George Peppard (The A Team) and Jan-Michael Vincent (Airwolf) star in this post apocalyptic road movie. Don't expect a "Mad Max" style film with high adrenaline no heartbreaking emotions like in "The Road" This post apocalyptic film from 1977 has nuclear survivors travelling cross country from Bakersfield, CA, to Albany, NY, via Las Vegas, Detroit and Salt Lake City in a all terrain Nuclear bunker/ Winnebago/ mobile home. There are oversized irradiated scorpions, flesh eating cockroaches, and even mutated rednecks. The opening of the film is the best part of the film, lots of tension with cutting music as nukes and counter nukes knock the planet off its axis causing the world's atmosphere to dramatically change and the sky to ripple with luminous colours. If the nukes haven't wiped humanity out then the weather will have. The film was supposed to be a massive Sci-Fi spectacular, if only a small film called "Star Wars" hadn't been released only weeks before this was released. This is a bit of a cheesy relic and drags at times. I can't say it's only dated due to being released in 1977 because of Star Wars being released the same year. Nothing exciting really happens and while the journey is clearly defined there aren't any twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. I can't say I particularly enjoyed this but I can see a lot of potential, it's just a pity that that potential wasn't realized or utilized fully. 3 out of 10.

If you have never seen this film, don't bother. Read the book, one of the best post apocalyptic stories written. The special effects in this film would have embarrassed a 1930's Flash Gordon episode. I've seen some reviews that try to defend the SFX by saying it's an old film, hey 1977? What other film came out that year? Oh yeah, Star Wars! You can't say the SFX in that were bad. Acting, it seems that it was such a low budget film that they could not afford to pay the actors to act, just say the unconvincing lines. If it didn't try to latch on to Roger Zelazny's story by using his title and nothing else it would pass as a slightly below average B-movie. Could only give it one star as it is such a bad adaptation of the book, even Roger Zelazny hated it.

I liked the movie, don't get me wrong, but didn't like the ending. After a nuclear war and only two years later, we find people in Albany, NY, running around like everything is fine. Albany, I'am sure, would have been wiped out. Along with every other major city, considering 60% of Russian nukes got past at the beginning. I do agree that it could be remade with a lot of work, and yes, follow more by the book. I know my city, here in Tennessee, was leveled. There are plenty of great actors around that would be great in the character roles, but would probably want too much money. The movie, itself, would need plenty of support from fans and studios to make it possible.

George Peppard and Jan-Michael Vincent star in Damnation Alley a story about some guys in the Air Force deep in underground bunkers who launch a retaliatory missile strike at the Soviet Union. Of course they and their Soviet counterparts are safe inside while the rest of the world incinerates. But this story isn't concerned with the Soviet experience.Topping that all off the general in charge Murray Hamilton goes bonkers in the bunker and blows it all up, killing nearly everyone inside. All that's left is Peppard, Vincent, Paul Winfield, and Kip Niven. Vincent and Winfield have kind of lost any Air Force discipline, but Niven is still a good Airman and Peppard is in command. They decide to take some all terrain vehicle the Air Force has developed for just such emergency from the Nevada site of their missile base to Albany where they've gotten a signal from what might be other survivors. Of course it could be the signal that the Australians got from San Francisco in On The Beach that amounted to nothing. Still off our fearless four go, leaving behind the desert to some rather large scorpions that have been nuclear enhanced.The rest of the story is the trip east across a nuclear devastated USA. Best stop is in Salt Lake City, where as Winfield describes large armor plated cockroaches have taken over. Along the way Winfield and Niven are lost and Peppard and Vincent pick up Dominque Sanda and Jackie Earle Haley best known for the Bad News Bears.Other than some special effects that were OK, nothing more, there's not much else to recommend Damnation Alley. For fans of Peppard and Vincent and some science fiction buffs.