Post Apocalyptic Films
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- DirectorRoger CormanStarsRichard DenningLori NelsonAdele JergensIn a post-Apocalyptic world after an atomic war seven disparate people find themselves in a protected valley in the home of a survivalist and his beautiful daughter.“A new high in naked shrieking terror!” [1]. This was Roger Corman’s fourth film as a director and his first in the science fiction genre. After an atomic war, a canyon ends up serving as natural fallout shelter from the radiation.
Located in the canyon is the home of a former Navy commander and his daughter, who end up letting in five strangers. They face multiple threats in their attempt to survive; this includes the threat of contamination of their shelter from the radiation, a mutated monster that looks to kill anything that it comes across and eat beings that are contaminated, and the threat of a man whose intentions are to get rid of the other men so he can have the women for himself.
Despite the low budget, weak plot, stock characters, and somewhat cheap looking monster effects, this film is “still notable as one of the few films of the 1950s that actually showed the effects of radiation on humans, however unrealistic its depiction of those effects might have been” [2]. Shot in only ten days on a budget of around $90,000, it would go on to gross $400,000 on a double bill with The Phantom from 10,000 Leagues.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1CNCfO - DirectorWesley BarryStarsDon MegowanErica ElliottFrances McCannIn a post holocaust society, robots take it on their own to help the dying human race by giving them android bodies.“Never Has the Screen Brought You A More *Shocking* Revelation!” [3]. This is a low budget sci-fi film that suffers in terms of effects and set designs, but makes up for it in the story and themes that it touches upon. An atomic war has destroyed most of the human population and led to a low birthrate amongst the remaining survivors.
The human race creates a series of robots to perform most jobs, leading to an evolution of robots that are referred to as humanoids. These blue skinned robots look somewhat similar to humans; however they do not have the capacity for emotions. With the help of a human doctor, these humanoids have found a way to transplant all of the memories of a human into an android.
There are several robots living within the society as humans, completely unaware that they are anything else but human. It is unclear what the humanoids goal in doing this is and there is a racist group called The Order of Flesh and Blood that wants to have them disassembled.
This movie touches on themes of race and politics that closely resembled the civil rights issues that were taking place in America during the 1960’s. The robots have been swapped in for African Americans and are treated like slaves by many of the humans, being referred to in the movie by the humans as “clickers.”
The group that is called the order dresses in an outfit that is very similar to the confederate soldiers outfits worn during the civil war, including the cap and knife on their belts. There is also a subplot involving a female having a relationship with one of the humanoids and how that impacts and upsets her brother.
Despite the low budget effects, they had a particularly breakthrough technique used for the silvery looking eyes of the humanoids. Jack Pierce was responsible for the makeup design. He is probably best known for his work with Universal Pictures during the 1930’s and 1940’s, which included Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein.
The contact lenses that were used in production were created by Dr. Louis M. Zabner, an optometrist who is considered the pioneer of using contact lenses to change the color of an actor’s eye. While most versions of this consist of a running time of 75 minutes, the release by Dark Sky DVD has some additional footage and is 84 minutes long.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1GzFkY - DirectorRay MillandStarsRay MillandJean HagenFrankie AvalonA family leaves Los Angeles for a camping trip just before hydrogen bombs destroy the city. In the midst of the chaos, the father must fight to keep his family alive along the highway.This surprisingly effective sci-fi drama directed and starring Ray Milland involves a family of four leaving Los Angeles for a camping trip right as a nuclear war breaks out and destroys the city. He adopts a strong survivalist code in order to protect his family as civilization starts to break down, taking them into the wilderness and living inside of a cave. During their ordeal, they encounter other refugees and violent juveniles willing to kill for fun and supplies.
This could be considered an early precursor or grandfather to Mad Max and other similar apocalyptic dramas. It is an excellent drama with a strong performance from the lead actor Milland as the father. Its statement shows a grim portrayal of man, in that the real enemies after a nuclear catastrophe will be his fellow citizens.
Film critic Michael Atkinson said that “this forgotten, saber-toothed 1962 AIP cheapie might be the most expressive on-the-ground nightmare of the Cold War era, providing a template not only for countless social-breakdown genre flicks (most particularly, Michael Haneke’s Time of the Wolf) but also for authentic crisis—shades of New Orleans haunt its DVD margins…the movie is nevertheless an anxious, detail-rich essay on moral collapse” [4].
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1K6n4v - DirectorJohn BoormanStarsSean ConneryCharlotte RamplingSara KestelmanIn the late 23rd century, a savage trained only to kill finds a way into the community of bored immortals that alone preserves humanity's achievements.“I have seen the future and it doesn’t work” [5]. In the year 2293, the world has been divided into two groups, the civilized immortal Eternals and the barely civilized mortal Brutals. A group of Brutal Exterminators maintain control and kill the other Brutals, at the orders of a huge flying head called Zardoz. In exchange for food that is collected, Zardoz exchanges weapons for the Brutal Exterminator.
One Exterminator named Zed (Sean Connery), hides on Zardoz to discover what is on the other side. There he meets two Eternals and discovers that a plague is among the Eternals, causing them to lose interest in life and fall into catatonia. While there he discovers the true origin and nature of the god called Zardoz.
This one will probably cause a divide in opinion among sci-fi fans, you’re either going to love it or hate it. It has some amazing imagery, especially the large Zardoz head and the look of the Brutals. The overall cinematography is great; it is a pretty mesmerizing movie. There is some humor, plus you’ll either love or laugh at the way Sean Connery looks in the film. The downside is the plot can get confusing and slow at times, plus the big reveal moment may not be as exciting as people had hoped for.
This was written, produced, and directed by John Boorman, who had previous success with Point Blank, Hell in the Pacific, and most notable Deliverance. It was his commercial success with Deliverance that gave him free reign on this film. In his career, he has been noted for being a bit pretentious and for going on ego-trips [6].
He should be commended for trying to push the boundaries in the hopes of making something that was on the level of a Stanley Kubrick and 2001 [6]. The movie did not do very well at the box office, but has cult following among sci-fi fans, “playing at revival houses, on college campuses, and on the midnight movie circuit for several years” [6].
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1P9xXe - DirectorJosé UlloaStarsCraig HillPatty ShepardTeresa GimperaNorth America, in the near future. Two married couples live in a strange apartment that is actually an anti-atomic shelter. The world has been devastated by a nuclear war and the group waits for the radioactivity to disappear.“Time… The not too distant future. Place… The USA. Problem… Nuclear war. Effect… A society with no rules” [7]. This is a somewhat hard to find Spanish production that is more of a character study about what happens when people are forced to be confined in quarters for a long period of time.
Two military couples and their son try to survive in an underground fallout shelter after some type of nuclear holocaust has occurred in the United States. When supplies start to run short, tensions mount and some of the members begin to act in a bizarre and irrational manor. Many people disliked it and have described it as slow and boring, so you have been warned in advance.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1TBES2 - DirectorL.Q. JonesStarsDon JohnsonJason RobardsSusanne BentonA young man and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland.“The year is 2024… a future you’ll probably live to see” [8]. Based on a series of short stories turned into a novella by author Harlan Ellison, it is a post apocalyptic tale of a teenage boy (Don Johnson) and his telepathic dog working together in order to survive. It’s pretty much as if Mad Max and Clockwork Orange screwed each other, had a baby and popped this sucker out.
The film is basically a buddy comedy, mixed with rape and ultra violence as the boy finds food for the dog and the dog sniffs out women for him to rape. In between, they have comedic banter as the more intelligent dog berates the boy, battle marauders that pull a makeshift car like a chariot led by a man wearing a blanket cape, watch porno movies at a make shift movie theater, and deal with an underground society that wear clown like makeup and want to use the boy for breading.
The movie is all sorts of crazy and that’s what makes it great. Its lack of financial success has made it grow as a cult film and has inspired other films and media. It is obvious that this film is an inspiration for the Mad Max films; there are several scenes from this movie that were clearly recreated in The Road Warrior movie.
Max also has the dog as a companion in the second film, even though it doesn’t talk to him. The film was also an inspiration for the popular video game series Fallout - DirectorRalph BakshiStarsBob HoltJesse WellesRichard RomanusOn a post-apocalyptic Earth, a wizard and his faire folk comrades fight an evil wizard who's using technology in his bid for conquest.“An epic fantasy of peace and magic” [10]. Two million years after a nuclear war has devastated the earth, only several humans survived along with a bunch of mutants. The true ancestors of the earth, fairies, elves, dwarves end up returning back to earth. The queen of the fairies gives birth to twin wizards, one that is good and the other is evil.
Three thousand years later, the queen dies and the evil wizard, Blackwolf, looks to take control of the land he believes is his. The good wizard named Avatar must save the earth from his evil brother and his dream machine, with the help of a fairy princess, a warrior elf, and a former robot of Blackwood’s.
This was written, directed, and produced by Ralph Bakshi. He is an animator mostly known for his use of combining animation and live-action sequences, from the 1970’s through early 1990’s.
Most of his films were independently produced and contained adult themes. He is known for the films Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, Coonskin, Wizards, The Lord of the Rings, American Pop, Fire and Ice, and Cool World. On a side note, Fire and Ice is a great Frank Frazetta Conan comic book inspired film that was left out of this list.
This is sort of the futuristic version of Lord of the Rings, if it would have fast forwarded in time and included mutated Nazi soldiers and images of Hitler. The theme of the story is magic versus technology and how technology destroyed the world and is inherently evil. There is a lot of Nazi imagery that is used to portray the evil side as more evil.
Blackwood has found their old technology and is recreating tanks and weapons. He sits on top of a throne that has a big swastika underneath of it. The dream machine that he uses to confuse his enemies is an old film projector with images of the Nazis and Hitler.
The animation is great, especially if you’re a Bakshi fan. There are exquisite background paintings that combine watercolor and detailed line drawings. Then that is mixed in with the cartoon animation and its unique style. On top of that, there is that added element of live action scenes spliced in with it.
The combination is something that Bakshi became known for and would later be copied in films like Who Framed Roger Rabbit. There is a mix of serious and humor, with most of the comedic elements coming from the human soldiers in gas masks that work for Blackwood.
The film ended up doing pretty well, grossing somewhere around $9,000,000. It has gained a strong cult following among sci-fi and fantasy fans, and fans of Bakshi’s work. If you haven’t seen and you like any of his other films or underground comics from the 1970’s, then you should check this out.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/#ixzz4Qw1fm6Iq - DirectorEnzo G. CastellariStarsMark GregoryFred WilliamsonVic MorrowIn a post-apocalyptic New York City, a policeman infiltrates the Bronx, which has become a battleground for several murderous street gangs.“A Heavy Metal Journey Into An Urban Hell Where Everything Was Done Wrong!” [11]. An Italian rip off of the film Escape from New York, which also manages to take elements from The Warriors, The Road Warrior, The Exterminator, and Class of 1984.
In the post apocalyptic future of 1990, the Bronx is declared a no man’s land and is run by a group of street gangs. The daughter of a rich Manhattan man, who runs the Manhattan Corporation, runs away into the Bronx and ends up with a biker gang called the Riders. They send a man called Hammer to go into the Bronx and bring her back.
The major plot is taken from Escape from New York, involving a man who is sent into the lawless zone of New York to rescue an important girl. The look of the rundown city is mostly taken from that as well. The different gangs and their unique looks were taken from The Warriors, which involved New York gangs who all dress in various costumes.
The gangs shown consist of the Zombies, a group on roller skates that carry hockey sticks. The Riders are the motorcycle gang and they have skulls on the front of their bikes that light up at night. Their leader named Trash resembles the main character of the Warriors gang. Then there is a gang called the Tigers led by Fred Williamson, who wear suits and drive fancy old cars.
There is another gang dressed in rags that actually look like zombies. Depending on the version you see, there are appearances of some other weird gangs as well. The music is a combination of what you would have heard in both the Warriors and Escape from New York.
This is a great low budget rip off combination of both movies. It doesn’t have the best dialogue or the best acting, but it has a good overall look to the film. Partially filmed in New York, they took advantage of filming in and around buildings that were dilapidated and run down.
While the gangs may look weird and not make sense, they did the same thing in the Warriors and it worked. They had some unusual and inventive weapons, like the knives on the side of the bike.
The director did a decent job framing shots, shooting some close ups, and angular shots to keep the look of the film interesting. Vic Morrow is good as Hammer; this was one of his last films before he was killed on the set of the Twilight Zone movie.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw1o6Uwx - DirectorStuart GillardStarsGary KroegerGretchen GermanMarc SingerThe French Foreign Legion will never be the same after the uproarious World War II exploits of Sgt. Duke Roscoe and his band of military misfits. It's a hilarious "war movie" that will leave you shell-shocked with laughter.This Italian production is a Mad Max rip off, plus Rambo, plus Escape from New York. A little bit of everything is in this post apocalyptic story as the man named Rage (Previously Captain Strike) is hired by a group to obtain some uranium which may save the planet, but an old enemy named Slash wants it too.
It has elements of Mad Max with the theme of a post apocalyptic future and the loner Max type character getting involved, being chased by outlaws in modified vehicles. But he could also be considered a Rambo type character as a soldier of fortune, with most of the marketing poster showing him posing like Rambo. Then his outfit looks pretty much exactly like Snake Plissken in Escape from New York.
There is a decent amount of action to keep you entertained. The most bizarre part of the movie is the music, which is super upbeat and sounds like it belongs on a kids show.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw1yTBEE - DirectorBruno MatteiClaudio FragassoStarsOttaviano Dell'AcquaGeretta GerettaMassimo VanniIn a post-apocalyptic earth, where most of humanity lives underground, a group of surface people stumble upon an abandoned lab that was trying to bring life back to the earth's surface, but the place is run over by vicious rats.This is an Italian production that involves a post apocalyptic society that is divided between groups that live underground and scavengers that live above ground.
One collection of scavengers discovers an abandoned town full of mutilated corpses, but decides to stay because of the vast supply of food and water that has been left behind. They soon discover that the town is infested with genetically mutated flesh eating rats and they must fight for their survival.
As with most Italian horror films this contains a decent amount of gore and violence. There is also a significant amount of real rat death and torture taking place, so animal rights people may want to stay away from this one. This was directed by Bruno Mattei, who also brought us the cult favorites Strike Commando 1 and 2, Robowar, and Hell of the Living Dead.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw25hUaX - DirectorBobby A. SuarezStarsMichael JamesDeborah MooreKen MetcalfeAfter civilization is wiped out by nuclear war, an adventurer leads a group of wanderers on a search for the fabled Mountain of Life. Along the way they encounter pygmy tribes, bands of savage outlaws and a tribe of Amazon women.This is a Filipino produced Mad Max rip off. It’s not a straight rip off, basically taking the idea of the post apocalyptic future, a Max type main character, and outlaws. After that it gets pretty wild and out of control as he deals with Amazon women, radiated mutants, pygmy tribes, groups of outlaws, and an evil queen who can shoot lasers from her eyes.
There is a decent amount of sci-fi madness involved, along with action, explosions, graphic violence, and nudity. So pretty much everything you want from a low budget 1980’s VHS rental. Plus I think one of the outlaws is wearing a sleeping bag for shoulder pads, it looks pretty weird.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw2G4TTU - DirectorAlbert PyunStarsJohn StockwellMichael DudikoffMichele LittleAfter a nuclear war, Phillip Hammer and Marlowe Chandler have spent fifteen years on their own in a bunker, stuffed with junk from the 40s and old detective novels. Now, nineteen-years-old, they leave their shelter to find a world full of mutants, freaks, and cannibals. They become famous detectives in the struggle for the two keys that could fire the last nuclear weapon.This has to be considered a must see for true cult film fans. In what could be best described as a nuclear noir story, two kids named Phillip Hammer and Marlowe Chandler escape from a bunker after being locked in there for 15 years after the atomic war occurred. During that time they had grown up on various items from the 1940’s, including pulp novels and swing music.
Upon leaving, they discover a world full of unusual characters and gangs, mutants, and cannibals. They meet a girl and end up with the two keys to last nuclear weapon, leading to every gang trying to kill them for the keys.
It’s an unusual mix of sci-fi, apocalypse, comedy, slapstick, music, and gangs that contains characters and wardrobes from every era from the 1940’s to the 1980’s. The story is told in the style of film noir movies but it contains a cast of characters that easily matches films like The Warriors, Flash Gordon, and even Star Wars.
There is just an insane mix of groups that include a pair of kids in disco outfits, hippies, mutated freaks with pink wigs, punk rockers, greasers, a giant monster dog and so much more. There is music throughout the picture and it is mostly in the style of new wave rock, including an on screen performance by Sue Saad.
It was written and directed by well known direct-to-video and cult director Albert Pyun, who also made Dollman, Cyborg, Alien from L.A., and Captain America (1990). It also co-stars Michael Dudikoff, who would go on to star in the American Ninja series.
This one has yet to receive a U.S. DVD or Blu-ray release and it was only ever released on DVD in a limited format in Germany. Luckily it is currently available to view on YouTube.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw2U89Zz - DirectorGeoff MurphyStarsBruno LawrenceAlison RoutledgePete SmithA scientist awakens to find himself alone in the world. In a desperate attempt to search for others, he finds only two who have their own agenda.This is a New Zealand production that is loosely based on a novel with the same name from Craig Harrison and a combination of the 1954 novel I Am Legend, Dawn of the Dead (1978), and The World, the Flesh and the Devil (1954).
It finds a scientist waking up one morning to discover that everyone has disappeared and it seems to be that he is the last person on earth. His loneliness takes him to the brink of madness until he meets a woman and later on a Maori man. The scientist was involved in a project to create a global energy grid and he believes that was the cause of the cosmic event, which is going to happen again if they don’t figure out some way to stop it.
This is one of those forgotten gems that became a cult film, but could easily be called a classic by fans and critics. It has some great sequences, most notably during the first 36 minutes when the scientist is alone roaming through the empty city teetering on the brink of madness.
The final shot is also one not to be missed and the meaning of the ambiguous ending is left up to the viewers to make their own decisions on. Noted astrophysicist and celebrity Neil deGrasse Tyson listed this among his top 10 favorite science fiction films [12].
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw2d0cSq - DirectorDonald G. JacksonR.J. KizerStarsJulius LeFloreRCBRoddy PiperAfter a worldwide nuclear war, where 68% of the male population was wiped out and virile men becoming a rarity, Sam Hell, a scavenger and a highly virile man, is assigned to help rescue a group of fertile women kidnapped by humanoid frogs.“A new breed of enemy has taken over the world… Sam Hell has come to take it back.” [13]. Its Mad Max meets Planet of the Apes, as a nuclear war has ravaged the world and there are mutated frog men running a city called Frogtown.
The human race is in danger of becoming extinct because most of the women are infertile, except for a group that’s being held captive in Frogtown. Two women force Sam (Roddy Piper) to go with them to rescue the girls and impregnate them, since he is the most fertile male they have ever seen.
This film is total low budget B grade cheesy movie fare that used to regularly play on the USA Network in the 1980’s, when they used to show cool movies on USA Up All Night from 1989 to 1998. Sure its cheep and silly, but who cares.
It stars professional wrestler “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and that’s the only reason needed to want to watch this one. This may not be as great as They Live, but it’s still light and entertaining and Piper is funny in it.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw2im3uB - DirectorCirio H. SantiagoStarsRichard NortonBrigitta StenbergRick DeanIn a post-apocalyptic future, a commando named Brodie must defend the only village that still has gunpowder from a ruthless gang of raiders led by Clay, a traitor who plans to use the deadly powder to conquer the democratic Alpha League.After a biological disaster, a war rages between a Democratic society and a faction of outlaws looking to rule. Each needs to find more gunpowder in order to keep fighting and win the war.
The good guys send their best warrior Brodie (Richard Norton) to find a suspected mine deep in the jungle. There he finds a little bit of love and a tribe that worships the gunpowder, but can he save them and get the gunpowder back in time before his group is defeated by the outlaws.
This is classic low budget action schlock from producer Roger Corman and directed by Corman regular Cirio H. Santiago. It features all of the standard fare including some sneering bad guys, a couple of attractive females, tons of action and explosions, a high body count, wacky outfits, tricked out cars, and cheesy 90’s music that almost sounds like it belongs on Miami Vice.
It also includes a very unusual battle involving two men swinging on ropes jousting to the death. The main reason this is notable is because it stars Australian kickboxer Norton, who is best known for appearing in China O’Brien and several other productions with Cynthia Rothrock in both the U.S. and Hong Kong. While this doesn’t contain a ton of martial arts, there are a couple of decent action sequences with Norton.
Read more: http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2016/15-cult-apocalypse-movies-you-might-not-have-seen/2/#ixzz4Qw2s0h7D - DirectorJohn HillcoatStarsViggo MortensenCharlize TheronKodi Smit-McPheeIn a dangerous post-apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.
- DirectorGeorge A. RomeroStarsLori CardilleTerry AlexanderJoseph PilatoAs the world is overrun by zombies, a group of scientists and military personnel sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida must decide on how they should deal with the undead horde.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsMichael YorkJenny AgutterRichard JordanA police officer in the future uncovers the deadly secret behind a society that worships youth.
- DirectorTerry GilliamStarsBruce WillisMadeleine StoweBrad PittIn a future world devastated by disease, a convict is sent back in time to gather information about the man-made virus that wiped out most of the human population on the planet.