Damnation Alley (1977)

Here's an oddity for sure, Damnation Alley, featuring an unlikely combination of Jan Micheal Vincent (Stringfellow Hawke - Airwolf, Tv Series) and George Peppard (Col. John Hannibal Smith - The A-Team, Tv Series)  Both turn their keys at the same time, both release their keys at the same time. Then they join the guy in charge to watch their American built nuclear missiles on the big screen. Sadly their missiles only take out 40% of the bad guys missiles.. Oooops, So on comes the end of life as we all know it. It's that moment we all no wont ever come (unless its at the hands of a terrorist or a psycho) I mean you can't judge a population by its government can you really?
If that was the case... many countries today would be parking lots for sure..  So their goes the U.S.A in a ball of flames leaving a handful of people to ride out the oncoming weather...

Heading down to one of the many Nuclear Launch Bunkers

George Peppard

Jan Micheal Vincent

Turning the keys that turn the tide of war

Missiles Away.....

The Sky Burns A Fiery Red

 After the launch & the devastation across the world, everything changes for one of the last few handfuls of the human race. Still living on the base time drags on for the soldiers who are left and its not long before complacency sets in and silly risks are taken, which in the end prove fatal for the majority of the survivors... 

Part of the base fuel storage

Smoking on the job

The base is lost to stupidity

With the base gone and a mass of supplies and people also lost, it's pushes the time scale up for the exploration mission that was being planned before the explosion.  A mission to get to Albany were they received the last transmission after the war. The radio transmission still plays at the same time every day, but theirs no reply to calls... Clearly its automated... but their must still be power their, so they figure its worth a shot.

So they roll out the Landmaster One and Landmaster Two

One of the Promo Photos

The Landmaster is a unique 12-wheeled amphibious articulated vehicle constructed by Dean Jeffries at Jeffries Automotive in Universal City, California.  It was made in 1976 and used in the 1977 Damnation Alley. Although you see two Landmasters in the film (only one was built) which cost of $350,000 in 1976. its not surprising they never made two... to build now would cost in the region of $1.4 million dollars

One of the Promo Photos

Its been seen in a few other films & series, and has also been re-created in a few variations of the design. Also you can pick up models of it to from certain hobby stores, build your own or buy pre-made.

Hemsley LandMaster

Hemsley LandMaster

I am unsure were it lives today, but their have been photos of it which i have found on google showing it in various stages of its condition, past and probable present..

Odd how many shots show "Lights" were the "Guns" where.....

 So anyway... back to the movie...
Two Landmasters, with Two men in each, set out across the desolation heading for the location of that radio call. It's not long before problems arise when a number of small yet destructive tornadoes appear on the horizon and the commander of Landmaster 2 orders to Dig in arming the strike jacks which drill into the ground holding the Landmaster in place. Sadly the jacks fail and the landmaster is flipped by the storm, while Landmaster one pushed on (defying the order to dig in) and manages to survive.  Heading back to see what happened to landmaster 2 they find it upright but damaged beyond repair, they also find one of the two men on-board never managed to strap him self back in, his neck was broken when it rolled over.

The Remaining Trio Head To Vegas

The Las Vegas strip much different than anyone would remember it still seams to have power. While playing on the slot machines they realize they are not alone... At which point... the Three become Four once again... And off they go heading once more towards Albany & that radio broadcast....

Four Survivors Possibly Mankind's Last Hope

The First Town Found Standing

Somethings Eaten The Rubber Hose

You Pump Fuel Major... While We Go Shopping....

Beware of Killer Bug's

The Cockroaches Kill

When the shopping trip goes wrong, their kinda forced to leave the building & breaking off a door he uses it as a ramp up to the window. They jump from the building to a car park over the way...

But that doesn't solve the problem of avoiding the bugs because the car park is infested with them to

Trying To Escape The Car Park

Landmaster Smashing Through The Car Park Wall

Landmaster To The Rescue

10000's of Killer Cockroaches Scuttling Across The Floor

Bike Heads Into The Safety Of The Landmaster

Smashing It's Way Out The Opposite Side Of The Car Park

At A Small Outpost Not Far From Town

Another survivor and now their back to Four...
the boy has been surviving and avoiding a group of other survivors who are living like a pack of rats, stealing and killing just to survive, yet clearly they have radiation poisoning and essentially have nothing to loose....

After dealing with the rag tag survivors they set off back on the road, when then landmaster starts encountering problems they head into a scrap yard to find parts

(luckily the landmaster uses basic truck parts so finding them shouldn't be a problem)

Although looking at the sky..... 

Seams like more bad weather is coming their way.....

Something Ive not mentioned yet is, since the War, the earth has been knocked off its axis

and is tilted, which causes unusual weather (similar to the effects seen by the Northern Lights)

But mother nature is about to right it's self which will sent torrents of water their way

(hence the green sky's in some of the other screen shots)

The Sky Is Ablaze

When the landmaster floats to the surface after the initial flood (yay it floats to) The earth has righted its self while they were safe under the water, almost like a child in it's mothers womb.

Heading For Dry Land

A Nice Big Poster

DVD

Blue-Ray

It's also been released on VHS Video Cassette as well

And On BetaMax

A Sound Track was also released

UK UPC: 5060057210376 Region 2 PAL DVD
USA UPC: 826663126235 Region 1 NTSC DVD
UK ASIN: B0050HVU0W Region 2 PAL DVD
USA ASIN: B004VT9JMG Region 1 NTSC DVD


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