Video blurb from Media Home Entertainment’s 1985 VHS videocassette: “In the year 2020, hordes of road warriors swarmed across our shattered world, it was a time in need for heroes, it was time for… 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS.”
Made hot on the heels of Aristide Massaccesi’s way-above-par ENDGAME (1983), yet other dystopian adventure with star Al Cliver, 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS (1983) continued to further over-extend the popularity of George Miller’s THE ROAD WARRIOR (a.k.a. MAD MAX 2, 1982), and basically just dusted-off and revamped a leftover spaghetti western script, morphing it into a one-of-a-kind post-apocalyptic actioner instead. And if we’re to believe the familiar Anglicized ‘Kevin Mancuso’ byline, the film was also directed by maestro Massaccesi (better known to most Italosleaze devotees as Joe D’Amato), but it has since been revealed that the film is the unofficial directorial debut of Italian actor - and frequent Massaccesi collaborator - ‘George Eastman’/Luigi Montefiori, who also penned the screenplay. Although easily accessible during the ’80s via Media Home Entertainment’s VHS and Beta videocassettes, this unapologetically trashy film has remained stubbornly unavailable on disc in North America, but thanks to Severin Films’ impressive UHD(!)/BD combo, Italian trash fans can finally rejoice and see the film at its absolute best.
Following a raid on a group of marauding, green-faced mutants who have taken control of a local outpost, Nisus (Cliver) and his band of Texas Rangers (complete with colourful monikers like Catch Dog, Jab, Halakron, and Red Wolfe) handily execute everyone, but not before they witness the protracted rape of a nun, the crucifixion of a priest, and witness another nun gorily cut her own throat, scenes which got the film into hot waters at the now-defunct Ontario Film Review Board (OFRB) during the ’80s, who demanded several cuts to Media’s Canadian tape release. When Catch Dog (Daniel Stephen), attempts to rape to Maida (Sabrina Siani), one of the few remaining survivors, he is subsequently banished from the group, but soon thereafter, Nisus joins Maida in a remote colony, a large industrial location that is ostensibly the site of a new source of energy. Years later, the workaday equanimity of Nisus is shattered when the New Order, led by a tyrannical, Nazi-like leader calling himself the Black One (Donal O’Brien), overrun this once peaceful community.
Continuing their abstractly systematic upholding of the law, the remaining Rangers now led by Halakron (Peter Hooten) come across Maida at a local watering hole (which includes video games, pinball machines, and sloppy joes on the menu) where she has been sold to an unscrupulous gambler who likes to play Russian roulette. Winning her back, Halakron does everything in his power to keep her out of harm’s way, even as they team up with a group of Native Americans (“We don’t trust white men!”), which precipitates the violent – and wonderfully schlocky – finale with the New Order.
Ignoring the film’s obvious imitative streak, 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS is nonetheless capably enough constructed (ignoring of course the hilariously misspelled “Exsplosive” signposts!), and like the westerns it so gleefully emulates, takes full advantage of the deserted quarries outside of Rome, which serve as the perfect – and economical – backdrop for this Mad Max wannabe. Bolstered by Montefiori’s swift directorial style, the film’s tight budget still manages to cram in sufficient action for at least two lesser post-nuke films, which includes a sloppily-choreographed barroom brawl, freefall dirtbike stunts, car chases, several squib-popping shootouts, and a scantily-clad, shotgun-toting Sabrina Siani. As the New Order’s leader, genre-fave Donal O’Brien, chews more scenery than he did in Marino Girolami’s celebrated gore epic DOCTOR BUTCHER M.D. (a.k.a. ZOMBI HOLOCAUST, 1980), and is easily one of the film’s many highlights. Alongside Hooten, minor-league action stars Harrison Muller and Japanese-born Hal Yamanouchi, (both of whom went on to appear in other post-apocalyptic films such as Romolo Guerrieri’s THE FINAL EXECUTIONER [1984] and Sergio Martino’s2019: AFTER THE FALL OF NEW YORK [1983], respectively), fittingly round-out this briskly-paced bit of enjoyable hokum. And don’t forget to be on the lookout for Geretta Geretta who unexpectedly pops up as an ass-kicking New Order punk!
For its North American UHD and BD debut, Severin Films made use of a brand new 4K scan taken from the film’s original negative and the results are exceptional, especially given the film’s low-budget pedigree. Apart from a few instances of softness inherent in the some of the camerawork, everything is clean, crisp and colourful, and a huge improvement over the German New Entertainment DVD from 2009, which was not only edited, but fullscreen as well. The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono audio tracks in English and Italian (the latter with English subtitles) also sound excellent with plenty of nice aggression during the film’s many action scenes, which is nicely backed up by Carlo Maria Cordio’s (here credited as Francis Taylor) pulsating synth score. English subtitles for the hard of hearing are also included.
The extra features on Severin’s disc begin with Manlio Gomarasca’s Shoot Me: The Real Story of the Italian Texas Gladiators (16m59s), a terrific featurette, which recounts the making of this troubled production with input from assistant director Michele Soavi (who worked extensively with Massaccesi in between his time working alongside Dario Argento), Luigi Montefiori, Al Cliver (a.k.a. Pier Luigi Conti), and Aristide Massaccesi. In it, they discuss “mimicking hit movies”, Montefiori’s “weaknesses as a director” and his “love/hate relationship” with Massaccesi, but Montefiori also admits “it was fun because it was such bullshit!” It’s great piece, which finally sheds some light on the true ownership of this film. In Gladiator Geretta (10m33), actor Geretta Geretta discusses her time working in Italy and her many memorable roles, and how refreshing it was to be cast as the “tough black one” instead of a “hooker with a heart of gold” or a “gang member.” She also talks warmly of Soavi, who directed most of her scenes in the film and was happy to reunite with him on Lamberto Bava’s DEMONS (1986). The film’s theatrical trailer (2m55s), which is scored with Franco Micalizzi’s title theme from Umberto Lenzi’s THE CYNIC, THE RAT AND THE FIST (1977), finish off the extras. And for those who order directly from the Severin Films webstore, the limited edition also includes the film’s complete and never-before-released CD soundtrack (20 tracks, 48m30s), as well as a reversible wrap, and a slipcover.
Whichever edition you choose, you’re sure to be pleased with Severin Films’ superb UHD/BD combo of this diverting and outrageously colourful post-nuke film, which would be perfectly complimented by a party-size pizza and a six-pack of beers.
