavalcade purview:

Nazis are evil $*&king Sons of Bitches Some movies may show things from the Nazi point of view, while others take the side of America beating down the Third Reich. But when it comes down to it, any pulp-grindhouse-exploitation film featuring Nazis is going to paint them in a cartoonishly bad light. No remorse, no complex ideology, no shades of anything other than black and white…

…and that’s just the way we like it!

The Formula

The formula for Nazisploitation cinema is fairly simple, with the main variances being mostly due to the rating of the movie. Firstly there will be a demonstration of just how Eeeeeevile™ our resident fascists are. This can be something as simple as a declaration of adoration and fealty to their resident führer, or something much more disgustingly despicable, such as stringing a prisoner up by their genitalia (there are some truly sick Nazisploitation flicks out there).

Nazis in these moves, by the way, can never get enough of telling people they’re Nazis. Otherwise, what’s the point, right? So there’s always a shot showing off their regalia, be it a flag a statue, or a portrait of Hitler.

This seems to be the perfect time to segue into the menu for the evening!

The Menu

We admit we were kind of at a loss here as to accurately match our theme for the month when it came to booze and food. What kind of liquor screams genocide? So instead we just decided to go the German route with our selections…

The Booze: Jägermeister, Hefeweizen

The Snacks: Bratwurst, Sauerkraut We’re bustin’ a gut here just thinking about it.

The Movies

Our lineup:

Black Gestapo (1975): General Ahmed, who starts an inner-city “People’s Army” to protect the black citizens of Watts. However, when the Army succeeds in chasing the mob out of town, Ahmed’s second in command, Colonel Kojah, reforms the movement into a criminal organization with fascist tendencies. It was written and directed by Lee Frost, and stars Rod Perry, Charles Robinson, and Edward Cross.

Illsa She-Wolf of the SS (1974): Dyanne Thorne is “Ilsa,” commandante of a Nazi Stalag, where she conducts sadistic scientific experiments designed to demonstrate that women are more capable of enduring pain than men. She is also a sex-crazed sadist. All-in-all, family fun!

Suggested Alternatives

Last Orgy of the Third Reich: Two female British officers, volunteer to enter a Nazi camp undercover in order to gain information from an inmate. What follows is sex, nudity, sex, Nazis, and more sex.

La Bestia in Calore (also known as SS Hell Camp): Quality motion picture THIS one is…Think of it as a more brutal, lower budget, even more sleazy version of Illsa.

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Editor Note: I feel I must admit my conflicted feelings toward this month’s thematic choice. On one hand, exploitation films often take touchy and taboo subjects for story fodder. This is what makes them exploitation flicks. On the other, some feel that the frequent use of Nazis in popular culture lessens the impact of the horrific crimes committed by them. Wherever you stand on the subject, please know that we at the Cavalcade in no way mean to disrespect the memories of the Holocaust.