Tag Archives: woods

“Backwoods Crime” – TV Series Review

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A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crime.” on MHz Choice. Courtesy of MHz Choice

Some time ago, I reviewed ten mostly-unrelated tele-films from Austria, streaming on MHz Choice under the umbrella of “Backwoods Crime.” The casts, plots and locales are all different, just sharing the common thread of murders in the boondocks being handled in an intelligent, modest-action manner by whichever cops are called upon. All were worthwhile, to varying degrees. Not a lemon in the lot.

“Der Schutzengel” is the first of nine now being released for streaming under that heading. This one opens 12 years before its main action, with young Martin (Michael Steinocher) having his marriage proposal deflected by his girlfriend. She says they’re too young, but doesn’t fully close that door. We learn she disappeared shortly thereafter, with her whereabouts still unknown.

A dozen years later, Martin returns to that town as a police officer, planning to move into his old house with his new squeeze. But he starts having flashbacks to the unfinished business of that dangling proposal. Those mainly consist of the eye candy we get from Martin having recorded his then-topless intended, expecting a yes to be preserved for posterity.

Martin’s first case involves the long-term housemaid of the local gentry found dead in the pond where she regularly swam. It looks like an accident, but that wouldn’t give us 90 minutes of story line, would it? Once they determine it was murder, despite any apparent motives,questions arise as to whether it relates to that earlier disappearance, which has been gnawing at Martin ever since.

The case is overseen by Detective Paul Werner (Franz Karl), who methodically and calmly unravels the mystery(ies). There’s nothing glamorous about the process, but Karl’s low-key performance, balancing the sleuthing with sensitivity, is a pleasure to watch. He’s apparently played cops before, but this character deserves more chances to shine. Give the dude a real series, folks. Then be sure to send it along for streaming on our side of the pond.

The consistency of the quality throughout these ten gives good reason to expect more of the same from the other forthcoming nine.

That’s my last review for 2025. Happy New Year, everyone!

“Backwoods Crime: Der Schutzengel,” in German with English subtitles, streams on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

A scene from the Austrian TV series “Backwoods Crimes.” Courtesy of MHz Choice. Copyright: ORF/Mona Film/Tivoli Film/Helga Rader

KILL SHOT – Review

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Rib Hillis and Rachel Cook, in KILL SHOT. Courtesy of Well Go USA Entertainment

There have been forests full of “thrillers” in which one or more people go for a woodsy getaway only to find that they’re pursued by one or more bad guys, just for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. KILL SHOT is another, and it’s nowhere near the top of that heap. It’s not even the best among several previous films bearing the same title.

Two ex-models, Rachel Cook (not Rachel Leigh Cook) and Rib (not a typo) Hillis star respectively as a woman who wants to hunt moose and spread her father’s ashes in the rough terrain of Montana as a tribute to him. Hillis plays her guide. She’s beautiful; he’s ruggedly handsome and his wife just dumped him for spending too much time in the boonies, rather than with her. Apparently, her nature didn’t measure up to Mother Nature’s nature. That sets up a possibility for romance to blossom in the wild.

Coincidentally, a gang of mercenaries had stolen a fortune in Afghanistan but lost it when one had to bail out of his plane with the loot somewhere in that area. They’re armed to the teeth and scouring the woods for the briefcase filled with their booty (the cash type, not the recreational). Our eye-candy couple just happens to stumble upon it first. Most of the running time is spent running, as a seemingly inexhaustible supply of hench-persons pursues the two. In fact, there are far more baddies gunning for our protagonists than what appeared to be the size of the crew that snatched the dough at the beginning of the flick.

Though ridiculously outgunned and outnumbered, they fare pretty well, managing to knock off most of their unanticipated foes along the way. The scenery (mountains and rivers and woods, oh my!) is lovely but the chase requires suspending more of that pesky disbelief than the norm. Trained ex-soldiers fire a hell of a lot of rounds without hitting anyone, even when their targets are traversing open ground. Admittedly, a couple of plot twists partly atone for the rest but not all surprises are assets.

The two stars give decent performances, and there’s plenty of action for one’s adrenaline fix. Just don’t expect the story to be a treat.

KILL SHOT debuts Tuesday, Aug. 15, on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital formats from Well Go USA Entertainment.

RATING: 1 out of 4 stars