Desert Warrior

I just bought this movie at the dollar store, and there is a reason for it.

With movies these days, it can be hard to choose from the R rating for $15.99, or the Unrated Version for $19.99, or perhaps even the Ultimate two disk Collectors Edition at $25.99.

With this movie I know all that doesn't matter, for the one low price of .99 cents I get all the gruesome action of Road Warrior and the creative genius of Star Wars mixed with some of the best acting I have ever seen.

I must say this is one of the greatest reasons to waste 89 minutes of ones life. I think I might watch it again.

Even the Rookie Director Jim Goldman could figure out that a Beautiful leading lady Shari Shattuck (Racela) combined with a handsome leading man Lou Ferrigno (Zerak), and a fun screenplay adds up to a winner. Director Jim's Post-Apocalypse (PA) low Budget effort has the look and feels of an Italian PA however it's another in a long and distinguished line of Filipino PA films. Veteran low budget movie stalwart Mike Monty gets a solid "B" for the part of the compassionate Dr. Creo while veteran Mike Cohen ( For Your Height Only) as the head of the Governing Commission (Pres. Antarius) is his usual commanding self. Big Lew is tactfully low key in this one which is great as it gives very sexy Shari room to contribute the emotional tenner and carry the film with her obvious acting talent. I really enjoyed Desert Warrior.

Low budget sci fi that could had been a good movie if they had simplified its script. Like many low budget films it does not have many choices or virtues to capitalize on. A good script can help almost any film including this one regardless of budget.

My review was written in March 1989 after watching the movie on Prism video cassette.

This Filipino-lensed action pic is something of a fiasco, providing unintentional humor and inept filmmaking technique to video fans.

Shot in 1987 under the title "Sand Wars", pic has been retitled "Desert Warrior", but is unrelated to Cirio Santiago's 1985 Filipino film of that name.

Lou Ferrigno plays the beefy hero of a post-nuclear war society whose corrupt bossman (Kenneth Peer) needs uncontaminated women for mating purposes. Shari Shattuck is just the ticket, and most of the pic consists of Lou, clad in a Roman gladiator outfit, trying to help her escape from the bad guys' clutches.

Film unfolds like a bad parody of this overworked genre, with a very poor sound mix and ridiculously cheap-looking vehicles for the "Mad Max" fans to ogle. Poor Ferrigno, dubbed in his "Hercules" epics, uses his own voice here with embarrassing results.

This is hands down the greatest film ever created. I spent nearly 4 years searching through bad movies attempting to find the worst (and subsequently the greatest) film ever made. Desert Warrior is the summation of that quest. I have seen literally thousands of the worst movies ever made, and Desert Warrior has risen to the top. The cream at the top of the sewage barrel. In case anyone is interested the #2 worst movie ever IMHO is Octaman. If you get a chance enjoy Octaman, it is truly a "gem". But always pay homage to the "Cullinan" of movies--- Desert Warrior! As a credit to it's greatness, I have watched Desert Warrior more than 30 times. I hope you are lucky enough to see it once.