2019: After the Fall of New York (1983)

"What's the matter, you've never seen rats having lunch before?" - Big Ape

A man must rescue survivors from a post-apocalyptic New York.
Starring: Michael Sopkiw, Valentine Monnier, George Eastman, Romano Puppo

Link to IMDB

Parsifal, more than just
a great name.

It's been twenty years since a nuclear holocaust reduced much of Earth to a radioactive wasteland. Life struggles everywhere, and not one human child has been born since the war. The military force of the EURAC group want to control as much of the population as possible in hopes of finding a cure to humanity's infertility. The EURACs might have noble intentions but they have become cruel fascists.

Out in the Nevada desert, where survivors entertain themselves with car battles and gladiator duels, we meet Parsifal, a badass that has survived by looking out for no one except himself. He used to be a soldier in the war against the EURACs, and now his old boss has returned to get Parsifal involved in one more mission to save Earth.
The plan is to rescue a supposedly fertile woman from New York city, where the EURACs have their headquarters. Parsifal has no choice but to accept the mission, so he and two other soldiers, Bronx and Ratchet, head into the dangerous ruins of N.Y.



Does an anti-hero rescuing someone important from a New York wasteland sound familiar? The opening premise might be a copycat, but I was happy to find that this movie actually has a lot of other ideas and really becomes its own crazy adventure.

Arriving in New York through the sewers, the guys are soon fighting gangs of crazy hobos and other such freaks. They team-up with a helpful little man named Shorty and also the beautiful Giara, who may or may not be the woman vital to humanity's survival. The EURAC soldiers are hunting them through the city, but our hero finds even more unlikely help from a mutant ape-man named Big Ape.
Parsifal might be surviving New York better than he hoped, but he's going to quickly discover that getting into all this trouble is much simpler than getting out!

"If love had any meaning in this world, you'd be the one I love." - Parsifal

Giara and Ratchet

Big Ape

It's pretty much non-stop action and intrigue for this movie! With lots of good characters, laughs, and a surprisingly deeper story than expected, it all kept me excited for what might come next. Although this Italian production borrows ideas from many sources (Escape from New York, Planet of the Apes, and Mad Max) it's all mixed together well and serves the story instead of feeling forced.
The movie even touches on themes of morality during wartime, drawing comparisons to historical events. It doesn't overshadow the fun, but the thoughtfulness is a nice touch among all the fistfights and melodrama.

EURAC soldiers

This is a great example of what a quality B-movie should be about. Cheesy and outrageous, but delivered with honesty. It seems to have been aided by a decent budget too, as the costumes, special effects and music all create a fantastic world that I'd like to visit again in the future... Luckily, 2019 is only three years away!

Be sure not to miss:
- That creepy clown robot! Surely nightmare fuel for some people.
- Flower might be a man, or was it hinted she's a hermaphrodite?
- Picasso's Guernica is featured prominently, adding to the anti-war sentiments that are hinted at.
- Rats enough!

Internet review:
"I seen it many, many times, and still I can't fathom its existence. This needs to be slowly savour like a 40 year scotch." - Bren

Should I watch it?
Highly recommended.

Where can I find it?
This video works.

2019 After the Fall gets...