URBAN WARRIORS

URBAN WARRIORS (1987, ITALY, a.k.a GUERRIERI URBANI)

Dir. Giuseppe Vari

Written by. Piero Regnoli

Music. Paolo Rustichelli

Recommended by

JUSTIN HUGH DICKINSON

This lower grade entry in the seemingly never ending genre of Italian Post Nuke films was made by L'immagine, s.r.l. productions and released over here by Cannon Video under their Michael Dudikoff Action Adventure Theater line.

Three white jumpsuited technicians are working at various consoles and terminals pretending to look convincing at whatever their job is. And since this was filmed in the '80s, the computer banks are gigantic.

The power goes out and we are treated to blue tinted stock footage of several atom bombs going off followed by a volcano erupting and rivers of lava flowing like molten molasses.

The guys, led by the muscle-bound Brad (Bruno Bilotta, but billed as Karl Lundgren), find flashlights and wander around the underground bunker's tunnels trying to reach topside. No electricity provides inspires for one of the men to come up with the joke: "You never realize how much you rely on electricity until it's gone. Like women." I'm paraphrasing a bit. Maybe my version's funnier.

The trio make it outside, but you can still see a couple of trees in the distance, rolling hills, even a telephone pole or two. They find a garage with plenty of blankets, canned food (all the same brand of chili) and beer, fix up a broken-down car and plan on moving on after a good night's rest.

The next day they find their friend's decapitated head on the hood of the car. They stock up with supplies, but before they go, Brad listens to a tape left by someone describing that those who were infected by the radiation have now turned into inhuman beasts. I was let down to find that these "inhuman beasts" weren't deformed in the least, not one open sore or punk mohawk among them. They are just run-of-the-mill bad guys in one jeep and several motorbikes chasing our remaining heroes.

Said chases take place in quarries and the stunts are decent all things considered. The foot chases and fights take place in abandoned factories and, while they are adequate and Bruno Bilotta shows off his athleticism, they are few and far between.

Brad and his co-worker escape to another desolate town and hole up there for the night. Outside of the small building an American flag hangs for some reason. Were the makers of the film trying to convince people that this took place in the U.S.? Also, in the background of one scene is a Top Gun poster.

Because some of the villains kept wiping out on their bikes (which at first I thought were bad takes left in), Brad figures out that their weakness is nighttime--they just pass out.

Needless to say, Brad eventually is the last one, but later spots a beautiful woman alone near his hide-out. He takes her in, gives her food (chili and beer) and shelter. And we get some nice full frontal nudity of her as she takes a bath. But all good things must come to an end. And before you can say, "Holy, I Am Legend, Richard Matheson!", she' revealed as a decoy working for the baddies to draw Brad out of his dwelling.

We discover that they need the spinal fluid from uninfected people to be able not to collapse at night, or something to that effect.

Brad is found guilty by this "New Order" and tossed into a cell to await execution. There he meets a pretty girl who is the last of her band of survivors and waiting to be put to death as well.

Suffice to say, they escape, fight the bad guys, and walk off together.

This is by no means a great post-apocalyptic movie by any means, but it is a good time-waster in the best sense of the word.

The composer of the film is the son of Carlo Rustichelli who scored, among other films, Blood & Black Lace and Blade Master. And though the cast is mouthing English, they are of course dubbed with Brad's looped voice being done by someone very recognizable (not Nick Alexander) to fans of Euro Trash cinema.

It doesn't hold a candle to 2019: After the Fall of New York, 1990: The Bronx Warriors, or Endgame, but I'm an Italian genre film completist and I'm not sorry I have it nor for having watched it. If you do plan on viewing it, I recommend adding a couple more films and make a

Post-Nuke double or triple feature.