Heiße Grüße vom CIA

I gave a full mark for this movies. This is based on my experience in watching these kind of movies that were made in the sixties. I have watched almost all spy movies that came out after first James Bond movies Dr. No. Italian, German, French, British, American etc.. and to me this the best. The story, the script, the sequence of thrilling events that took place in the movie from start till end, makes it undoubtedly the best. The actors make you feel the actions . It is not a boring movie even if you watch it several times. I think the production also fabulous cause almost all scenes were shot in locations on different countries. Really enjoyable to watch.

Spies movie that is able to interest the viewer in its simplicity.

It is not something transcendental but it makes a good impression.

I can't believe how many movies of this type have come out in those years.

Ingrid Schoeller becomes the first female to headline a Eurospy movie (at least as far as I know so far).

This was Umberto Lenzi's first attempt at Eurospy, made just before he began teaming up with Roger Browne. It is set mainly in his perennial favourite exotic location, Cairo, and includes much of the stock footage that he would continue to recycle across all his Eurospy movies;- panoramas of the Nile, pyramids, markets, black & white taxis' and dubious cabaret acts. Also the customary stock footage of Westminster from the Thames that always precedes the mission assignment scene. Zermatt rounds out the locations and provides a contrast of scenery for the finale.

Ingrid is 008, an American agent, who is teamed with British agent 006 and a half, played by Alberto Lupo, who doesn't look remotely British. 007 James Bond is also mentioned several times in passing. She's vivacious, insightful and competently deals with all the usual spy action, including fighting and defeating no less than 4 henchwomen at the Institute of Beauty, while also good naturedly fending of the attentions of Alberto (once even resorting drugging him to sleep, when they are sharing a room and posing as husband & wife). Meanwhile Alberto seems to have trouble keeping his mind on the mission, expends plenty of energy, but often ends up needing to be saved by Ingrid.

Evano Staccioli makes for a memorable villain and swarthy, dimple chinned, Sal Borgese takes a turn at being lead henchman, equipped with a black glove that can fire knives.

The plot, dialogue, direction and music are all solid by Eurospy standards and played at a "Roger Moore-esque" level of seriousness. There are a couple of minor twists at the end, as Ingrid outwits Alberto to take sole possession of the McGuffin.

As is customary in a Lenzi spy movie there is a humorous epilogue, which signs off with Ingrid and Alberto about to embark on another joint mission.

I'm not sure why I find it so difficult to enjoy the spy film genre. Whether legitimate or spoof seems to make no difference. There is something about the genre that attracts the infantile perhaps, certainly there is a fetish for playthings, gadgets (and women!) where even in the most serious maybe things are not taken too seriously. With this the first of Umberto Lenzi's spy films I thought maybe there would be a complete subversion of the genre (certainly my box cover suggests so) more a spaghetti spy story with little reverence for the old originals. But no this treads a fairly well worn path (except for the female lead) and takes itself pretty seriously at first. Gradually one feel that Lenzi throws in the towel because it does become slightly amusing and maybe more of a spoof but even so there is no hard edge, all the fights are crap, most of the dialogue laughable (not that laughable) and the sex scenes brought up short. There is some fine location shooting particularly on the streets of Cairo and later in the alps but not enough to make this very watchable.

The bravura euro-crime director, and part-time cannibal fetishist Umberto Lenzi takes a strident foray into the heady, glamorous, if not a little silly, cinematic imaginarium of the 60's euro-spy actioner; and, to be fair, he certainly gives it his best shot. While it isn't quite up there with Lenzi's uber-kult offering 'Kriminal', the film certainly makes for an adequate time-waster, and would be much appreciated by those individuals who enjoy this especially frivolous, and day-glo coloured genre. '008-Operation Exterminate' is a fun ride, and makes a rather lissome, highball quaffing companion to Jess Franco's 'Lucky The Inscrutable'.