The tyranist's thoughts
This is a movie that I probably never would have bothered to see except that it was sitting in the super-cheap dollar bin at the video store and I'm never one to pass up owning a video for less than I could rent it. Of course, I see a lot of terrible movies that way. You'd think I'd at least expect them to be bad, but instead, I find myself hoping I've stumbled onto something much better than usual.
The basic story, as confusing as it sometimes was, is that there is a criminal living in post-WWI Germany who likes little boys. For more than one reason. Many of them have gone into his apartment but few have come out. The police find it disturbing but don't know what to do. His friends think he's a little bit off, but they aren't sure why. In the end, it all falls apart on him.
The movie wasn't terrible in its own frame, but it wasn't more than mediocre either. There was a lot of nudity (all male) for a film in 1973 and there were a few truly disturbing moments. Really, the whole thing seemed a little half-hearted.
Ulli Lommel went on to direct a few American horror flicks (like Boogeyman and The Devonsville Terror) but I wouldn't recommend that his fans track this one down. In my eyes this is a dismal beginning to a pathetic career.