Escape from Safehaven

I just ran across this, saw the imdb rating and it had two completely different reviews, so decided to check it out.

Bad acting, Bad lighting, good costumes, confined set pieces, mediocre camera work, about 5-6 topless women (who can't act), some of the fight scenes were ok and the rest were bad. Not much story development

all in all not really worth watching, especially when U compare it to decent independent movies that are coming out today.

also this film in no shape or form stacks up to the better movies of its genre and movie era

My review was written in February 1989 after a Westside Manhattan screening.

"Escape from Safehaven" is an impoverished sci-fi film, offering little interest for exploitation audiences.

Set in the future after a world collapse and shot on decrepit locations in the Bronx, pic looks more like a backyard movie than a pro effort as thesps familiar from local B pictures huddle in a refuge or safehaven from the marauding scavengers (not shown) outside.

A stranger (Rick Gianisi) returns to help the bedraggled family that's being persecuted by Safehaven evil leaders Marcus Powell and Roy MacArthur (both baddie roles are cast with Brits. Uninvolving action has an uprising of rebels versus the status quo within the housing project locale, nearly everyone styled with punk garb. There's nothing that's the slightest bit futuristic on view.

Sole diversion hee is statuesque Tere Malson, cast as a blonde dominatrix wielding a mean whip who has the good sense to carefully remove her top while torturing Gianasi. Otherwise pic is drab, ugly and in need of a storyline. Many of the principals behind and in front of the camera made the fun horror flick "The Rejuvenator" but strike out this time.

Not without interest, definitely, an original and exciting premise I really like, with great sets, decent acting by some, an a real good looking, honorable hero, with a bit of a past, who with a band of others, are intent to bring down an evil score of law enforcers. These bad guy control facilities- safe havens where our scared society, take refuge in a now rotting and crushed New York. Some nice hooters, bdsm wear, a bit of lesbianism, and some nasty gore, are some of the film's assets, plus a killer rock soundtrack, are of course, just not enough to bring to a good quality sci-fi action pic, so accept it for what it is, guiltily indulgent and .entertaining The lead pom talking bad guy, and the do gooder blind guy, standouts.

A family of four moves out of the bombed-out looking environs of Brooklyn to Safehaven 186, a guarded building offering safety from the bad world. Unfortunately, the place is run by a gang led by Preacher (Roy MacArthur). When the family father is falsely arrested, son Jeff (John Wittenbauer) must team up with brooding loner Pierce (Rick Gianasi) to take on Preacher and his gang. The Italians pretty much dominated the NYC post-apoc game, but it is interesting to see the American take on it. They shoot at the same bombed out neighborhoods the Italians did for ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX (1983), but the creation of the safehaven city is a bit weak. Gianasi, who apparently had the NY sci-fi leading man roles sewn up in the '80s, is good and it is funny the bad guys feel they can convey their badness by having British accents. Director Brian Thomas Jones had previously done THE REJUVENATRIX (1988) and this - which shot as BLOODSCAPE (huh?) in February 1988 - is the definition of a sophomore slump. There are some good qualities to it though and the last 30 minutes it gets it going.

I have watched this movie maybe 20 times and I still enjoy it. It is one of the forgotten diamonds the movie industry has to offer. The actors are very convincing, i do not understand why they never got any big Hollywood blockbuster signings. So go ahead and watch this forgotten masterpiece, that is if you can find one because it is only available on VHS.