BAVARIAN RHAPSODY

A BOX OFFICE SUCCESS STORY

Initially conceived as a TV production, the first installment in the Eberhofer series, Sweet Buns Blues, became a surprise hit in regional movie theatres when released by Constantin Film in 2013. The two subsequent installments, Winterpotato Dumplings and Porkhead al Dente, continued the success story, and the fourth installment, Wheatnoodles Affair, took the series to success on a national level. After Sauerkraut Coma came Leberkäs Junkie and Kaiserschmarrn Drama, which generated more than 1 million admissions nationwide and brought the total to more than 5 million theatrical admissions, ultimately taking in more than 50 million US dollars. The latest installment in the series, Guglhupfcake Squadron, is scheduled for an August 2022 release.

THE INSPIRATION – RITA FALK’S ‘EBERHOFER NOVELS’

The inspiration for the screen adaptations comes from Rita Falk’s humorous crime novels. She started writing books after losing her job as an office employee in 2008. Two years after that, she published Winterpotato Dumplings, which was the first book to introduce audiences to Officer Eberhofer and immediately landed on the bestseller list. Since then, over 6 million books belonging to the Eberhofer series have been sold. The novels have also been translated into English and French.

I. SWEET BUNS BLUES

Local village cop Franz Eberhofer is just winding down when events in Niederkaltenkirchen start winding up: “Die, you pig!” is written in red letters on the local school principle home . Shortly thereafter, the principle himself is found dead on the railway tracks. Was it suicide? Murder? Either way, the laid-back Bavarian tranquility is now officially gone.

II. WINTERPOTATO DUMPLINGS

Franz Eberhofer and his investigating buddy Rudi, are confronted with a series of bizarre deaths, all involving the Neuhofer family, who seem to be dying – one after the next – from the strangest things. While Franz’s boss insists on the deaths being a series of unfortunate coincidences, Franz and Rudi are convinced that something is rotten in the state of Niederkaltenkirchen…

III. PORKHEAD AL DENTE

Franz has been left by his on-again, off-again girlfriend Susi, who informs him that she’s heading to Italy to make a fresh start with her Italian admirer because Franz refuses to make any kind of commitment. Plus he’s distracted by the unpleasant matter of an escaped psychopath who’s out for revenge…

IV. WHEATNOODLES AFFAIR

A very hung-over Franz is woken up by a heavily armed tactical unit. It turns out that his colleague has been found dead with a knife in his back and it appears that the murder weapon is Franz’s pocket knife. Good thing that Franz’s old hippie dad provides his son with a fake alibi to free Franz to let him carry out the murder investigation…

V. SAUERKRAUT COMA

As a “disciplinary measure”, Franz is being transferred to Munich, which means sharing a tiny apartment with his wacky buddy Rudi and having Thin Lizzy, his arch enemy, as his boss. No wonder Franz can’t wait to return to home but his formerly pimple-faced classmate “Fleischi”, now a successful businessman, has surfaced and is hitting on Susi while his dad finds a dead woman’s corpse in the trunk of his car. Time for Franz to sort out matters…

VI. LEBERKÄS JUNKIE

Franz must face his greatest adversary to date: cholesterol! Besides his insomnia and massive Leberkäs withdrawal symptoms, Franz on top has to deal with a steady flow of stinky baby diapers. Susi, in an emancipatory move, has handed over their son Paul to him and though Franz manages his father job quite well, his idyllic home village is marred by a series of arson, murder and corruption.

VII. KAISERSCHMARRN DRAMA

The carefree life of Franz is again under threat. It’s not the murdered local “Webcam Girl” but his pushy co-investigator, Rudi who is disturbing Franz’ peace. Rudi is relegated to a wheelchair after an accident he naturally blames Franz for. To make things worse Franz’ girlfriend Susi, has joined forces with Franz’s unloved brother, Leopold, to build a semi-detached home with a joint sauna right next to the family farmhouse…

VIII. GUGLHUPFCAKE SQUADRON

Franz is faced with mafia-like bill collectors, while the villagers all have fallen into lottery fever until the lottery store blows up. Once again, chaos has broken out and Franz will have to solve the case before he can get back to the relaxed state he yearns for.

photo © Nik Konietzny, Constantin Film