Customer Reviews

Damnation Alley

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is one of those movies in my VHS collection that I manage to watch once every year or so...just to escape the realities of the real world. I don't rank this as a great movie in the same way that you'd rank an Academy Award winner, but it's just a fun movie to watch as long as you can suspend belief for a while. I have to think that the actors/actress had fun making it, as the main characters seem to tread the fine line between "camp" and "classic". If you want something that won't make you think too hard and will reward you with a little escapism in a post-apocalyptic sort of way, then this is one for your library.

I don't understand why it still hasn't been released on DVD, but when it is, I'll be one of the first to buy it for my collection. The 1970s LIVE on and into the 21st Century!!!

Perhaps not many of you have noticed that this movie is a "land-based" version of a previous film, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner, called "On the Beach" (1959).
There too we have a post-nuclear theme, in which all life on Earth has been wiped off the face of the planet, only to leave a few "desperados" alive, both on board of a U.S. submarine and on the shores, somewhere near Australia (the last bastion of life... but for how long?).
There too, we have a signal emitted from somewhere, in the northern hemisphere...

Yet, despite all similarities, this movie is a kind of updated version, with fine actors at the helm (although not of the caliber of said actors above) and a very interesting story development.

The difference is that this is less a drama-oriented movie and more an action-adventure-thriller oriented working of the subject.

If one remembers the period in which this movie was made (late seventies), baring in mind that this was a time of overblown "super-spectacular" apocalyptic, "end-of-the-world"-like flics, such as "Earthquake", "The Towering Inferno" and "The Swarm" (probably the last and worst of such movies), one can say that this one differs considerably in both quality and story-development.

I personally like this little "what if" effort. No big special effects, except for some stock footage of nuclear explosions, some pyrotechnics and varied color flavors in the sky (supposed to represent the variations in the Earth's atmosphere).

Sometimes, for a movie to be good, you simply don't need millions, just simply a solid story and fine acting. This is certainly a film that makes you think and entertains at the same time.

My only regret is that no one has yet thought of tranferring it on DVD and offer it to us in a more decent and widescreen version. The Pan and Scan one loses out on many "strange" environments recreated for this movie. Actually, I wouldn't even call it Pan and Scan, since in many scenes, one just watches nose to nose conversations.

My only hope is that someone at 20th Century-Fox, or at Anchor Bay reads this and may come to the decision to restore it in its original format and deliver a more accurate and complete vision of apocalyptic terror on screen...

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Add-on as per April 21, 2011

Now that it is out in the news that this movie will be released in July of this year, I am glad to say: Finally!
But I wouldn't hold my breath, until I actually get to see this tiny Sci-Fi gem actually released, either on DVD or on Blu-Ray.

Considering the price it is tentatively offered at, I only hope they will both be provided with decent extras, such as a Making-Of and
some commentaries, interviews and the like.

I also hope that the sound will be treated as it should be.

Considering that this movie was filmed with a "Sensurround" process of the time, called "Sound 360°" (as specified on IMDb Pro), I only
hope they have transferred it at least to a decent 5.1 surround stereo for the DVD or a TrueHD 7.1 Master Sound for the Blu-Ray.

Also to be considered is the short, but poignant music score by master composer Jerry Goldsmith, who was rather busy in those years
(the following year, he would compose the score for "The Swarm" which closely resembles this one, at least in the brass section).

In fact, if for nothing else, this movie should be bought for Goldsmith's score, completing thus "the brass years" (notice that brass
musical effects were also contained in "MacArthur", the biopic movie starring Gregory Peck as General Douglas MacArthur).

George Peppard appears in "Damnation Alley" in a rather unusual role in his career. Quite different than Hannibal of "The A-Team" series
that followed later on. Until then, Peppard used to play "tough", unlikeable characters (see "The Blue Max" or "The Carpetbaggers").
He is not as "ugly" in this one, but represents a military "martinet" who tries to "follow the rules by the book", in a world in which
rules don't apply anymore.

Jan-Michael Vincent is the easy going counterpart, trying to get some fun out of everything he encounters, although it is just all an illusion.
This is probably where he got is future role in "Airwolf", together with Ernest Borgnine ("Escape from New York", "The Dirty Dozen", "Marty").

The unforgettable Paul Winfield ("Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan", "Roots: The Next Generations"), playing one of his first major starring roles, as a former security officer in a nuclear silo, who turns to become an indispensable member of this odd team of explorers in their attempt to seek other life signs on the devastated Planet.

And finally French actress Dominique Sanda, as the dame in distress here. She is the weak link of the entire movie. In all honesty, I must say that
she is as flat as can be. Except for some overdone screams, and looking somewhat sad on screen, the lady can simply not act at all.
She's just another pretty face to be "saved" by Jan-Michael Vincent.
A far cry, from say, Melanie Griffith in "Cherry 2000", who could nuance her looks with her skills as an actress.

In fairness, I must add that being Sanda French, she might have had trouble with the language and therefore might have experienced a sort of "culture
shock" when offered the part.

Yet, despite all this, the movie is packed with action scenes, some silly, some others dramatic in nature. As I stated in my previous review the special effects are somewhat primitive by today's standards, but being this more a story oriented movie, rather than just a purely effects saturated
one, one tends to forget such faults after awhile and comes actually to enjoy it.

The best though, as others stated here and elsewhere, is the vehicle depicted in the movie, the Landmaster (revolutionary for its times). It is an actual vehicle, not just a model, built in California by Dean Jeffries at Jeffries Automotives just for this particual movie.
The origins are even more curious. It appears that the initial idea came from a very early project for a Mars Rover (for more information refer to Wikipedia).

There is plenty included in this movie, to make it stand out from all the rest produced at that time.

In my humble opinion, of all the so-called B-movies out there, this is probably one of the most original and "active" of them all and sets the pace for other similar movies that would follow (see "The Mad Max" series, the mentioned "Cherry 2000" and even "Terminator").

If the DVD and/or Blu-Ray Disc will manage to see the light of day, and if they will sport some decent extras to accompany the thrills contained in this tiny movie, then I could only highly recommend it as a must buy.

On my part, I have already put it in my basket as a pre-order item (who knows, it might disappear as it came, so better be on the safe side).

Ultimately, it is up to you, the reader of these reviews, to decide whether or not to invest in this product or not. But if you are a true Science Fiction aficionado, you simply cannot afford to miss out on this one.

TEOTWAWKI has come, and Jan-Michael Vincent and crew go looking for other survivors, salvaging what's left. This is a case of the movie being MUCH better than the book, although Roger Zelazny's novel is still a classic. The killer cockroach scene is still a gross-out even with dated special effects. Enjoy!

Good news for fans of this movie, Anchor Bay are working their magic for a future release. I'm looking forward to seeing this uncut and best of all in WIDESCREEN, as I've only ever seen the shocking pan and scan that gets shown on television once in a blue moon. Hooray for Anchor Bay !

Decisions, decision. Damnation Alley has finally made it to DVD and even Blu Ray. No, the story won't be any stronger on dvd. The scorpions in the desert will still look like they came out of a 50's movie. Hissing cockroaches are still hissing cockroaches, but in Damnation Alley they are really tough little bugs and they eat rubber, human flesh, and so on. George Peppard is as cheesy in this movie as in the A-Team which probably followed this movie. Jan Micheal Vincent was one of Hollywood's reigning pretty boys. Ah, the seventies, what with Gregg Allman and the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Charles Bronson and Death Wish, PLAYBOY Magazine, Penthouse, Richard Nixon, the United States Bicentennial in 1976, etc. It was a time for disaster movies like Soylent Green, The Omega Man, Earthquake, The Towering Inferno, The Planet of the Apes sequels, and on and on. In such a backdrop Damnation Alley fit right in. It was the beginning of disco, the Saturday Night Fever movie and soundtrack, the coming of age of the Bee Gees and the brothers Gibb.

If I didn't grab you with the first paragraph then you surely didn't live those years. Me, I was still a kid about junior high age. I thought Damnation Alley was pretty cool and also pretty limited. I always liked the landrover. Jan Michael Vincent was cool as heck, and so was that co-star from the Bad News Bears' movie. I'm not sure of his name. Anyway, I bought this movie on VHS about ten years ago. I remember that I thought it was a pretty bad movie. I judged it for plot and other reality based issues, like where did they get FUEL for this vehicle, drinking water, FOOD and of course, what about the NUCLEAR FALLOUT or RADIATION. Surely after just a couple of years the world was still MASSIVELY radiated an CONTAMINATED. And surely this vehicle was not WATER TIGHT. And how were the slot machines still working in Las Vegas, Nevada? What was the power source? And then there was the happy ending. So much CHEESE and CHILDISH NAIVETE. IF only humans could nuke the world they way they did in this movie and then have the world fairly habitable again after just a couple of years. Yes, the movie is a lot of NONSENSE. But like I said, I grew up in the 70's and this silly flick is a part of my youth and it was a part of my music experience. I missed out on a lot of stuff growing up but I did catch this flick. Is it a bad movie, well yes it is, on many levels. It is also a GOOD MOVIE on many levels. If you are looking for a reality based post nuclear holocaust movie well look to something like The Day After or Threads. Those movies are pretty much on the money. Damnation Alley is PURE ESCAPISM and FANTASY. This is a post nuclear holocaust movie that your children could watch and not have nightmares about. In this movie young girls and women can fall in love with Jan Micheal Vincent who is now about 67 years old, and who nearly died in the late 90's in a drinking and driving accident. Vincent has also been a drunk. The man is down and out. And George Peppard has now left us. We are left with Damnation Alley and The A-Team to remember Mr. Peppard. Yes, he was also in some decent movies as well. But revisit Damnation Alley and consider the context from which it came. Remember this was a low budget movie without convincing special effects. This was certainly not Star Wars. It was not even Logan's Run, both of which came out of the 70's. Take this movie for what it is and it's kinda fun. True, the ending basically SUCKS and it isn't very believable and the movie kinda came to an abrupt ending. But this movie is STILL so much BETTER than so many OTHER movies that came out of the seventies. And remember, Billy Jack and Walking Tall also came out of the seventies. I'm feeling a sense of pride in my 70's heritage just remembering all the great stuff that happened in the 70's. : )

I was very, very pleased that they finally released this film on DVD. The remastering is good (although nothing can fix those 1970s matte lines!), and the sound is very good, too.
As for the film itself - This is one of those movies that you either love or just don't get. I think if you were exposed to it in your youth (like me) it leaves a lasting good impression out of all proportion to its actual quality.
There isn't much story, or structure, or scientific plausibility; entomologists and astrophysicists should definitely check their lab coats at the door. This is an action-adventure film - it's only 'science fiction' by classification and courtesy.
There's a lot to like, though: The pacing of the film is fast and dynamic. The cast are good actors, who are not having to work very hard. The effects (mostly opticals, no CG here) are interesting and creative. And, of course, one thoroughly cool vehicle, the Landmaster - built full scale and functional for the film, NOT an optical effect!

Welcome to the alley - Damnation Alley! Post apocalyptic radiation storms, giant sand scorpions, flesh-eating cockroaches; the earth will never be the same. Two years after the third world war and the devastating nuclear holocaust that followed, a rag tag group of survivors led by Commander Major Eugene Denton (George Peppard) set out in search of civilization. Major Denton believes that there are other holocaust survivors living in Albany, because he has been monitoring their radio signals for some time.

Getting to Albany won't be easy for the group; they'll have to brave the one hundred mile wide corridor between the radiation belts known as "Damnation Alley" Fortunately for the group Major Denton spent his time at the military installation constructing two armored plated Landmaster vehicles that will carry them across the desolate wasteland to Albany. Will the Landmasters make it through Damnation Alley? Are there really other survivors living in Albany? You'll have to buy your own copy to see how this post apocalyptic cult classic ends.

Like other fans of this 1977 cult classic, I've waited for "Damnation Alley" to finally be released on DVD and after watching it last night; I'm a little disappointed with the picture and sound quality. I really thought the picture and sound quality from Shout factory for this long awaited DVD release was going to be spectacular, but it isn't.

The video transfer for the most part is pretty decent, although the picture does suffer from some noticeable grain and embedded artifacts here and there; not bad enough to ruin the viewing experience. I'd rate the video transfer about 7/10 because it's apparent no real picture restoration was done by Shout other than the standard digital remastering process.

There are three sound options for the movie but sadly the original sound 360 used in theaters isn't one of them. I watched the movie on a 50" Plasma and listened to the movie in 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound on my home theater system and it sounded really good. Despite the lack of complete picture restoration and missing Sound 360 option, this is probably the best "Damnation Alley" will ever look and sound; unless it goes through a major restoration process. Despite some very minor flaws I've mentioned, Shout! should still be commended for their efforts. Thanks!

Special Features Include:
- New anamorphic Widescreen transfer (2.35:1)
- Audio Commentary with Producer Paul Maslansky
- Theatrical trailer and TV spot
- Survival Run Featurette: co screenwriter Alan Sharp discusses the challenges of adapting a novel to film
- Road to Hell Featurette: Producer Jerome Zeitman recalls the difficulties of filming Damnation Alley and the process of making the film
- Landmaster Tales Featurette: Stunt coordinator and Landmaster designer Dean Jefferies gives an in depth review of the iconic Landmaster vehicle

The Cast:
George Peppard ... Major Eugene Denton
Jan-Michael Vincent ... Tanner
Paul Winfield ... Keegan
Dominique Sanda ... Janice
Jackie Earle Haley ... Billy

As with everyone else, this is a great movie taken at it's face value: A post apocalyptic B movie. I, too, agree that this movie is long over due deserving a DVD release. If your VHS machine is still in working order, you will not be dissapointed buying this movie. In a 70's way, the performances by all main cast members is beyond acceptable. If sci fi/ post apocalyptic stories are of interest to you, you will not have a hard time forgetting the real world while watching this movie. It's a fun flic.

To me friend Arthur R. Valencia that wrote a review below(the first, I think), Jan Michael Vincent also did a movie called "Big Wednesday", which, in my personal opinion, was his best movie. If you're a Jan Michael Vincent fan, "Big Wednesday" is a movie you need to own. It is available on DVD(YAY!).

Of course, what I mean by hilarious is that this is one of the all time great unintentionally funny movies. All these other folks here must be just plain goofy or something for they seem to actually take this film way too seriously(whether they loved it or hated it). Just to describe a few of the more enjoyable sequences in this "realistic" take on a post-apocalyptic world: Jan Michael Vincent drives his dirtbike back to the Underground Airforce Base with a "girl" on back while dodging these giant scary desert scorpions!!! Not long after, a derelict air force guy is so engrossed in reading his latest issue of Playboy (or is it Penthouse) that he forgets about his lit cigarette, which starts a fire and in turn causes an explosion that blows up the WHOLE underground base(BOOM!!!)!!!! Much later our small group of intrepid post-holocaust heroes rides around in their cool futuristic RV(Recreational Vehicle) while encountering a large mass of KILLER COCKROACHES. That cwazy, cwazy radiation sure does reek some havoc. If you can see the humor in any of that, then this is a classic. Don't miss it.

It was as I remembered it all those years ago when I went to the movies for the first time by myself, as I paid with my own money that I earnt myself. I bought it because I thought it was a good movie, and it is