Superbug
(aka SUPERBUG: CRAZIEST CAR IN THE WORLD!,
With: Jim Brown (Howard), Gerd Duwner (James Butler), Kathrin Orginski (Daktari Jo), Constanze Sieck (Angie Jo), Rudolf Zehetgruber (as "Robert Mark") (Richard Lynn Ben), Sal Bogese
English-Language Versions:
Plot Outline: A down-and-out mechanic drives a magic VW Beetle to victory on a cross-country road race.
***
From Germany and Switzerland comes a wretched rip-off of the none-too-swift "Love Bug" series of films from Disney, about a magic Volkswagen with a heart of gold.
The Disney "Love Bug" films are coherent but lame; this wacky import has a confusing plot, and the expressionist dubbing makes it all but indecipherable.
The title Bug (called DuDu, inexplicably) is simply terrible in its low-tech f/x sequences, such as side-winding and flying.
The human hero Richard (also the director) is nary better, lame and weird, sort of a German cowboy/grease monkey/charismatic bum (who drinks too much!).
Add to this some subplots, one about two obviously lesbian nuns, another about a bad guy who wants DuDu to lose the big race, yet another involving parasailing, and you have an unwieldy, horrid bomb that's excruciating for an adult, and must have been absolute torture for the kiddies.
Video/DVD availability: VHS (CIC Video, oop)
EIN KÄFER GEHT AUFS GANZE)
(1971, West Germany) color 92 minutes
Barbara / Scorpio
Screenplay: Alexander De Callier, Rudolf Zehetgruber
Music: Hans Hammerschmidt, Roman Kwiatkowski
Cinematography: Ken Hoover, Pierre Pereira, Alexander Posch
Produced by Rudolf Zehetgruber
Directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber
(1975) Allied Artists / Scorpio International
(1976) Central Park / Cinépix Film Properties Inc.
