Ski Troop Attack (1960)

Fantastic!

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

'Ski Troop Attack' must be one of the lousiest war war movies ever made, and it is by far the worst Roger Corman's movie. The film is incoherent and sloppy (not unusual traits for Roger Corman's film), but at the same time it lacks that unique taste of cheese and sleaze. The film is not laughably bad, by that I mean 'Ski Troop Attack' don't fall into beloved category of 'so bad it's good' - that particular film is just bad. By the time the film reaches it's climax you don't even care anymore.The story in general is not that bad - in a snowy German forests and mountains US Army ski patrol has to cross behind enemy lines to blow up strategically important railroad bridge. The squad have to defend themselves against constant attacks of German troops. Within the group there are conflicts between young lieutenant (Michael Forest) and hard talking sergeant (Frank Wolff), but these quarrels stay too calm and never grow into real competition. Basically, nothing that much different compared from other war movies. There was one interesting scene between American troops and a wife of a German soldier that promised something different, but that opportunity was left fully exploited.I don't call any movie a waste of time ever (not even in this particular case), but I wouldn't recommend that movie to anyone. 'Ski Troop Attack' is suitable watching only for hardcore Corman fans who are interested of how dull and dreary snore-fest on of the most interesting and entertaining filmmakers can produce. Sloppily directed, poorly written, badly edited. Well, what did you expect, some might ask - I expected to be entertained.

Shot in a couple of weeks by Roger Corman, Ski Troop Attack was cobbled together in such a hurry it's a minor miracle it emerges anything other than an unmitigated disaster. At the time, Corman's brother Gene was in the process of producing Beast From Haunted Cave in some mountains in South Dakota, with Monte Hellman directing. Never one to miss the opportunity of recycling existing resources, Roger bagged the same sets (and many of the same actors) to create Ski Troop Attack - a 60 minute wartime quickie blending actual staged actors and scenes with bits of stock WWII footage. Surprisingly, given the nature of its production, the film hangs together reasonably well: it has a serviceable plot, something approaching real character dynamics, and a fairly solid structure. The acting is generally unremarkable, the editing and cinematography are entirely average, but for this brand of low-budget Corman quickie Ski Troop Attack remains a decent enough offering.A five-man reconnaissance unit led by the young and inexperienced Lt. Factor (Michael Forrest) are on patrol in the snow-swept Ardennes Forest in the winter of 1944. Factor is endlessly at odds with his second-in-command, the older, more battle-wearied and bloodthirsty Sgt. Potter (Frank Wolff). Potter has a taste for killing Germans even though the company has strict instructions to monitor the enemy, not engage them in combat. Suddenly, the German army launches an unexpected offensive and Factor finds his small band at the forefront of the action, in a unique position to observe German movements and report back to HQ. Potter is keen to pick a fight with the enemy rather than skulking in the shadows, but Factor is determined to sneak about gathering valuable information about the enemy's strategy. Factor's small unit soon discover that the Germans are moving supplies and equipment along a vital rail route which crosses a high mountain bridge. The bridge is in a narrow mountain pass, very difficult to strike from above with airpower... but from a ground attack it may be possible to destroy it. They plan to sabotage the bridge, but the job is fraught with danger. Early on in Ski Troop Attack, the script seems to be sowing the seeds of an interesting clash of interests between Lt. Factor and Sgt. Potter, but this character conflict sadly never evolves into anything of note. Wolff if actually quite good as the snarling, cynical Potter (he's by far the one actor who stands out above the others), but he's surrounded by otherwise mediocre performers. The WWII footage is obviously of a different stock to the dramatic scenes, but it is used sparingly and the differences in the grain never become overly distracting. At 60-ish minutes in length, the film is brief enough to keep your attention and is put together with more coherence than, say, some of the other Corman quickies from the period (such as the dire She-Gods Of Shark Reef or Attack Of The Giant Leeches). While it never ates as a first-rate Boys Own behind-enemy-lines flick, Ski Troop Attack remains competent and enjoyable in its simple, unambitious way. Basic B-movie fodder, but not entirely unenjoyable - you could do a lot worse!

A five-some of army-type ski dudes tries to thwart evil forces behind enemy lines.It's 1944 and the 'good' Americans must defeat the 'bad' Germans. To accomplish this goal, our heroes slaughter scores of the enemy, steal a civilian woman's chickens, shoot her in the back, then leave her for dead. This is an Ameican film, right? Not particularly inspiring in any way, but the movie does have the novelty of being different (soldiers on skis).Sometimes exciting war/adventure film, albeit quite short at about 65 minutes.

Considering Roger Corman shot this in two weeks, it's an amazingly good- looking film. Quite suspenseful and action-packed with a unique setting -- the ski troops we had in the German mountains. Holds interest all the way through and never betrays a low budget. Very worthwhile.