Steel Dawn (1987)

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.

Director:

Lance Hool

Writer:

Doug Lefler

Stars:

Patrick Swayze, Lisa Niemi, Anthony Zerbe

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Patrick Swayze	...	Nomad
Lisa Niemi	...	Kasha
Anthony Zerbe	...	Damnil
Christopher Neame	...	Sho
Brion James	...	Tark
John Fujioka	...	Cord
Brett Hool	...	Jux
Marcel van Heerden	...	Lann
Arnold Vosloo	...	Makker
James Whyle	...	Tooey
Russel Savadier	...	Off (as Russell Savadier)
Joseph Ribeiro	...	Cali (as Joe Ribeiro)
Alex Heyns	...	Priest
Brad Morris	...	Bluto
Tullio Moneta	...	Henchman

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

water | blonde | blonde woman | thirst | bearded man | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Early film role of Arnold Vosloo, who appeared in The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001).

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Goofs

When the boy is re-captured, he jumps from the sand buggy and suddenly grows three feet! Clearly a six foot male doing the stunt.

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Quotes

Sho: No one is better than me.
Nomad: You talk too much.

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Alternate Versions

German Video-Release was cut to get a "not under 16"-Rating. In contrast to this the TV-Version, which was also rated not unser 16, is uncut

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Connections

Spoofs Mad Max 2 (1981)

User Reviews

Cheesy isn't the word

Of all the post-apocalypse movies spawned in the 1980s after the success of the likes of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK and the MAD MAX trilogy, STEEL DAWN has to be one of the cheesiest - and that's a surprise when you consider all the silly nonsense that the Italians were churning out during the same decade.

Despite the sci-fi trappings of the scenery and scenario, STEEL DAWN is a western through and through. Patrick Swayze plays a nameless drifter who wanders into an idyllic small town and soon finds himself required to defend the townsfolk from an evil overlord, played by Anthony Zerbe. What follows will surprise nobody, but it is mildly entertaining thanks to its nostalgic appeal - in the form of dated costumes and hairstyles - and a pretty good pacing.

The narrative is heavily indebted to the likes of MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR, with a few things changed around (for instance, water is the scarce and valuable commodity here, rather than petrol). Fans of Swayze will get to see him do his martial arts stuff on some rather defunct bad guys (including the sand people from STAR WARS, it seems) as well as some zen-inspired meditation techniques.

Fans of B-movies may spot the likes of Arnold Vosloo (HARD TARGET) in an exceptionally early role, while British star Christopher Neame (DRACULA AD 1972) dons a fright wig as a tough. Veteran Anthony Zerbe embarrasses himself as the chief villain, but best of the lot is Brion James in an oddly touching performance as a bodyguard with a heart. I'm so used to seeing James typecast as a bad guy that it's a refreshing change to see him as a goodie for once, and he's the best thing about this movie by far.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 1988 (South Africa)

Also Known As:

Alba d'acciaio

Filming Locations:

Dead Vlei, Namib-Naukluft Park, Namibia

Box Office

Budget:

$3,520,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$311,892, 8 November 1987

Gross USA:

$562,187

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$562,187

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Film Centre, Silver Lion Films, Toron Screen Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1