Les Nouveaux Barbares

Early 80's cult cinema – and particularly the Italian rip-off industry – made it look so easy to make a film. You only needed an idea that is crazy enough to sell (a fully written screenplay is an unnecessary option), a fairly large selection of grotesque costumes and flamboyant post-apocalyptic vehicles and, last but not least, a charismatic actor who was big in the 70's but desperately needed work in the 80's. Copy & paste all these elements together, add some cheesy Goblin tunes, and you've got yourself a genuine bona fide cult gem that is pretty bad but at the same time enormously entertaining. The year is once again 2019 (that appears to be a dangerous years, as Sergio Martino's "After the Fall of New York also takes place in 2019) and the world is badly recovering from a nuclear holocaust. There actually are only two groups of people left on the planet, namely petrified survivors who travel in caravans looking for remnants of civilization and the Templars; self-acclaimed prophets that dwell the wastelands and kill people for committing the crime of being alive. Then, finally, there are two lone warriors (and a ridiculously young blond mechanic) that courageously defend themselves against the Templars, yeah! "Warriors of the Wasteland" has no significant plot but at least it's never once boring thanks to an overload crazed battle sequences, vehicle-showdowns and silly gimmicks. The hero at one point wears a see-through bulletproof Plexiglas outfit, the blond kid goes around killing Templars with a slingshot and former Blaxploitation star Fred Williamson fires off arrows that explode upon impact. Williamson's character Nadir has a bit of an ego issue, as he clearly worships himself and continuously assures his buddy Scorpion that he is better than him, and the leader of the Templars (portrayed by the awesome exploitation star George Eastman) seemingly suffers from a slight personality crises. In other words, he's probably gay but doesn't realize it yet. Briefly summarized, "Warriors of the Wasteland" is a dumb but fast-paced "Mad Max" rip-off with a massive amount of cheesy showdown and explosions, in order words the ideal entertainment for undemanding 80's fans.

This is a crash-budget spaghetti-western (with open references to films by Sergio Leone) disguised as a post-apocalyptic action film ala "Mad Max" or "Escape From New York". Apparently the whole world has been reduced to gravel-pits, because the whole film takes place in one after another of these - a sure sign the budget allowed for zero set design. There's no point in trying to pretend it's a good film.

However, I should note that there is some good in it; whether enough to warrant a viewing is debatable - let the buyer beware.

First and foremost is that the director, having decided he was going to make an action film using only funds and resources he had at hand, has done a rather remarkable job of keeping up traditional action-film pacing throughout the film. This is largely thanks to camera angles and editing. We get rapid intercuts between close-ups of struggling hands, full-shots of bodies blowing apart, long shots of an over-all battle area - with very little excessive flashiness masquerading as 'art'. These guys intend to sell some tickets, period (and, at the time of 1st release, were actually successful at it). These film-makers either know what they're doing or are really trying to learn what to do (more likely). They certainly deserve points for effort.

Although the characters are all one-dimensional, the actors manage to flesh them out somewhat, even Fred Williamson. And the cars are silly and kind of fun in a dumb way. But it's really the pacing that saves the film.

Hey, it's late at night, you had to work over-time, you're over-tired, you wanna crash with a cold drink and numb out before a forgettable action picture - well, this could be the one.

THE NEW BARBARIANS (aka: WARRIORS OF THE WASTELAND) takes us to a post apocalyptic world, where survivors attempt to... well, survive, while a band of big-haired brigands, known as the Templars, rattle about in their rickety vehicles, made out of old furnaces.

Apparently, in the year 2019, poof-y Mohawks are all the rage, and normal people drive cars covered in dryer duct hoses. Led by the eeevil One (George Eastman) and his Cowardly Lion lookalike henchman, Shadow (Thomas Moore), the Templars seek to destroy anything resembling civilization.

Enter Scorpion (Timothy Brent), the rugged, TV preacher-haired "antihero" of the wasteland. His car not only has dryer duct hoses, but also sports a huge, obviously cool, plastic bubble on top! Scorpion is joined by the permanently glum Alma (Anna Kanakis), and the magnificently dressed Nadir (Fred Williamson). Together, they must discover how the Templars keep their outfits so clean and white.

This movie is the gloriously preposterous imitation of THE ROAD WARRIOR, that plays like a near perfect parody thereof! Everything about it is hilarious, from the clothes, to the dialogue, to the characters, to the utter cheapness of it all!

Since the real ROAD WARRIOR already told the tale, THE NEW BARBARIANS only wants to dazzle us with the audaciousness of its mimicry. This produces a dreamlike state, wherein viewers believe they might have seen this all before... somewhere.

BEST SCENES: #1- Any scene with dummies exploding or being decapitated! #2- Every scene featuring those wonderful clunkers of the Templars, complete with impossible gadgets and weaponry! #3- The final showdown, complete with Scorpion wearing a poncho, Clint Eastwood style, Nadir's endless supply of arrows, and Bob, the tragically aggravating kid from THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY!

This movie provides everything our bodies and minds could possibly need!...

In the future year 2019, the nuclear holocaust is over. What's left are bands of roaming gangs in a desert wasteland. "Warriors of the Wasteland" is one of many low-budget Italian Mad Max knockoff films and is pretty decent one from solid journeyman director in Enzo G. Castellari and the always cool Fred Williamson. The story, such as it is, involves and evil group of white robed baddies known as "The Templars" who raid peaceful wastelander villages and want to rid the earth of it's survivors, so it's up to our hero Giancarlo Prete as Scorpion and Fred Williamson as Nadir to save the world from the evil Templars. George Eastman makes a good snarling villain and there is also a nicely funky score by Claudio Simonetti of Gobin fame. It's also hard to resist the Williamson's exploding arrows, especially when he makes a head shot, or one villain's car that deploys a deadly spinning blade to decapitate his hapless victims. It's this sort of ridiculousness that I found so enjoyable and realized this film was probably one of the more direct influences on the more recent post-apocalyptic cheese fest homage that was "Turbo Kid: Chronicles of the Wasteland." Overall, "Warriors of the Wasteland" is is not a good movie by any measure in the conventional sense, but if you're a fan of these sorts of low-budget post-apocalyptic type of films, then this one is one of the better Italian entries into this disreputable subgenera.

I see from the reviews on this board that the film in question is dividing opinion hugely. On one hand many reviewers are describing this as one of, if not the worst movie ever made whilst others are touting it as an unintentional work of genius. For what it's worth, I would place the movie as somewhere in between the two extremes.

Yes, the film is admittedly a low budget, low brow rip off of Mad Max……but…….taken for what it is, and if you approach it in the right frame of mind, it's actually a pretty decent, undemanding watch. In fact, I would even go as so far as to suggest that the film is actually one of the better post apocalyptic Mad Max inspired outings to spring out of Italy during the 1980's.

That staple plot of a lone group of survivors terrorised by nomadic barbarians rears its' hoary old head yet again here. In this case, the villains are a group of self appointed purges of humanity calling themselves The Templar's who are headed by that Italian B-movie stalwart of villainous roles, BIG George Eastman who plays a character named (oddly) One.

There is ostensibly some enmity between One and the hero in this, Scorpion, based on some undisclosed prior events. For his part, Scorpion seems content to drive around in his souped up car and periodically wipe out Templar raiding parties although predictably, Scorpion and One are bound to meet up at the films climax for one final battle.

Although the budgetary constraints are overtly apparent in the films overall look, there are a number of commendable action and gore sequences littered throughout the running time including a humorous beheading scene and a number of bodies exploding in a particularly cool manner! And let us not forget, how can any film be entirely bad when the always awesome Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson is on board?! (Well with the exception of the atrocious Delta Force Commando of course!)

May I finally just add a special mention to Anna Kanakis, the actress in this who Scorpion saves from a Templar assault……she is seriously HOT, HOT, HOT stuff! – Hell, watch the film to feast your eyes upon her if nothing else!