Post-Apocalyptic Movies by Charles Vane with amazing movie posters and other stuff (courtesy of H.Plasma)

There is much to talk about this genre. It's my favorite genre after horror.

I will start with the movie "Mad Max". I guess there is no one on the planet who has never heard of this movie.

But this movie is not just sci-fi as most know. This movie falls under the category we're talking about right now: post-apocalyptic!!!

These films are specific in that all the stories in this genre are played after a nuclear or other apocalypse. Only the apocalypse is different from the genre.

The difference:

Post-Apocalyptic - actions following a nuclear or other apocalypse.
Apocalypse - actions occurring before or during a given apocalypse.

Post-Apocalyptic drawings (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Apocalyptic images (courtesy of H.Plasma):

And so,I will introduce you to a small part of these post-apocalyptic films. 
I started talking about "Mad Max" so let's start with him.

Mad Max (1979) 

Original poster of Mad Max

Mad Max is a 1979 Australian post-apocalyptic movie directed by George Miller, produced by Byron Kennedy, and starring Mel Gibson as "Mad" Max Rockatansky, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Steve Bisley, Tim Burns, and Roger Ward. James McCausland and Miller wrote the screenplay from a story by Miller and Kennedy. Set in a future Australia, the film presents a saga of societal collapse, murder, and revenge in which an unhinged policeman becomes embroiled in a violent feud with a savage motorcycle gang. 

The film currently consists of 4 parts.

Mad Max: (1979)
Mad Max 2:The Road Warrior (1981)
Mad Max 3: Beyond Thunderdome (1985)
Mad Max 4:Fury Road (2015)

Original poster for Mad Max 2

Original poster for Mad Max 3

Original poster for Mad Max 4

Talk is about going out and part 5

Mad Max 5: Wasteland (???)

For me personally, only the first 3 parts are the best.

Trailer:

Wheels of Fire (1985) 

Original poster for Wheels of Fire

Wheels of Fire is a 1985 American film directed by Cirio H. Santiago and starring Gary Watkins, Laura Banks, Lynda Wiesmeier and other.

In a postapocalyptic future, a ruthless vehicular gang called the Highway Warriors is conquering the wasteland through murder and plunder. During a raid, they kidnap the sister of a road warrior named Trace. He brings hell down upon them.

"Repo Man" by The Meteors (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Trailer:

 
Styker (1983) 

Original movie poster for Stryker

Stryker is a Philippine action film directed by Cirio H. Santiago and starring Steve Sandor, Andrea Savio, William Ostrander and other...

The film is set in the future where after a nuclear holocaust, survivors battle each other over the remaining water in the world.

 

2019, After the Fall of New York (1983)

Original Poster of 2019: Dopo La Caduta Di New York

2019, After the Fall of New York (Italian: 2019 - Dopo la caduta di New York) is a 1983 Italian science fiction film directed by Sergio Martino in both English and Italian. 

The film starred Michael Sopkiw and Anna Kanakis, and B-movie regular George Eastman.

The film was influenced by John Carpenter's Escape from New York.

After a nuclear war, society breaks down into two groups, the evil Euraks and the rebel Federation. A mercenary named Parsifal is hired by the Federation to infiltrate New York City, which is controlled by the Euraks, to rescue the only fertile woman left on Earth.

"A.T.O.M.I.C." by Toxic Holocaust (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Trailer:

Escape From New York (1981) 

Original poster from 1997: Escape From New York

Escape from New York (also known as John Carpenter's Escape from New York) is a 1981 American film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter. It stars Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Donald Pleasence, Ernest Borgnine, Isaac Hayes, Adrienne Barbeau, and Harry Dean Stanton.

The film's storyline, set in the near-future world of 1997, concerns a crime-ridden United States, which has converted Manhattan Island in New York City into the country's maximum-security prison. "Once you go in you don't come out". Air Force One is hijacked by terrorists and is purposely crashed in New York City. Ex-soldier and current federal prisoner Snake Plissken (Russell) is given just 24 hours to go in and rescue the President of the United States, after which, if successful, Snake will be pardoned.

The film consists of two parts.

Escape from New York (1981)
Escape from L.A. (1996)

Original poster for Escape From L.A.

1990: The Bronx Warriors 

Original movie poster from 1990: The Bronx Warriors

1990: The Bronx Warriors (Italian: 1990: I guerrieri del Bronx) is a 1982 Italian film directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

Ann is the 17-year-old heiress to the arms manufacturing giant, The Manhattan Corporation. Unable to face her guilt over inheriting a morally questionable company when she turns 18, Ann runs away into the lawless wasteland of New York's the Bronx. According to the film publicity: "In the year 1990 the Bronx is officially declared No Man's Land. The authorities give up all attempts to restore law and order. From then on the area is ruled by the Riders".

Attacked by a roller skating gang called The Zombies, Ann is saved by members of The Riders, and taken under the protection of The Riders' leader, Trash. The Manhattan Corporation hires a ruthless and psychopathic mercenary named Hammer, who turns the various Bronx gangs against each other to ensure Ann is returned.

"Time Of The Season" by The Zombies (courtesy of H.Plasma)

The movie is in three parts:

1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982)
Escape from the Bronx (1983)
Warriors of the Wasteland (1983)

Original poster of Warriors of the Wasteland

Battletruck (1982) 

Original poster for Battletruck

 Battletruck (also known as Warlords of the 21st Century and Destructors in Italy) is a 1982 New Zealand post-apocalyptic science fiction action film co-written and directed by Harley Cokliss and starring Michael Beck, Annie McEnroe, James Wainwright, John Ratzenberger, and Bruno Lawrence.

Set in the aftermath of a devastating thermonuclear war, the plot is a futuristic tale of collapsed governments and bankrupt countries heralding a new lawless age. A co-production between New Zealand and the United Kingdom, it was filmed on location in New Zealand and starring a number of local actors, and was part of a wave of similarly-themed films made in the wake of the success of the Mad Max series.

"Dynamite Lust" by Cenobites (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Trailer:

 

Fist of the North Star (1995)

Original poster of Fist of the North Star

Fist of the North Star is a 1995 American straight-to-video live-action martial arts film based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. The film was directed by Tony Randel, who also co-wrote the script with Peter Atkins, and stars Gary Daniels, Costas Mandylor, Chris Penn, Isako Washio and Malcolm McDowell. A Japanese dub of the film was produced by Toei Video which featured the cast of the 1980s anime television series reprising their roles.

Original poster for the original movie Fist of the North Star

The film, which loosely adapts the first story arc of the original manga, centers on Ken (Daniels), the lone master of the "North Star" martial art school, who wanders the post-apocalyptic Earth in search of his nemesis Lord Shin, the man who killed his master and kidnapped his fiancee. Meanwhile, Shin rules as dictator of the city of Southern Cross with his personal army known as the Crossmen, who are given orders to hunt down Kenshiro.

"Pelotón nº 20" by Sistema de Entretenimiento (courtesy of H.Plasma):

 Trailer:

Waterworld (1995) 

Original poster for Waterworld

Waterworld is a 1995 American post-apocalyptic science fiction action film directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It was based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it with Charles Gordon and John Davis. It was distributed by Universal Pictures.

The setting of the film is in the distant future. Although no exact date was given in the film itself, it has been suggested that it takes place in 2500. The polar ice cap has completely melted, and the sea level has risen over 7,600 m (25,000 feet), covering nearly all of the land. The plot of the film centers on an otherwise nameless antihero, "The Mariner", a drifter who sails the Earth in his trimaran.

Steel Frontier (1994) 

Original cover for Steel Frontier

Steel Frontier is a 1995  film directed by Jacobsen Hart and Paul G. Volk and starring Joe Lara, Bo Svenson, Stacie Foster, Brion James, Kane Hodder, James C. Victor, Billy L. Sullivan, Robert O'Reilly, Brian Huckeba, and Adolfo Quinones. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Weird West.

In a post-apocalyptic 2019, a lone gunman named Yuma fights a gang of bandits called the United Regime who have invaded the town of New Hope.

"The Man With No Name" by Fireball XL5 (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Trailer:

Six String Samurai (1998) 

Original movie poster for Lance Mungia's Six String Samurai film

Six-String Samurai is a 1998 American post-apocalyptic action comedy film directed by Lance Mungia and starring Jeffrey Falcon and Justin McGuire. Brian Tyler composed the score for this film along with the Red Elvises, the latter providing the majority of the soundtrack.

In the post-apocalyptic world of 1960s Nevada, a rock 'n' roll samurai on his way to Lost Vegas takes a young orphan boy under his protection as Death and his metalhead Horsemen chase after them.

Endgame (1983) 

Original poster from Endgame: Bronx Final Battle

Endgame (Bronx lotta finale) (Endgame: Bronx Final Battle) is a 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic film starring Al Cliver, Laura Gemser and George Eastman. It was directed, co-written and produced by Joe D'Amato, under the pseudonym "Steven Benson".

A telepathic mutant recruits a post-World War III TV game-show warrior to lead her band of mutants to safety.

"Plenty More Mutants" by Inca Babies (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Neon City (1991) 

Original poster for Neon City

Neon City (also known as Anno 2053 in Italy, Neonski Grad in Serbia) is a 1991 Canadian post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Monte Markham and written by Jeff Begun and Ann Lewis Hamilton, under the pseudonym Buck Finch. The cast includes Michael Ironside, Vanity, Lyle Alzado, Valerie Wildman, Nick Klar, Juliet Landau, Richard Sanders and Markham.

"Mad Max" clone set in the not-too-distant future about a group of people trying to escape to a safe haven called Neon City after a solar disaster that has decimated the Earth.

"Lucifer's Light of the World" by King Dude (courtesy of H.Plasma):

Trailer:

World gone Wild (1988) 

Original movie poster from World Gone Wild

World Gone Wild is a 1988 film directed by Lee H. Katzin and starring Bruce Dern, Catherine Mary Stewart and Michael Pare.

In the nuclear-ravaged wasteland of Earth 2087, water is as precious as life itself. The isolated town of Lost Wells, an outpost that survived the holocaust, is led by Ethan (Bruce Dern), a Moses-like guru and the last schoolteacher on the planet, Angie (Catherine Stewart). The inhabitants of the town guard the secret of their existence and source of their water from the outside world.

An evil cult of pseudooreligious renegades led by Derek (Adam Ant) discovers the existence of the water source and wants control of the town's valuable water supply. As the villagers are no match for Derek's brute military force, they hire mercenaries living in a distant city. That group includes Nitro, Ten Watt and they are led by George Landon. The townspeople and the mercenaries team up to stage a last ditch defense of the town.

 

Steel Down (1987)

Steel Dawn is a 1987 American post-apocalyptic science fiction action film directed by Lance Hool and starring Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. The working title of the film, which mixes the genres of science fiction and western, was Desert Warrior.

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.

"Gay Cowboy" by Rochee and the Sarnos (courtesy of H.Plasma):
 

Trailer:

THE END?