Survival Zone (1983)

Why so much hype?

Admirable film.

Absolutely the worst movie.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

I think it's fair to say that after the first two MAD MAX films, every producer in the world decided to jump on the bandwagon and release at least one or more rip-offs. This was the glorious era when the "post-apocalypse" film ruled the box office and Italy kept churning out more nuclear adventures than everyone else, until the Philippines took over later in the decade. SURVIVAL ZONE is yet another cheap and cheesy genre offering, with the notable difference in that it's a South African film! Otherwise the formula is pretty much standard: a motorbike gang (led by BIG MAN, who wears a doll's head on his helmet!) terrorise and kill people; members chain-whip each other to death, and a nun gets her face broken by a well-aimed punch. Well, it starts off good anyway, especially the big guy playing BIG MAN, who is awash (and unwashed) with homoerotic undertones.Meanwhile, we meet a diverse farm family (family members are British, American, and South African, at least judging by their accents!) who you just know is going to get caught up in the violence. First of all a stupid old guy goes to feed his horses whilst the farm is under siege (talk about priorities) and ends up getting knifed, then the characters do lots of stupid and unbelievable things that makes you, the viewer, cry out in exasperation. After lots of waffle and non-activity, the father finally takes it on himself to battle the motorbike gang, so he sets up a wicked bomb and then undergoes a massive shoot-out (well as far as they can stretch to on the budget, that is). The finale involves a young, blond heroic guy who turns up taking on BIG MAN in a duel in the desert, which is as cheesy as it is genuinely entertaining.As you can imagine, production values for this film are non-existent. There's no room for special effects and only a couple of semi-decent performances; nobody is a real professional here and there are no familiar faces. Despite brief references to cannibalism there is little gore and the blood we do see looks like red paint; the atmosphere does simmer with violence though and the suspense is actually pretty good for a little low-budget movie like this. It's not the greatest post-nuke flick in the world and neither is it the worst; fans of this genre would be wise to give it a look before dismissing it with all the others. Characterisation and realism are pretty rare in these kinds of films but they exist in abundance with this one.

I didn't track down this rare flick till last year, but am I glad I did. This one stands as a strong entry into the post-nuke genre. The plot is simple: after the nuclear war, small pockets exist where the radiation levels are low enough to sustain life. These areas are known as "Survival Zones". The story follows the lives of a family on a farm, trying to eek by after "the big one". This is definitely a B movie, and the acting less than stellar, but it makes up for it in spirit. I really liked the overwhelmingly positive attitude displayed by the father. This is just what would be needed to get through a situation as dire as this. He was the glue that held his survival unit together. What really hurt the movie was the budget. There was no footage of any devastation: flattened cities, burnt-out buildings, nothing. No money for special effects here, like radiated zombies, etc. The only way you know what happened is from dialog. This hurt the overall impression of how bad the aftermath of World War III would be. They only make one trip to a city for supplies, and it looks normal, just abandoned. The heavies in the movie are leather-clad cannibalistic bikers (a bit cliché, no doubt). I'm not sure what the significance of the plastic baby doll parts on his helmet and clothing was!? If it was supposed to be scary, it wasn't. Nevertheless, the realities of kill or be killed in a lawless world are presented quite clearly, and provide a lot of food for thought. As far as I know, this never made it to DVD, so you will be forced to locate a used VHS on online, but it will be worth the search. If you can look past the numerous small flaws, it is a solid flick. If you like these types of movies, also check out The Aftermath, Def Con 4, Damnation Alley, Warriors of the Wasteland, and After the Fall of New York.

This like it's going to be a good slasher at the beginning, when in the second scene, Bigman defeats another bikie in a jousting match with chains, then soon after another of his gang punches a nun to death, but it goes very quiet after that and never picks up.

I was thirteen when I saw this film. Some friends of mine were big fans of horror films. I wasn't particularly a fan but I knew what to expect. "Survival Zone" wasn't at all what I expected. I have a soft spot for this movie and would love the opportunity to see it again. But I'm afraid to say that is because I distinctly recall it as being the worst film I ever saw. I mean....the doll's head on top of the motorcycle...is that supposed to be scary? Evidently it was supposed to be. It wasn't.