2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York

20 years after a nuclear holocaust radiation has rendered all remaining humans sterile. After winning a motorized deathmatch an ex-Confederate soldier named Parsifal is offered a place on a rocketship by The President if he can infiltrate New York City and retrieve a fertile woman, or be killed.

Directed by Sergio Martino 2019, After the Fall of New York (2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York) is more sci-fi orientated than most (with a spaceship inclusion). Ernesto Gastaldi, Martino and Gabriel Rossini screenplay has echoes of Blade Runner (1982), Mad Max 2 (1981) and borrows heavily from Escape from New York (1981). It's one of the better copy-cat post-apocalyptic Italian films in the vein of similar to the films 1990 The Bronx Warriors, Escape from the Bronx, The New Barbarians and Endgame to name a few. Even copying a scene from Flash Gordon (1980).

It has all the same production issues of these low budget Italian cash-ins. Questionable, dialogue, acting, special effects, dubbing and sound design. This aside, the catchy soundtrack from Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis compliments the shenanigans and action adding to the B-movie charm. In contrast to the kitted vehicles, some of the sets and locations are notable. The derelict city set scenes have plenty of atmosphere courteous of cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando as Michael Sopkiw's Parsifal and his rag tag side kicks Bronx and Ratchet make their way through the city encountering rats, cyborgs, fallout stricken street gangs, horses, ape-like mutants, dwarfs and dodging sonic weapons. It's grim and downbeat for the most part.

Miss Italy Anna Kanakis as evil officer Ania and striking Valentine Monnier as Giara along with B-movie regular George Eastman are memorable. Unfortunately Monnier is given little to do. Tiziana Fibi and Alessandra Tani even less. Kanakis shines here as the femme fatale as steals the film from not only the villain Serge Feuillard's Eurac Commander but also lead Sopkiw. To Martino's credit and company it's well filmed, with some tight continuity (Donatella Botti) and editing by Eugenio Alabiso there's also a few light left of field twists from the writers in the closing act.

Overall, it should come as no surprise it's over the top, full of tropes and holes, but its fast pace keeps momentum in true 80s Italian science fiction film style.

Agreeable fun'n'funky post-nuke science-fiction/action romp . This exciting picture packs kinetic action , thrills, intrigue , shocks and lots of blood and violence . The movie likely satisfy action enthusiasts and Italian Sci-Fi fonds . After a nuclear war, society breaks down into two sides , the evil Euraks and the rebel Federation . In this future , crime is out of control and New York City turned into an inhabitable location and finds itself under siege by violent gangs . A mercenary named Parsifal (Michel Sopkiw of Blastfighter) is assigned a dangerous mission by President of the Pan American Confederacy (Edmund Purdom of Sinuhe the Egyptian and The prodigal) to infiltrate New York City , which is controlled by the Euraks, to take the only fertile woman left on Earth . Parsifal along with two hunk men (Romano Puppo , Scalondro) go out from desert toward feared New York City) . There , they meet Rat Eater King (Yamanouchi) , a nasty Eurac Commander and cruel Eurac Officer named Ania (Anna Kanakis) . They'll have to fight against cutthroats , a band of depraved crazies thirsty for blood and survive some battles to-the-death with lots of blood and gore , including throating-slit , beheading and blow up . At the end a motley group (Sipkiw , Valentine Monner , Romano Puppo and George Eastman) embarks a spectacular escape against vicious murderous .

"2019: After the Fall of New York" (1983) film is a comic book plenty of action , fun, adventures , thriller and surprise-filled entertainment . Spectacular stunt-work plenty of motorcycles, car crashes , with bounds and leaps and explosions . Michael Sopkiw as tough and valiant renegade is passable . Sopkiw made his film debut with this substantial lead part as rugged Snake Plissken-like survivalist warrior hero Parsifal . Adequate plethora of characters with average performances by its entire support cast . There appears ordinary secondaries from Italian B series such as George Eastman as Big Ape , Romano Puppo , Giovanni Cianfriglia as Panther , Ottaviano Dell'Acqua and the American Edmund Purdom ; all of them played lots of Spaghetti , Peplum , Giallo and customary genres of the 60s and 70s . Rumbling and screeching musical score by Oliver Onions , the usuals Guido and Maurizio De Angelis . The picture is a rip-off from ¨1997 , Escape from New York¨ by John Carpenter that was also followed by an inferior sequel by the same actor and director : ¨Escape from L.A.¨.

The picture was professionally directed by the prolific filmmaker Sergio Martino or Martin Dolman . Talented and versatile writer/director Sergio Martino has made a vast array of often solid and entertaining films in all kind of genres as horror, Giallo , comedy, Western , and science fiction in a career that spans over 40 years . He especially was expert on Western as proved in ¨Mannaja¨ and ¨Arizona returns¨ and Giallo as this ¨The case of scorpion's tail ¨ , ¨Torso¨ ,¨the scorpion with two tails¨ , ¨The strange vice of Mrs Ward¨ , Cannibal movie as "Mountain of the Cannibal God", Italian crime thrillers as "Violent Professionals" and ¨Sci-Fi as ¨Destroyer¨ and this "2019: After the Fall of New York". Rating: Acceptable and passable Sci-Fi movie, this is an imaginative Sci-Fi picture in which the camera stalks in moving style throughout a story with enjoyable visual skills . This is a bewildering story , funny in some moment but falls flat and it will appeal to Science Fiction and Italian exploitation fans .

This movie pulls no punches and makes no pretensions. It sets out from the beginning to do a job, and it not only does it, it overkills it. The job you might ask? Why to rip-off every post-apocalyptic, after the bomb, flick that has come before it. Mad Max/Road Warrior, ripped off, Escape From New York, ripped off large, anything that is remotely cool from almost any flick of this genre previous, is exploited. Hell, they even have some Planet of the Apes in there too... Now don't get me wrong. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It's pretty well done 'in that over the top Italian Cinema way'. When I first saw this thing when I was about 15, I ate it right up and it was one of the first 10 videos I owned in my life. And by the time I was done college the tape was worn out. And years and years later when I saw it in a cheap previously viewed video bin for $4, I picked it up again and it was worth every penny.

After the Fall of New York is one of the best of the seemingly endless Italian rip-offs of John Carpenter's Escape From New York that deluged the early 80s. Mind you, I really like these films, so that is not a slam by any means. This flick is certainly one of the most entertaining of the lot. Michael Sopkiw does his best Snake Plisken imitation and is quite good. The story is original: Parcifal (Sopkiw) must journey into the hell hole to retrieve the last fertile woman alive; the key to the survival of the human race! You have all the great exploitation elements: violence, gunfire, brutality, gore… could have used more t&a, but hey, you can't have everything. Creative characters abound like the midget (Shorty, what else!) and George Eastman as Big Ape. Anna Kanakis (wow) is great as the treacherous Eurac officer trying to stop Parcifal at all costs.

If you are not a B-movie lover, stay away. Genre fans, however, will not be disappointed here. Enjoy!

After The Fall of New York (1983) is a cheesy knock-off of the cult classic Escape From New York. But like most knock-off they're parodies of the original source material and have achieved cult status on their own. This one is no exception. From "Martin Dolman" comes a tale about a once great city that has fallen during World War III. The city's inhabitants are dead or dying from radiation or have mutated to it's filthy surroundings. The "government" has hired a man who looks like a hybrid of Mad Max and Snake Plisken to travel the nuclear wastelands and sneak into New York City to find the "prize". Someone who's very being is key for the survival of the human race.

Filled with action and cheesy special effects, After The Fall of New York is a very entertaining sci-fi/action film. Takes one part Escape From New York, one part Mad Max, throw in some Mad Max 2 and a dash of Alien and viola! For fans of 80's Italian b-movies and lovers of bad cinema. Just remember the filmmakers were having fun. Not to be taken seriously folks. "George Eastman" steals the movie in a great guest star appearance (man can he swing some mean hardware!).

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