Mad Heidi

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Press release!

Fathom Events, Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films Present the U.S. Premiere of the Modern Grindhouse Epic Mad Heidi in Theaters Nationwide on Wednesday, June 21st

Alice Lucy & Casper Van Dien star in this one-night-only event that is dripping with blood...and cheese!

“Mad Heidi, like the makers of fine cheese, gets the formula right.” -- Nerdly

“This is one wild ride that you don’t want to experience alone.”
-- The Hollywood News

"Plenty of gushing blood to satisfy fans” -- Eye For Film

Los Angeles, CA - Fathom Events, Raven Banner Releasing and Swissploitation Films are excited to present the premiere of the modern grindhouse epic Mad Heidi coming to theaters nationwide for a special one-night engagement on Wednesday, June 21 at 7:00 p.m. local time.

Tickets are on sale on Friday, May 19 at Fathom Events.

This wicked odyssey of blood and cheese puts a new spin on the classic tale of “Heidi,” finding our heroine (Alice Lucy) all grown-up and living an idyllic life in the Swiss Alps with her beloved grandfather (David Schofield) far above an increasingly-dystopian landscape presided over by Our Very Swiss Leader (Casper Van Dien) - a ruthless dictator bent on world domination through dairy. But when her goat-herding lover (Kel Matsena) is brutally murdered by government thugs for distributing illegal cheese, Heidi embarks on a wild quest for vengeance that will bring her toe-to-toe against fierce female prison inmates, cheese-fueled Swiss super-soldiers, ninja nuns, and more, as she fights to take down the tyrannical regime and restore freedom to Switzerland.

Exclusive to the Fathom event is an introduction from stars Casper Van Dien and Alice Lucy as well as co-directors Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein.

Mad Heidi initially made waves for its innovative crowdfunded approach, bypassing traditional financing tactics to ensure that the film’s original vision was preserved while placing profits back in the hands of the creators and backers. Boasting elaborate sets, impressive practical makeup and gore effects, and unhinged ingenuity helmed by first-time filmmakers Johannes Hartmann and Sandro Klopfstein, Mad Heidi is the ultimate tribute to grindhouse cinema and the latest fresh twist on a classic favorite to hit theaters through Fathom Events, following the distributor’s popular screenings of the indie horror hit Winnie-The-Pooh: Blood And Honey in February.

Mad Heidi will open on screens across the United States from Fathom Events. The film will also be available across Canada at select Cineplex locations.

North American Theatrical Release:
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
7:00 pm Local Time

In a dystopian Switzerland that has fallen under the fascist rule of an evil cheese tyrant (Van Dien), Heidi (Lucy) lives a pure and simple life in the Swiss Alps. Grandfather Alpöhi (Schofield) does his best to protect Heidi, but her desire for freedom soon lands her in trouble with the dictator’s henchmen. When pushed too far the innocent Heidi transforms into a kick-ass warrior who sets out to liberate her country from the heinous cheese fascists. Mad Heidi is an action-adventure exploitation extravaganza based on the popular children's book character Heidi and the world's first Swissploitation film.

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

They showed the trailer before the screening of TRUE ROMANCE. My buddy and I were like.... isn't this 15 years too late? Still looks cool, but is this the only "acceptable" exploitation now, killing Nazis? Sort of this idea that a movie can be offensive as long as the villains are beyond reproach?

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

I mean, I'm in favor of killing Nazis, but yeah, this looks like pretty generic 'trying too hard' junk to me. Some decent gore in the trailer though.

[Darcy Parker Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Darcy Parker]

They showed the trailer before the screening of TRUE ROMANCE. My buddy and I were like.... isn't this 15 years too late? Still looks cool, but is this the only "acceptable" exploitation now, killing Nazis? Sort of this idea that a movie can be offensive as long as the villains are beyond reproach?

Movies aren’t allowed to “punch down” anymore.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

Movies aren’t allowed to “punch down” anymore.

Killing Nazi's is punching up?

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

Killing Nazi's is punching up?

It just seems safe. Nobody cares if you burn a Nazi alive or stomp his head into mush. Exploitation is better when it's not so black and white. It's a way of having your cake and eating it too.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

It just seems safe. Nobody cares if you burn a Nazi alive or stomp his head into mush. Exploitation is better when it's not so black and white. It's a way of having your cake and eating it too.

It is safe, but it's also a pretty good group to go after if you're going to have some villains to lay into. I do see your point, and don't disagree, but, you know, fuck Nazis.

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

This was marginally better than a Troma movie. If you've seen Hobo with a Shotgun, you know what level this is. Every non gore related gag falls flat (and even then, it's not consistently gory). I'm all for people banding together to make something out of nothing, and it's impressive that it's had the kind of distribution that it's had, but Peter Jackson really had the last word on this sort of thing with his first three movies.