Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone
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| Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone | |
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 Spacehunter: The Adventures in the Forbidden Zone movie poster |
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| Directed by | Lamont Johnson |
| Produced by | Don Carmody John Dunning André Link |
| Written by | Stewart Harding Jean LaFluer |
| Starring | Peter Strauss Molly Ringwald Ernie Hudson Michael Ironside |
| Music by | Elmer Bernstein |
| Cinematography | Frank Tidy |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 20, 1983 |
| Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | Canada/USA |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $14,400,400 (estimated) |
| Gross revenue | $16,500,000 (USA) (sub-total) |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone is a 1983 science fiction film. The movie stars Peter Strauss, Molly Ringwald, Ernie Hudson, Andrea Marcovicci, and Michael Ironside. The film's executive producer was Ivan Reitman and it was directed by Lamont Johnson. When the movie came out in theatres, parts of it were shown in 3-D.
The movie is about a bounty hunter who goes on a mission to rescue three women stranded on a brutal planet and meets a vagrant teenage girl along the way.
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[edit] Plot
The movie begins sometime in the 22nd century opening on a scene of a spaceship luxury liner called the Eridani Princess drifting in the middle of a spiraling cloud of gases. Suddenly, a meteor slams into the ship and it begins to break apart. A single escape pod manages to get away before the whole ship explodes and it proceeds automatically to the nearest planet that can support human life. Once it lands, three beautiful women, Nova (played by Cali Timmins), Reena (played by Aleisa Shirley), and Meagan (played by Deborah Pratt) emerge from the pod, but they are quickly accosted by a group of barbaric scavengers (aka "Scavs"). As the Scavs get nearer, they are frightened away by a strange train-like machine that quickly approaches on a railway. The men from the train then capture the women.
Elsewhere in space, a small salvage ship is gathering ore in an asteroid field. The owner of the ship, Wolff (played by Peter Strauss), is at the controls and listening to messages from Earth. Wolff gets a notice about a reward of 50,000 "mega-credits" offered for the safe return of three women. He awakens Chalmers (played by Andrea Marcovicci), his female companion and engineer who finds out more about the situation stating the women are believed to be stranded on Terra XI - a failed colony which fell victim to deadly plague and civil warfare.
Realizing the reward could solve all his problems, Wolff risks the dangers and sets course for the planet. Wolff sets his ship down on the barren desert world while Chalmers prepares a large 4-wheel drive vehicle called the "Scrambler". They drive away and activate the ship's thrusters which quickly buries the craft under a pile of dirt to hide it. Wolff and Chalmers soon come upon a battle in progress, spotting the train being attacked by other men, (the "Zoners"), riding road-warrioresque vehicles. Wolff spots the three women on the train and runs to rescue them. The women however, are picked up by Zoners who swoop down with jet-propelled hang-gliders, (called "Vultures"), and whisked them away.
Wolff locates the remaining train survivors, one of which is a delusional elderly man called Grandman Patterson, (played by Beeson Carroll), who shouts angrily at Wolff and calls him "McNab". Two other men, Duster, (played by Patrick Rowe), and Jarrett, (played by Paul Boretski), try to convince Patterson that Wolff is not his enemy. Wolff starts asking questions about McNab, but Duster and Jarrett show disdain and state that an "Earther" like Wolff has no business being here. Wolff explains that he came only for the women. The two men then explain that McNab is the "Overdog", the ruler of "The Zone" and their enemy. They believe the Zoners have taken the women back to Overdog's fortress. Wolff heads back to the Scrambler but finds that Chalmers has been killed. It is revealed that Chalmers was actually an android, "the best model ever built" according to Wolff. Wolff activates Chalmers' self-destruct and watches her body melt away. Wolff then drives off alone.
Later, Wolff comes across an abandoned structure and stops to look around. While inside, he hears the Scrambler's motor start up and sees someone trying to steal it. He forces open the door finding a disheveled-looking teenage girl inside, (played by Molly Ringwald). He pulls her out of the vehicle where she introduces herself as Niki and asks for food. She realizes why Wolff is following the Zoners and the three women in the sky. Wolff asks which way they went, but Niki refuses to answer unless Wolff agrees to take her with him. She states The Zone is a dangerous place without a skilled tracker. Reluctantly, he lets her come along.
Back in the ominous Zone, the Vultures land and the women are taken to see The Chemist (played by Harant Alianak), the chief henchman of Overdog. The Chemist is delighted but hopes the girls are perfect, with no missing limbs or scars since Overdog is put off by such things. The girls demand to be let go, but the Chemist injects them with pacification drugs.
Elsewhere, Wolff and Niki have set up camp. After eating, Wolff tries to get some sleep, but he smells something nasty and finds Niki has curled up next to him. He angrily picks her up and tosses her into a nearby pool of water and forces her to wash up. Embarrassed, Niki accuses him of being a pervert, but suddenly a mechanical noise alerts both of them. An armored bulldozer-like machine with a menacing plow blade approaches, bellowing thick black smoke and blocking Wolff's path to the Scrambler. When Wolff tries to slip past, the machine tries to run him down where it crashes straight into a boulder and dislodges its plow. The hatch flies open an angry man emerges (played by Ernie Hudson). He leaps down from the vehicle and points a rifle at Wolff who is laying face down in the dirt. The man however, seems to know Wolff ordering him to get up, but Wolff plays dead and manages to trick the man and grab his rifle.
Wolff knows the man as Washington, his former partner turned Sector Chief, and realizes he must have come here for the reward for the girls as well. Washington states the claim is his, and a freeloader like Wolff isn't entitled to it. However, he decides to cut Wolff in the deal for 20%. Niki steps up and says Wolff already has a partner, her. Washington laughs at the idea of Wolff partnering with a Scav "just out her diapers". Wolff asks his Washington how he got the plow who says he traded it with some Scavs for his ship. Washington then admits he had "some problems" on entry and he "sort of crashed". Wolff laughs knowing Washington is stuck here without a ship. Wolf instead, tosses Washington's rifle into the water pool and leaves him to get his vehicle unstuck on his own. Wolff and Niki continue on but Wolff reminds her that she is not his partner.
Meanwhile, deep inside the Zone, The Chemist takes the three women to see the Overdog (played by Michael Ironside). Overdog appears as a hideous cyborg, almost entirely machine, with two metal claws for hands, and moving with the aid of a large mechanical boom. Overdog is pleased with the sexy gifts and orders the guards to undress them. The guards begin to strip the women as Overdog leers in delight.
After driving into the night, Wolff finds another abandoned complex and decides to camp. The building is filled with strange cocoons hanging from the ceiling, but Wolff dismisses them and finds a spot to rest. He and Niki try to sleep but strange bulbous creatures appear from the cocoons and attack them. The two manage to get away and flee the building. Eventually, they enter another complex which is sewage. Wolff is hesitant to drive the Scambler through it, but Niki assures him she knows where they are. She helps track the Scambler through the water, but suddenly, Niki is pulled below the surface. As Wolff searches for her, he spots her in a net that is being gathered by Amazon-like women. He tries to stop them but comes under attack by a snake-like beast that he kills with his gun. In the diversion, the women try to pull Niki away but Wolff manages to free her and the two escape the sewers through a hatch in the ceiling.
Wolff and Niki emerge from the hatch finding themselves near a briny reservoir. Wolff is furious with her believing she really doesn't know anything about the Zone and since they've met she's brought nothing but trouble. Wolff storms off leaving Niki visibly upset. As they walk, Niki still tries to prove her worth. She claims to know exactly where they are but Wolff isn't buying it. Eventually, they both become dehydrated and Niki collapses leaving Wolff stuck carrying her. Suddenly, Wolff hears the familiar noise of the plow vehicle approaching and sees his Scrambler behind it in tow. Wolff flags it down as Washington emerges from the hatch with a sarcastic smirk on his face. Wolff asks Washington to give Niki water, but Washington forces Wolff to apologize and negotiate for a 50/50 split of the reward.
Wolff and Washington find a secluded ravine to rest and discuss their shares of the reward money, but when it made clear that Niki won't receive a cut she becomes upset and starts to sob. Wolff instead offers her a ride to whatever planet she wishes. Before Niki can answer, two motorcycle-like machines approach driven by Duster and Jarrett, the men Wolff encountered earlier. The men state they seek rest before they enter the Zone. The situation seems uneasy, but Niki asks in "Scav-speak", "What's your brainworking?" (ie. beliefs), they respond "Death to Overdog". Niki assures Wolff and Washington they are on the level and Wolff allows them to stay. As the group settles in they hear strange singing coming from the cliffs above them. Looking up they spot a group of small beings that Niki identifies as children mutated by The Chemist's bizarre experiments. Soon the children begin bombarding them with fire bombs. Duster and Jarret flee on their bikes but on the way out, Washington's plow gets jammed again and he is forced to stop.
After freeing the plow, Wolff, Niki, and Washington finally make it to The Zone where a massive tower and factory complex made of junk dominates the landscape. Wolff and Washington find a way inside but Wolff tells Niki to stay with the Scrambler, stating he doesn't want her to get hurt. Niki is surprised by the comment. Once inside, Wolff and Washington disguise themselves as Zoners and blend in with a gathering crowd who are assembled for some kind of death sport where prisoners are sent into a maze filled with deadly traps. The Overdog hovers above the maze keeping next to him a cage holding the three women. Wolff devises a plan as Jarrett runs up and indicates his brother was captured. Washington plans to cause a diversion while Jarret fetches his brother and Wolff will get the women. Meanwhile, an impatient Niki leaves the Scrambler and heads inside where she is quickly accosted by Overdog's henchmen and taken before the The Chemist. Niki is forced next into the maze by Overdog who says if she survives she will go free.
As Wolff and Washington prepare their rescue, Wolff spots Niki in the maze. Niki dodges sweeping saw blades and gouts of fireballs and then makes it over an acid pool as large hammers try to knock her off a balancing beam. Niki is then chased by machine lined with spinning blades which Wolff destroys with an explosive. As other bombs go off, the crowd runs away in panic. Niki finishes the game to find Overdog waiting at the end. He congratulates her for surviving but lies about letting her go. His guards take Niki away kicking and screaming.
Overdog has Niki dragged to his lair where The Chemist connects her to the "Fusion Tube" which recharges Overdog by sapping the life from her body. Overdog begins to drain her energy but Wolff comes to the rescue, killing The Chemist and shooting the Overdog's power systems. The Overdog seems to overload with energy and begins to smolder. Wolff then releases Niki from the machine, but Overdog's claws emerge from the smoke and grab Wolff. In the struggle to get free, Wolff finds a severed power cable and slams it into one of Overdog's claws. Overdog becomes electrocuted and causes a chain reaction through the fortress. Everything begins to explode around them. As Niki and Wolff make their way out of the complex, Washington's plows bursts through a wall to create an escape route. Jumping in their vehicles, everyone gets out safely as Overdog's fortress crumbles and explodes.
Now safely back at Wolff's ship, a celebration is going on, as the girls thank everyone for saving them. Niki however has been overlooked and decides to leave, but she finds Wolff heading out to stop her. Upset, Niki says he doesn't need her anymore, but Wolff wants her to stay saying she made a good partner. They hug each other and Wolff realizes he cares about her after all. The final scene is Worff's ship lifting off and heading into space.
[edit] Notable quotes
When Chalmer's fixes the com system:
- Chalmers: Okay, what did you do to this?
- Wolff: Emergency repair procedure number one.
- Chalmers: You kicked it?
When Wolff encounters Niki for the first time:
- Wolff: What the hell are you?
- Niki: What do you think I am, you scrawny earthbag? I'm a woman!
While the Chemist awaits the arrival of the women, he asks his guards:
- Chemist: Are they missing any limbs? (then to himself) I hate it when they have missing limbs.
[edit] Bloopers
- As the escape pod lands on the alien planet, you can see a freeway on the horizon as well as parked cars belonging to the film crew.
