Steel Dawn (1987)

Director:

Lance Hool

Writer:

Doug Lefler (writer)

Release Date:

28 July 1988 (Australia)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

He is the desert warrior, carving the future with his sword.

Plot:

In a post-apocalyptic world, a warrior wandering through the desert comes upon a group of settlers who are being menaced by a murderous gang that is after the water they control. |

Plot Keywords:

Post Apocalyptic | Sword Fight | Funeral Pyre | Independent Film

Cast

Patrick Swayze	...	Nomad
Lisa Niemi	...	Kasha
Anthony Zerbe	...	Damnil
Christopher Neame	...	Sho, Hired Killer
Brion James	...	Tark, Kasha's Foreman
John Fujioka	...	Cord the Peacemaker
Brett Hool	...	Jux
Marcel Van Heerden	...	Lann
Arnold Vosloo	...	Makker
James Whyle	...	Tooey, Kasha Farmhand
Russel Savadier	...	Off, Kasha Farmhand
Joe Ribeiro	...	Cali the Doctor
Alex Heyns	...	Priest
Brad Morris	...	Bluto
Tullio Moneta	...	Henchman

Runtime:

Spain:97 min | USA:100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | Iceland:16 | UK:15 (DVD rating) (2003) | UK:18 (VHS rating) (1988) | Norway:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia

Company:

Yellowpine Ltd.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Shakedown (1988)

Its Alright!

I saw this one laying in the bargain DVD rack at the rental store, and I just couldn't resist spending 3.00 to buy it. I always liked Swayze and I feel that he could have been a top action star if he got the chance. In short, this post apocalyptic desert epic set in the not too distant future combines elements of Mad Max2, Shane, Samurai epics, other westerns and sci-fi.Swayze is the loner-drifte who discovers a settlement in the desert and before long, he deciedes to stick around and help out with the water supply. He forms a friendship with the young son of one of the colonists-his wife Lisa Neimi,earns the trust of Brion James the defender and before long he helps to defend the settlement from the bad guys led by Damnil {love that name!} played by the fine Anthony Zerbe, the holder of water rights in that sector. The low budget somehow adds to the films atmosphere and the junkyard like settlement seems real enough.Though only a B film, it is enjoyable and is fun on its own terms. There are some good props like the windracer vehicles that are powered by sail and the long sword and knife fight at Damnil's settlement is very exciting and well handled -not to mention very graphic. . Early on in the film, there is a ship that somehow ended up in the dessert, probably inspired by the sequence in "Close Encounters- The Special Edition " where a cargo ship is also in a dessert. There are also a few sequences where Swayze seems to be doing a Clint Eastwood impersonation! All in all, this was a fun movie and well worth the 3.00 I paid for it. And, unlike others that I bought and only watched once, this is up for repeat viewings.A fun film for fans of the genre, it shows that a good film can be made on a small budget and still deliver a decent 100 minutes of entertainment, especially when compared to such mega-budget, mega-duds like "Waterworld" and "The Postman" with bad movie king Kevin Costner.Sure, its not "Lawrence of Arabia", but that is missing the point, but then again, I'm just a freak for any adventure film that is set in a desert.