Every time cinema has a game-changer (in this case, 'Mad Max' and the entire genre of 'post-apocalyptic dystopia movies'), it's fascinating to watch how various countries and cultures react to the instant knowledge that 'something new is out there that can bring in for us a lot of money'. For this Italian effort, which needed very little in the way of budgeting for either actors, set design or costumes, it's not bad.Director Castellari brings to it an action-packed flow which never flags for a moment. (The 87-year-old Rome native--God bless him--is directing 'Keoma Rises' at the moment, his first film in six years, and it is slated to be released later this year.) I have previously only seen his spaghetti-western 'Keoma', which I adore. He throws in two instances of nice gratuitous sex in a heartened attempt at 'character and plot development', but I really don't have a problem with that, especially with great Italian beauties like he has at his disposal here. There's a bizarre homoerotic undertone, particularly to a scene in which Scorpion is being tortured, but it's not problematic. Fred Williamson is the only star I recognized, and he continues his credo of 'getting the girls and winning the fights', which he stands by in his movies. The electronic score is dated but not bad, though it's inferior to those of, say, either Tangerine Dream or Goblin.All in all, it was a 91-minute span of time I don't regret in the slightest--I even watched it with a plate of spaghetti and glass of red wine at hand to further exemplify the Italian experience.

"The New Barbarians" stars Giancarlo Prete as Scorpion, a lone wolf in a post nuke future. The agreeably derivative plot sees him do battle with the evil marauding gang The Templars, a colourful bunch who wear big, bulky costumes. The Templars are led by the megalomaniac "One" (George Eastman), and have numbers on their side. However, on his side Scorpion has the enigmatic, crossbow-wielding Nadir (Fred Williamson).The movie may depend on a formula that had become quite familiar by this point, but it's still fun. There are lots of cool gadgets, vehicles, and set decoration to enjoy, a percussive music score by Claudio Simonetti, and quite a lot of juicy over the top violence. (The weapons in this story are capable of doing some substantial damage). Director Enzo G. Castellari was no stranger to this kind of action packed entertainment, and handles everything in style.Prete is an amiable if somewhat low key hero; it's the delicious Eastman and the even more amusing Williamson that tend to steal the show. The eclectic supporting cast features other familiar faces: Anna Kanakis as Alma, Ennio Girolami as the henchman Shadow (get a load of this guy's hair!), Venantino Venantini as the patriarchal Father Moses, and Zora Kerova as a member of Father Moses's group. Plus, adding even further to the entertainment value is the presence of none other than "Bob", a.k.a. youthful actor Giovanni Frezza, as a pint sized mechanic and gadget creator.This one doesn't really do anything to rise above most of the entries in this genre, but it's still a fine example of its kind. Castellari is under no pretensions concerning what kind of diversion he's making, and delivers a sufficient amount of action and nastiness. He and his cast & crew show their audience a good time for 91 fairly energetic minutes.Seven out of 10.

(42%) Hanging on the back of the majesty of Mad Max came this cheap Italian knock-off that makes a lame attempt to link itself to the two Bronx warriors movies that in themselves ripped-off such current classics as The warriors, and Escape from New York. Director Enzo G. Castellari shot this almost entirely in a mine located rather convenient fifteen minutes drive outside of his home town of Rome, so at least he didn't go above and beyond to make this; not that anyone would accuse him of such a thing. In terms of plot this is one of the thinnest movies ever which revolves around the good guys against the bad, but unlike Mad Max 2 they're not fighting for control over a few thousand gallons of fuel, there're instead fighting over nothing really at all. Castellari does know how to shoot, but his writing is awful, while some of the acting here is among the very worst ever. On a plus side this is entertaining enough to sit through with plenty of daft over the top action with lots of people (clearly dummies) getting their heads cut off, blown up, run over, or burnt. The costumes are also brilliantly camp and silly, with good old Fred Williamson having a great time with his explosive arrows. Fans of the largely unrelated movies in the series should find something to enjoy here as it is good cheesy B-movie fun, but it's absolutely nothing more.

The always reliable Enzo Castellari shows that even with a budget of twenty lira he can fill a movie full of action, style, and see through body-armour.It's 2019, and it post-apocalypse time! That means humble survivors roaming the landscape, pray to an army of gay psychopaths called the Templars. These guys, led by giant George Eastman, just want to destroy everything they see. Not the most long term game-plan, I must admit, but you've got to give them credit for sticking to such a crap idea with unerring conviction.Up against them is Scorpion (Giancarlo Perle), a lone warrior driving through the land in his weird bubble car type thing, getting into scrapes with the Templars, and mutants, but always finding time to pick up female survivors. He's closely followed by Fred Williamson, another warrior who likes to team up with Scorpion, seemingly just for a laugh.There's a caravan of survivors led by some religious guy heading in the direction of 'the signal' who are under threat by the Templars, and it's up to Scorpion and Fred the hammer, and for some reason the blonde kid out of House by the Cemetery, to do them all in. That's the plot.The New Barbarians is one of those films where you can safely lock your brain in a box and store it under the couch. If you try looking for logic, or anything like that, you're watching the wrong film. If you want to see brain meltingly camp action, this is the one for you.I'm a sucker for Enzo Castellari films. Even here, where there doesn't seem to be any budget at all, he still manages to fill the screen with slow motion explosions, decapitations by machine, gadget filled cars, exploding bodies and sexy Euro-babes. There's plenty of stand out moments, from the scene where George Eastmen 'takes Scorpions pride', if you know what I'm saying, to guy getting shot in the chest and exploding.Plenty of b-movie actors here too - Massimo Vanni sports an alarming mohican and drives a car that has a deadly spinning blade, Ennio Girolami's car has a flamethrower, Giovanni Frezza lives in the world's weirdest caravan, and Anna Kanakis seems slightly confused as, out of gratitude for not being raped by Scorpian, she had sex with him in a plastic see-through tent.Plus, Fred Williamson fires arrows at people that either make them explode or make their heads fly off into the air - How can anyone not like that? The now defunct Vipco released this in a great widescreen copy. Not the best of Casterrali's work (I think, from this era in his career, it's edged out by both Bronx Warrior films), but the man's got style and talent. Just don't take it too seriously (I get the feeling that those involved in making it weren't).