''Ravagers'' is a 1979 American

science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel uni ...

action film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include l ...

directed by

Richard Compton Richard Compton (March 2, 1938 – August 11, 2007) was an American actor, director and writer, primarily in television. Compton had small parts as an actor in film and television series, including minor roles in two episodes of ''Star Trek ...

and based on the 1966 novel ''Path to Savagery'' by Robert Edmond Alter. The screenplay concerns survivors of a

nuclear holocaust A nuclear holocaust, also known as a nuclear apocalypse, nuclear Armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes globally widespread destruction and radioactive fallout. Such a scenar ...

, who do what they can to protect themselves against ravagers, a mutated group of vicious marauders who terrorize the few remaining civilized inhabitants.

Plot

In the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust, animal-like creatures known as "the ravagers" roam the earth and kill all survivors. A man named Falk (

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in '' This Sporting ...

) witnesses his wife's murder by the creatures. Seeking vengeance, Falk becomes a vigilante. He joins a small community, led by Rann (

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine (; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perfor ...

), living aboard a ship anchored off shore. The ship is destroyed in an attack by the ravagers. Falk then leads his fellow survivors on a desperate quest for a place where they can live in peace.

Cast

as Falk *

as Rann * Anthony James as Ravager leader *

Art Carney Arthur William Matthew Carney (November 4, 1918 – November 9, 2003) was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed Norton on the si ...

as Sergeant * Ann Turkel as Faina *

Alana Stewart Alana Hamilton Stewart (; born May 18, 1945) is an American actress and former model. She has also used her maiden name, Alana Collins, and her names from her first marriage, Alana Collins-Hamilton and Alana Hamilton, professionally. Early life ...

as Miriam *

Woody Strode Woodrow Wilson Woolwine Strode (July 25, 1914 – December 31, 1994) was an American athlete and actor. He was a decathlete and football star who was one of the first Black American players in the National Football League in the postwar era. Aft ...

as Brown *

Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 movies and television shows, and had a career that spanned over 50 years. Cassel first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering in ...

as Blind Lawyer *

Harvey Evans Harvey Evans (January 7, 1941 – December 24, 2021) was an American stage and film actor. He was noted for having appeared in the original Broadway productions of ''West Side Story'', ''Follies'', and '' Hello, Dolly!'', among others. Life and ...

as Prison Guard * Arch Archambault as Ravager #1 * Olivia Barton as Mushroom Woman * Kate Bray as Grace * Billy Carmack as Thug with Sickle * Brian Carney as Foy * Kim Crow as Flocker Woman * Bob Westmoreland as Hank * Kurt Grayson as Coop * Gordon Hyde as Bert * Steve Lashley as Ravager #2 * George Stokes as Bant * Andre Tayir as Prisoner

Production

The film was shot at the Alabama Space and Rocket Center and at the "Three Caves Quarry" at the base of Monte Sano in Huntsville, Alabama. The Three Caves location is unique because it was one of the first limestone quarries in Alabama and for a brief time in 1962 a possible fallout shelter.

Releases

''Ravagers'' is part of a long line of Hollywood-backed post-apocalyptic films from the 1970s which are difficult to find on television or home video. In the UK the film was released on Betamax and VHS, where Alana Stewart's voice was dubbed by actress Molly Wryn.

Reception

The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'' called ''Ravagers'' "handsomely produced but relentlessly dull... doesn't have enough story to tell."

References

External links

*
Behind-the-scenes production photos
Collection of Stephen Lodge. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ravagers (1979 film) 1979 films 1970s science fiction action films American science fiction action films Columbia Pictures films 1970s English-language films Films scored by Fred Karlin Films set in 1991 Films shot in Alabama Films shot at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center Films directed by Richard Compton American post-apocalyptic films 1970s American films