''Ravagers'' is a 1979 American

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

directed by Richard Compton 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 annihilation, nuclear armageddon, or atomic holocaust, is a Futures studies, theoretical scenario where the mass detonation of nuclear weapons causes widespread destruction and radi ...

, 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. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...

) 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 perf ...

), 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 Awards, Academy Award, a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best kn ...

as Sergeant * Ann Turkel as Faina * Alana Stewart as Miriam *

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

as Brown *

Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 films and television shows, with a career spanning over 50 years. He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent f ...

as Blind Lawyer * Harvey Evans 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, many of which are difficult to find on television or home video. In the UK, the film was released on

Betamax Betamax (also known as Beta, and stylized as the Greek letter Beta, β in its logo) is a discontinued consumer analog Videotape, video cassette recording format developed by Sony. It was one of the main competitors in the videotape format war ag ...

and

VHS VHS (Video Home System) is a discontinued standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes, introduced in 1976 by JVC. It was the dominant home video format throughout the tape media period of the 1980s and 1990s. Ma ...

, where Alana Stewart's voice was dubbed by actress Molly Wryn.

Reception

The ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...

'' 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 1979 science fiction films English-language science fiction action films