''1990: The Bronx Warriors'' () is a 1982 Italian

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

directed by Enzo G. Castellari.

Plot

Ann is the 17-year-old heiress to the arms manufacturing giant, the

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

Corporation. Unable to face her guilt over inheriting a morally questionable company when she turns 18, Ann runs away into the lawless wasteland of the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

. The film's opening

intertitle In films and videos, an intertitle, also known as a title card, is a piece of filmed, printed text edited into the midst of (hence, ''inter-'') the photographed action at various points. Intertitles used to convey character dialogue are referred ...

explains: "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 Roller skating is the act of travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreation, recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on s ...

gang A gang is a social group, group or secret society, society of associates, friends, or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over Wiktionary:territory#Noun, territory in a ...

called the Zombies, Ann is saved by members of a motorcycle gang called the Riders and taken under the protection of their leader, Trash. They quickly fall in love. Another powerful gang, called the Tigers, kills a Rider named Chris. The Tigers’ leader, the Ogre, informs Trash that Chris was carrying a "gizmo" – a

covert listening device A covert listening device, more commonly known as a bug or a wire, is usually a combination of a miniature radio transmitter with a microphone. The use of bugs, called bugging, or wiretapping is a common technique in surveillance, espionage and ...

that looks like a watch and works on the same radio frequency as the Manhattan police. The Manhattan Corporation uses it to confirm Ann's location. The Manhattan Corporation hires Hammer, a ruthless and

psychopathic Psychopathy, or psychopathic personality, is a personality construct characterized by impaired empathy and remorse, along with bold, disinhibited, and egocentric traits. These traits are often masked by superficial charm and immunity to s ...

mercenary A mercenary is a private individual who joins an armed conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather t ...

, to retrieve Ann. When he enters the Bronx, he kills two Riders, plants a golden ring in the gang's headquarters, and then flees the scene. The Riders give chase and try to catch Hammer, but he escapes. Ann finds the golden ring and gives it to Trash, who recognizes that it belongs to the Tigers. Believing the Tigers were behind Hammer's attack, the Riders call for war. Trash, however, is skeptical. The Zombies ambush and kidnap Ann. Trash tells the other Riders that he wants to

ally An ally is a member of an alliance. Ally may also refer to: Places * Ally, Cantal, France, a commune * Ally, Haute-Loire, France, a commune * Ally, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, a townland Arts and entertainment * Ally (novel), ''Ally'' (nove ...

himself with the Ogre to rescue her. Most of the gang dislikes this idea. As Trash and two loyal Riders fight their way across the Bronx, they encounter a musical-theatre-inspired gang, and a

subterranean Subterranean(s) or The Subterranean(s) may refer to: * Subterranea (geography), underground structures, both natural and man-made Literature * ''Subterranean'' (novel), a 1998 novel by James Rollins * ''Subterranean Magazine'', an American fa ...

-dwelling gang called the Scavengers, which kills one of the Riders. Meanwhile, a traitorous Rider named Ice discovers a local man named Hot Dog is working with Hammer. Ice informs Hammer about Ann's kidnapping and Trash's plan to save her. Ice then goes to the Zombies' headquarters and warns their leader, Golem, about the impending rescue attempt. Trash reaches the Tigers' headquarters, where Hammer attempts to frame him for killing a Tiger. When Trash is captured, however, he convinces the Ogre that the murderer is Hammer and he is working to turn all the Bronx gangs against each another. Trash further explains the situation and proposes that he and the Ogre save Ann. The Ogre agrees, and so he, his right-hand-woman Witch, and Trash head back across the Bronx. The trio make it to the Zombies' headquarters. While the Ogre and Golem duel, Trash frees Ann from her chains. When Ice tries to run away, Hot Dog tries to stop him and is stabbed to death by Ice. The jaded Ice criticizes Trash for being an unrealistic leader and risking everything for a wealthy outsider like Ann. The two men fight until Ice is impaled and dies. Ann celebrates her 18th birthday at the Tigers' headquarters. During the party, a Manhattan Corporation

private army A private army (or private military) is a military force under the command of a private person or organization, rather than a nation or state. History Private armies may form when landowners arm household retainers for the protection of self and ...

, led by Hammer, invades the building and proceeds to

massacre A massacre is an event of killing people who are not engaged in hostilities or are defenseless. It is generally used to describe a targeted killing of civilians Glossary of French words and expressions in English#En masse, en masse by an armed ...

everyone there. Despite his orders to retrieve Ann, the insane Hammer declares there will be no survivors. Ann is shot and killed while defending Trash from gunfire. Infuriated, Trash kills Hammer and drags the corpse behind his motorcycle as he rides through the Bronx.

Cast

* Stefania Girolami as Ann * Mark Gregory as Trash *

Vic Morrow Vic Morrow (born Victor Morozoff; February 14, 1929 – July 23, 1982) was an American actor. He came to prominence as one of the leads of the ABC drama series '' Combat!'' (1962–1967), which earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstandin ...

as Hammer *

Christopher Connelly Christopher Connelly (September 8, 1941 – December 7, 1988) was an American actor, best known for his role as Norman Harrington in the successful prime time ABC soap opera '' Peyton Place''. He stayed with the series during its entire f ...

as Hot Dog *

Fred Williamson Frederick Robert Williamson (born March 5, 1938), nicknamed "the Hammer", is an American actor, filmmaker, and former American football player, a defensive back who played mainly in the American Football League (AFL) during the 1960s. He was a ...

as The Ogre *

Elisabetta Dessy Elisabetta "Betty" Dessy (born 28 November 1957) is an Italian model and actress who competed as a swimmer in the 1976 Summer Olympics. Biography Elisabetta Dessy was born in Rome, Italy. She is the first of four children born to countess Am ...

as Witch * Rocco Lero as Paul *

George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...

as Golem * Carla Brait as Iron Man Leader *

Joshua Sinclair John Louis Loffredo (born May 7, 1953), known by the pen name Joshua Sinclair, is an American writer, actor, filmmaker and physician. Biography Sinclair was born John Louis Loffredo in New York City. He initially planned to be a missionary, an ...

as Ice *

Enio Girolami Enio Girolami (14 January 1935 – 16 February 2013), sometimes credited as Thomas Moore, was an Italian film and television actor. Born in Rome, son of director Marino Girolami and brother of director Enzo G. Castellari, Girolami made his ...

as Ted Fisher * Enzo G Castellari as the Vice President * Matt Malinowski as Hair Man

Production

The idea for the film was first envisioned by producer

Fabrizio De Angelis Fabrizio De Angelis is an Italian director, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Fabrizio De Angelis was born in Rome, Italy on November 15, 1940. De Angelis would produced a number of genre films for other directors such as those of Joe ...

when he missed a subway stop for his Manhattan hotel and ended up in a dangerous neighbourhood in the Bronx. De Angelis stated he imagined the idea of a futuristic city where young hoods would fight for their home. ''1990: The Bronx Warriors'' was one of the three science fiction films Enzo G Castellari made with producer

. These films take influence from ''

Mad Max 2 ''Mad Max 2'' (released as ''The Road Warrior'' in the United States) is a 1981 Australian Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic Utopian and dystopian fiction, dystopian action film directed by George Miller (filmmaker), G ...

'' (1981), '' The Warriors'' (1979), and ''

Escape from New York ''Escape from New York'' is a 1981 American Independent film, independent science fiction film, science fiction action film co-written, co-scored and directed by John Carpenter, and starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, Ernest Borgnine, Donald ...

'' (1981). Castellari changed some of De Angelis' plot ideas while filming, including incorporating more weird gangs such as the roller skating gang. When discussing ''1990: The Bronx Warriors'', ''

The New Barbarians ''The New Barbarians'' (; also known as ''Warriors of the Wasteland'') is a 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic action film directed by Enzo G. Castellari, written by Castellari and Tito Carpi, and starring Giancarlo Prete and George Eastman. The plot ...

'' and '' Escape from the Bronx'', Castellari stated the three films were written, prepared and filmed in six months. Italian regulations required that 50% of a film had to be shot in Italy. To solve this situation, the film was shot on location in

with interiors shot in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

Release

''1990: The Bronx Warriors'' was released on October 29, 1982, in Italy.

Reception and legacy

In a contemporary review,

Kim Newman Kim James Newman (born 31 July 1959) is an English journalist, film critic, and fiction writer. He is interested in film history and horror fiction – both of which he attributes to seeing Tod Browning's ''Dracula'' at the age of eleven & ...

wrote in the ''

Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' that the film contains the "usual virtues and vices of the Italian rip-off" noting that it was predominantly derivative of ''

'' and '' The Warriors'' as well taking smaller elements from ''

The Exterminator ''The Exterminator'' is a 1980 American vigilante action film written and directed by James Glickenhaus. It stars Robert Ginty as Vietnam War veteran John Eastland, also known as "The Exterminator". When a group of thugs paralyze his friend, Eas ...

'', ''

Class of 1984 ''Class of 1984'' is a 1982 crime thriller film directed by Mark Lester, produced by Arthur Kent, and co-written by Tom Holland and John Saxton, based on a story by Holland. The film stars Perry King, Merrie Lynn Ross (who also served as ...

'' and ''

''. Newman stated that "Castellari nimbly steals back all the stylistic elements that

Carpenter Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenter ...

and

Hill A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit, and is usually applied to peaks which are above elevation compared to the relative landmass, though not as prominent as Mountain, mountains. Hills ...

poached from Leone's Westerns in the first place." The review praised the "attractive

Panavision Panavision Inc. is an American motion picture equipment company (law), company founded in 1954 specializing in cameras and photographic lens, lenses, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk a ...

photography" and that the editing does "the best to conceal the fact that the epic battles and quests cover an extremely limited area of the Bronx." In his book ''Science Fiction'', Phil Hardy also stated that the film was derivative of ''Escape From New York'' and ''The Warriors''. The review went on to describe it as "riddled with narrative non-sequiteurs as it is devoid of cinematic imagination or élan." ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' referred to the film as an "exceedingly silly Italian action picture" that was "poorly scripted" and "lacks atmosphere". ''Variety'' praised

, stating that he "comes off as the best in the cast, handling himself smoothly in fight scenes which owe more to Italian sword 'n sandal programmers than recent violent epics." Alan Jones reviewed the film in ''

Starburst MicroPro International Corporation was an American software company founded in 1978 in San Rafael, California. They are best known as the publisher of WordStar, a popular early word processor for personal computers. History Founding and early su ...

'', finding that

Dardano Sacchetti Dardano Sacchetti (born 1944) is an Italian screenwriter who often worked with Italian directors Lamberto Bava and Lucio Fulci. Screenwriting Sacchetti was born in 1944, in Italy. His first screen credit was for Dario Argento's film ''The Cat o' N ...

's story "doesn't jell under Enzo G. Castellari's messy and pendantic direction" and that the film had "obnoxious characters".

AllMovie AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne. History AllMovie was ...

described the film as "one of the more successful examples of the post-apocalyptic action film genre that became popular during the early '80s" and that it was "probably too silly and overblown for a general audience, but is likely to please exploitation fans in search of cheap thrills". The review praised Sergio Salvati's cinematography and Walter Rizzati's rock music-oriented score. The review noted that these elements did not compensate for the films "sillier excesses" such as the roller-skating gang and that the leads of Stefania Girolami and Marco di Gregorio were bland protagonists.
fan website
exists for this movie, plus the 1983 sequel '' Escape from the Bronx''. The creator Lance Manley is the subject of a 13-minute documentary on the 2015 Blu-ray release of 'Escape From the Bronx'. Entitled "The Hunt for Trash" it details his search for Mark Gregory, the star of both movies who has not been seen for decades. RiffTrax spoofed the film on June 28, 2019.RiffTrax
/ref> Actor '' Mark Gregory'', who played the role of Trash, committed suicide on January 31, 2013, at the age of 48, through the injection of pyschotropic drugs.

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

* * {{Fabrizio De Angelis 1982 films 1980s science fiction action films Italian post-apocalyptic films Italian science fiction action films Films directed by Enzo G. Castellari Films set in 1990 Films set in the Bronx Films set in the future Films shot in Rome Films shot in New York City Foreign films set in the United States 1980s vigilante films Italian vigilante films 1980s exploitation films 1980s Italian films Italian exploitation films Dystopian films Outlaw biker films Italian chase films 1982 science fiction films