a.k.a. KONDOM DES GRAUENS

If you can get past cheap special effects and New Yorkers suddenly spouting German, this bizarre black comedy horror spoof is an aggressively trashy hoot. There's a ravenous prophylactic taking a bite out of the Big Apple, and it's up to slovenly, tough-as-nails NYPD detective Udo Samel (resembling a skid row Bob Hoskins) to protect mankind from this sinister threat.

Shot in bleeding, oversaturated color on the streets of New York City with an all-German cast, director Martin Walz fills his film with in-your-face sleaziness and references to everything from The Godfather to Psycho to Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. The mad mix of clichés swirl detective films, monster movies, cop dramas, and mad-scientist conspiracies into a bizarre midnight movie genre soup. Samel's lecherous, well-endowed, hard-boiled detective wears his gay pride like a dare. His insatiable appetite for rent boys and young hunks may affront some viewers, but the chain-smoking tough guy in the rumpled trenchcoat makes a great, unapologetic icon for the '90s.

The snaggle-toothed condoms, which look like a cross between Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors and a sock puppet with teeth, were created by Germany's bad boy of horror, Jörg Buttgereit. 

Sean Axmaker

This movie is one of the funniest I've seen. I loved how it pokes fun at those American tough-lonely-cop-in-the-big city tv shows. Now,eveytime I see the opening credits for NYPD Blue, I just couldn't help but laugh out loud.
The killer condom in the film is a metaphor for AIDS. Underneath the gore and campiness, there is a strong message in the film about tolerance and understanding. Detective Mackeroni's "uplifting" speech in the climatic scene sums it all up.

Overall, this movie is not for the faint hearted. But if the title "Killer Condom" struck you immediately then you will thoroughly enjoy this film like I did. A definite cult classic. 

amazon customer

Director: Martin Walz

Based on the comic by Ralf König

Starring:
Udo Samel
Peter Lohmeyer
Marc Richter
Leonard Lansink
Iris Berben
Ron Williams
Ralf Wolter
Evelyn Künneke
Gerd Wameling
Meret Becker
Otto Sander

Special Effect Supervisor: Jörg Buttgereit
Creatice Consultant: H.R. Giger
FX: Daktari Lorenz, Heinz Langner
Camera: Andreas Honisch
Music: Emil Viklicky
Producers: Ralph S. Dietrich, Harald Reichebner

107 min.