Götz Otto

Former James Bond henchman Götz Otto had a stab at playing hero in the brilliantly titled Gunblast Vodka (2000).

Made in Poland and dubbed into English, the film is ample evidence that Otto is far more suited to antagonistic roles.

The German was miscast as an Israeli cop relocated from assignment in New York to track down a damsel in distress (Angie Everhart).

Otto threws himself into his action debut, fighting off assassins while naked (7 years before Eastern Promises) and firing a gun while being pulled along on his back aside a car. The latter an utterly pointless moment that's not as fun as it should be.

Director Jean Louis-Daniel is playing with the conventions of the action film, this is far from your typical action movie, but one can’t quite tell if this is intended as arthouse or music video-inspired B-movie.

Reminiscent of the more colourful films of both Albert Pyun and Michael Oblowitz, the film emulates and exaggerates Hollywood clichés but never entertains as much as it should.

As curious as Russia’s Velvet Revolution, Gunblast Vodka’s off-kilter approach to the genre seems entirely half-hearted, like so many Hollywood imitators.

Fellow German Jürgen Prochnow (playing the villain once again – albeit with bleached hair) doesn’t seem to be having much fun either. Local actor Mariusz Pujszo seems to be having more fun than anyone else as Otto’s geekily stylish and creepy partner.

Since Gunblast Vodka was released Otto has appeared in Der Clown and Ant and Dec vehicle Alien Autopsy in addition to numerous German film and television roles.