2020: Texas Gladiators (aka 2020
Freedom Fighters, Anno 2020: I Gladiatori del Futuro)
1984, Italy
dir. Joe D'mato
Cast: Al Cliver,
Harrison Muller Jr, Donald O'Brien, Al Yamanouchi
A group of Texas
Rangers (shirtless do-gooders who patrol the post-atomic wastelands
dispensing justice) interrupt a mutant raid on a defenceless
settlement. One of their number, the dastardly Catchdog, tries to
take advantage of the situation by raping one of the survivors but is
driven off in disgrace by their leader Nisus (Cliver).Fast forward a
few years and Nisus has shacked up with the woman he saved in a
peaceful community built round a refinery. Catchdog shows up with a
biker gang in league with the high-tech troops of the fascistic New
Order and overrun the settlement. Nisis is executed but his wife
escapes and reunites his former comrades, who with the help of the
local Native Americans liberate the enslaved colony.
Made
hot on the heels of D'Amato's Endgame,
this recycles much of the locations, props and cast (sadly no George
Eastman, though he did co-write this). Due to the lack of
memorable characters, it's not as fun as the earlier film, with only
O'Brien's mad dictator and his over the top evil cackle standing out,
with everyone else being pretty much interchangeable. By D'Amato's
standards, it's a competent movie, though that's not saying much.
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