Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983)

The early 80’s saw many Star Wars and Mad Max rip-offs, but Spacehunter managed to rip-off both at the same time. I remember Spacehunter coming on after Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid. Watching it led to hours of running around outside playing “space freighter captain” and “space bounty hunter.” Once it got dark I remember drawing pictures, fleshing out the universe with stories and wishing I had an outfit and gun like Wolff’s (Peter Strauss). Viewing it now with a critical eye the film is not bad and remains one of the best films of its kind. The plot, unfortunately, is pure exploitation, yet it doesn’t stray beyond its PG rating. A “unique” opening credit sequence, over-the-top heroic music and poor ship design and matte work detract from the viewing experience. The film sports a good cast, though. But, where it really shines is the vehicle designs and post-apocalyptic imagery. A sail powered train car is brilliant and I still curse myself for not thinking of it first. Also, the makers of Star Trek: First Contact, years later with a much larger special effects budget, seemingly stole the villainous and imaginative Overdog (Michael Ironside) turning him into the Borg Queen. Most would call Spacehunter “trash” or at least a waste of time. Yet, its creativity and fun-loving spirit appeals to me greatly.