Les aventures de Klaus aux commandes du chariot élévateur

Well, on one hand it's kind of sad that this has to be the closest thing to a cult movie us Germans have produced during the last decades, but then again, it *is* funny as hell and raises more attention about the dangers of fork-lifts then all the Jaws-movie combined ever did about the dangers of shark-bites.

Which is a good thing, I guess, since fork lifters are gruesome killing-machines disguised as everyday tools - especially the titular fork lifter shown in this film. Who would have thought?

Another interesting trivia about this movie is the narrator, Egon Hoegen: For decades, this guy narrated the educational TV-show "Der siebte Sinn" ("The seventh sense") about the safety and regulations of everyday public driving. So, most Germans are familiar with his distinct voice, which makes his dry remarks after each brutal accident even more hilarious. This is not the first time, Hoegen used his distinct voice for the sake of comedy; he also narrated the propaganda-pieces in the German dub of "Starship Troopers", giving them an even crazier, authoritative feel.

Given it's short length (about 10 minutes, including end credits), I really don't see a reason why you shouldn't give this film a chance. Maybe it will even receive a fan-dub one day, so English-speaking audiences will also benefit from the insightful informations provided here.

I guess you can watch it online somewhere, but there once also was a really, really nice DVD of this movie, which compensated the relative short length of the main feature by a sheer abundance of bonus-features, easter eggs and background-information. And it was cheap as hell! Try to get that one!

I think my forewriters did a good job on describing the film and why its fascinating or a bit disturbing despite of ones taste when it comes to movies. But i just felt like adding something, I think most of you don't know, well when your living in England or the USA u can hardly know. But the voice Explaining klaus mistakes is actually the original voice from an old TV show which was shown about 12 years ago in Germany called "Der siebte Sinn" ( more or less literally : The seventh sense). which was quite like this movie, well except the gore, there where a bunch of episodes showing how to use a Car safely or a Motorcylce also some Industry stuff but it was quite famous because it was running on public television. So I guess its a bit more of a laugh for Germans because everyone who owns a TV HAS seen this show at least one time....

If you have ever wondered if a forklift could be used as a deadly weapon, look no further than the German short film Staplerfahrer Klaus: Der Erste Arbeitstag.

It starts out like any one of those cheesy workplace safety videos, with the narrator and animations explaining the do's and don't's of forklift operation, as our main character Klaus blunders his way through the first day of work. However, it's not long before his mistakes result in his coworkers dying in hilariously over-the-top gory fashions. Even as if the body count grows higher and higher, the film never really stops trying to be a serious workplace safety video, which is why the whole thing had me in stitches.

Staplerfahrer Klaus is in German, but you certainly don't need to understand the language to enjoy this short.

This is one of those shorts that really surprises and delights. The fact that it is presented as your typical, cheesy safety-at-work type of video adds to the humour tremendously.

Our man- Klaus- is beginning a new job as a forklift driver in a warehouse. He does all the things he shouldn't where safety is concerned and is suitably admonished by the patronising safety expert who provides the voice over. The accidents start out as the fairly typical toe-curling scenes one usually sees in such instructional films, but soon they multiply into totally over-the-top affairs.

This may make it sound like a film only horror or gore fans would enjoy, but it really isn't. The effects are so daft that they would only put off the most extreme anti-blood viewers and I promise you that you will laugh yourself silly and be recommending it to your pals wholeheartedly. I certainly did, and everyone who's seen it has loved it.

If anyone ever criticises the German sense of humour, you have all the ammo you could ever need to shoot them down with this little number.

Can't recommend it enough.

I was definitely close to soiling myself last night when I saw this at the Florida Film Festival. Klaus was the highlight of the shorts program I attended. It is shot like the video you might be forced to watch when you are first hired at a company (complete with cheesy music) and shows everything that can go wrong as a forklift driver. You honestly won't think it can possibly get any better, but each situation manages to top the previous one. I don't want to spoil any of the surprises, but it was bloody as hell and extremely violent, but funny enough so you know not to be offended. If there is any way to get this on video or DVD, please let me know.