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Six Swedes in the Alps (Six Schwedinnen auf der Alm)
Released by: Ascot Elite
Released on: December, 2014.
Director: Paul Grau
Cast: Marianne Aubert, Evelyne Lang, Michaela Kloess, Erik Falk
Year: 1983
Purchase From Diabolik DVD
The Movie:
Better known domestically as Six Swedes In The Alps, the Erwin C. Dietrich produced Six Schwedinnen Auf Der Alm was directed by none other than Paul Grau, the same man who gave us Mad Foxes. Those expecting that film's level of insanity may be disappointed, however, as this picture is a fairly standard (though perfectly enjoyable) Dietrich style sexploitation picture. What may disappoint some viewers this time around is that some of the actresses from the earlier films in the series have been replaced.
As you could probably guess, the plot, such as it is revolves around six beautiful young Swedish women played by Marianne Aubert, Evelyn Lange, Michaela Kloess, Petra Schrott, Brigitte Hawas and Anita Amsler. When the film begins, the six insatiable ladies are travelling together via train for a little getaway in the mountains of Switzerland. The train ride is evidently a bit boring as some of the girls take it upon themselves to let their fingers do some walking… which is quite honestly a perfectly acceptable way to kill time on a train ride, right?
From there, they arrive in the small mountain town - it's idyllic, almost like a Bavarian village out of a storybook. They waste no time at all making friends with most of the guys around, ravishing one on a boardroom table and then breaking off for some individual encounters with the often times bearded male inhabitants. The chateau they wind up staying at proves to be a good hunting ground, not only allowing one of the ladies to get it on with the man in charge but also allowing a few of the others to fool around with the various men they encounter (one of whom is a fisherman played by Erik Falk in a leather coat with a fedora!). Before it's all done there's some quality girl on girl action and then a group grope in the chateau. This last encounter is basically the ladies' way of bidding their new friends adieu!
The last of the four 'Six Swedes' films produced by Dietrich (the other three being 1979's Six Swedes On Campus, 1980's Six Swedes At A Pump and the 1981 hardcore entry Six Swedes In Ibizia) doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. What made the other entries work proves a tried and true formula as we see that stock footage inserts of lovely travelogue style location photography does indeed mix quite well with interior (and sometimes exterior) scenes of reasonably explicit couplings. This one doesn't go as far in that department as the entry made a year earlier but there are times where it does come fairly close.
Like its predecessors, Six Swedes In The Alps is breezy, sexy, stupid fun. The story is really just an excuse to get the ladies in the buff and there's enough of that here to keep most fans intrigued. The fact that it doesn't star a Brigitte Lahaie, a France Lomay or even an Olinka Hardiman is a detriment to the series' finale, however, as the replacement girls aren't quite as charming or, sadly, as consistently attractive. Not a classic, but an entertaining enough entry in the seemingly endless catalogue of (typically very amusing and well made) Dietrich produced sexploitation pictures.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Six Swedes In The Alps arrives on Blu-ray from Ascot Elite in AVC encoded 1080p high definition framed at 1.85.1 widescreen. This is a decent upgrade compared to the DVD release that also came from Ascot Elite some years back. The elements used for the transfer were in very nice shape and there isn't much in the way of serious print damage to complain about at all. Grain is obvious but never distracting and there are no issues with noise reduction or edge enhancement at all. Detail is quite strong throughout the movie but sometimes the colors look just a little bit flat and a little bit faded. Black levels are closer to a really dark grey than a true black, but they're not bad. Skin tones are natural and warm looking and texture is pretty good too.
Audio options are provided German Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, there are optional English subtitles provided. The audio here is fine, really only spreading out the score and keeping most of the other bits of the mix up in the front and center channel. No issues with any hiss or distortion to note and the levels are well balanced.
As far as extras go, the disc includes a lengthy twenty-five minute featurette entitled Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann (worth watching even with the language barrier for the plethora of behind the scenes photos) that also appeared on the Gefangene Frauen disc and the Die Nichten Der Frau Oberst release, this time with subtitles. This is a really interesting look back at Peter Baumgartner's career behind the camera working on plenty of different projects over the years. Here he talks about the influence of Italian art films, his first meeting with Erwin C. Dietrich, cutting his teeth on Sexy Baby (the first feature he worked on), how he occasionally directed some scenes on the movies he worked on as well as what it was like working with some of the cast members that appeared in the pictures he was involved with, Klaus Kinski being one of them. He also talks about acting alongside Lina Romay and making films for Dietrich with Karine Gambier and Brigitte Lahaie.
Exclusive to this Blu-ray release is something called Six Schwedinnen auf der Alm Softcore-Fassung In HD - in German with optional English subtitles. This runs 1:25:02 compared to the feature version at 1:29:33. Like it sounds, this is an alternate, softer cut of the movie with some slightly different edits here and there.
Aside from that, we get a trailer for the the feature, trailers for a few other Erwin C. Dietrich titles (Die Nichten der Frau Oberst, Julchen Und Jettchen, Voodoo Passion, The Women In Cell Block 9, Downtown, Die Sklavinnen, Ich - Ein Groupie and Die Stewardessen) available on Blu-ray from Ascot-Elite, a still gallery, menus and chapter selection.
Once again, for the BD-Rom equipped, if you pop the disc into your drive you'll have access the same thirty-six page text interview with Dietrich from an issue of a German fanzine called Splatting Image and the rare one hundred and ninety seven page book on Dietrich's films, Mädchen, Machos und Moneten: die unglaubliche Geschichte des Schweizer Kinounternehmers Erwin C. Dietrich. It's all in German but these are nice additions to the release (and duplicated on all of the discs in the line so far). Additionally, the Blu-ray case fits inside a lenticular slipcover that basically features the same artwork.
The Final Word:
Six Swedes In The Alps isn't as good as the first two movies in the four movie run but it's got enough naked ladies doing enjoyably dirty deeds to make it worth a watch for fans of the series. On top of that you get some nice scenery and a gratuitous Erik Falk scene! The Blu-ray from Ascot-Elite does offer quite a nice upgrade over the previous DVD release and some enjoyable extras as well. Overall, this is a pretty solid effort.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
