Damnation Alley
Short description
After a nuclear war devastates the United States, a small group of survivors holds out at a military installation in the desert. When a radio signal suggests that others may be alive in Albany, New York, they set out across the ruined country in a pair of heavily armored, multi-wheeled vehicles built to withstand the hostile conditions. The journey takes them through a wasteland shaped by radiation, where mutated wildlife, violent storms and desperate survivors pose constant threats. Among the travelers are Major Eugene Denton, Tanner, Keegan and Janice, who must keep the expedition together as the landscape grows more dangerous.
Jack Smight directed the film, which followed Midway in his filmography and was released in 1977. George Peppard and Jan-Michael Vincent head the cast, with Dominique Sanda, Paul Winfield, Kip Niven and Jackie Earle Haley in supporting roles. The screenplay was written by Lukas Heller and Alan Sharp, and 20th Century Fox produced the film on a budget of 17 million dollars.
Damnation Alley received a limited theatrical response, earning about 9 million dollars worldwide against its production cost. On IMDb it holds a rating of 5.3 from roughly 6,500 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.1 from 119 votes. A critics' rating of 4.4 from 12 reviews places it below even the modest audience scores, suggesting a largely unfavorable critical reception.
What's left behind the scenes
- The terrifying killer cockroaches are, in fact, Madagascar hissing cockroaches, just over seven centimeters long and quite friendly. They communicate with each other through hissing, or it is a sign of excitement. Live insects were filmed in close-up, and for shots from a distance or when filming several cockroaches at once, prop insects were used.
- Three hundred male cockroaches were used in the film (to prevent breeding). It took a week to film the scenes with the cockroaches.
- The scene in which Ian-Michael Vincent (1944-2019) dodges giant scorpions on a motorcycle was initially filmed with full-size animatronic insect models. It didn't turn out very well, and images of real scorpions were superimposed on the images of the models during post-production.
- A fully functional Landmaster amphibious all-terrain vehicle, costing $300,000, was constructed for the film. The 10-ton, 11-meter-long body consisted of two articulated sections made of sheet steel and aluminum, had 12 wheels, and a 7-liter Ford engine. It traveled at around 60 km/h on land and reached 5 knots in the water. Inside, it featured bunk beds, a shower, and a bathtub. Later, the Landmaster was used in episodes of the films "Army of Machines" (1994), "Hybrid" (1997), and the series "Get A Life" (1990-1992).
- In 1976, this film was considered the most expensive science fiction project of the 20th Century Fox film company. Hoping for a successful release, the studio spared no effort in promoting it. At the same time, George Lucas’s film "Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope" (1977) could not boast such an advertising budget, and everyone at the studio was absolutely convinced that it would not be successful. The exact opposite happened.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
