Empire of Ash
| Empire of Ash | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Michael Mazo Lloyd A. Simandl |
| Written by | Lloyd A. Simandl Saul Urbonas |
| Story by | Lloyd A. Simandl |
| Produced by | John A. Curtis Michael Mazo Lloyd A. Simandl |
| Starring | Melanie Kilgour Thom Schioler Frank Wilson Sandy Mackenzie James Stevens Michele Chiponski |
| Cinematography | Nathaniel Massey |
| Edited by | Michael Mazo |
| Music by | Tom Lavin Bill Buckingham |
Production company | North American Pictures |
| Distributed by | North American Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | CAD$400,000 |
Empire of Ash is a 1988 Canadian post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Lloyd A Simandl and Michael Mazo, and starring Melanie Kilgour, Thom Schioler and Frank Wilson. In some markets, the film was released as Empire of Ash II. In the U.S., it was released as Maniac Warriors.
Plot
[edit]In 2050, sometime after a nuclear war, Danielle searches for her missing sister in New Idaho. All cities have been destroyed and humanity lives in small groups scattered through the countryside. The Warriors, a government-sanctioned paramilitary group lead by an insane man, have kidnapped the healthy sister in an attempt to harvest her healthy blood. Danielle meets a man named Orion, who joins her in her quest.
Cast
[edit]- Melanie Kilgour as Danielle
- Thom Schioler as Orion
- Frank Wilson as Shepherd
- James Stevens as Iodine
- Alexander MacKenzie as Chuck
- Michele Chiponski as Baalca
- Ann Louise Meyer
- Eric Horsfall as Grandpa
- Michael Bernardo as Head Raider
- David Gregg as Rocket Man
- Richard Candy as Savage Gunner
- Nic Amoroso as Main Unit Raider
Production
[edit]Principal photography took place around September 1987 in British Columbia, Canada, the home province of Lloyd A. Simandl's North American Pictures.[1] The forests surrounding Squamish stood in for Idaho.[2] The antagonists' main vehicle, the "Battle Wagon", was a customized snowplow that was brought in from Whistler.[3] Stuntman Blaine Lamoureux suffered an eye injury from a prop gun fired by Melanie Kilgour, and later sued both the actress and production company for damages.[1] Like other early North American projects, it was photographed in 16 mm.[4] The film was scheduled for completion in January 1988.[5] It cost just CAD$400,000 to make.[3]
Release
[edit]Pre-release
[edit]Although North American Pictures' sister outfit North American Releasing was in charge of sales,[4] the movie was represented by Alexander Beck Enterprises at the 1988 American Film Market. By that time, it had been renamed Empire of Ash II in an apparent effort to drum up additional business.[6][7] By early 1989, its sequel was in the can but the film had not yet found a U.S. distributor.[8]
Television
[edit]The film received its Canadian premiere on premium cable channel First Choice on January 5, 1990, as Empire of Ash II.[9][10]
Home media
[edit]In the U.S., the film was belatedly released on May 6, 1992, by A.I.P. Home Video, who renamed it again to Maniac Warriors.[11][12] In Australia, the film was approved for release by the ACB on June 29, 1988, and the tape from Macro Entertainment retained the Empire of Ash title.[13][14] In the U.K., the film was approved for release by the BBFC on September 6, 1989, and the tape from Mogul Communications also went by Empire of Ash.[15] By September 1989, the film had made back more than twice its budget.[3]
Reception
[edit]Empire of Ash has received negative reviews. TV Guide granted that "the romantic leads are personable" but found "no saving graces" with anything else, blasting a "slovenly photographed and sluggishly directed" film, plagued by "the amateurish playing of the remaining cast" and "half asleep" special effects.[16] British publication Elliot's Guide to Home Entertainment derided "[a] low-budget Mad Max clone of inane dialogue, minimal plotting and mindless action."[17]
Sequel
[edit]The film received a sequel the following year, Empire of Ash III.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Stuntman sues". The Province. Vancouver. Sep 4, 1988. p. 13 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ Walsh, Michael (Mar 7, 2015). "Feature Films Made in Vancouver [Part 9: Encore II]". reelingback.com. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ a b c Ip, Greg (September 30, 1989). "Getting in on the action". The Vancouver Sun. p. B8 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ a b Bidd, Donald, ed. (1990). "Directory of producers and distributors". Film/Video Canadiana 1987–1988. Montreal: National Film Board of Canada; National Archives of Canada; National Library of Canada; La Cinémathèque québécoise. p. 103. ISSN 0836-1002.
- ^ Dietz, Diane (Dec 3, 1987). "So, you wanna be a star". The Bellingham Herald. p. C1 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ Chatenever, Rick (March 11, 1988). "The Spice of Life". Santa Cruz Sentinel. p. 10 (Spotlight) – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ Newton, James (2021). The Mad Max Effect: Road Warriors in International Exploitation Cinema. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. p. 135. ISBN 9781501342295.
- ^ "Sneaks '89". Los Angeles Times/Calendar. Jan 15, 1989. p. 21 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ Charles, John (November–December 1992). "Retitlings". Video Watchdog. No. 14. Cincinnati: Tim Lucas. pp. 20–21. ISSN 1070-9991.
- ^ "Tuesday (Cont.)". Niagara Falls Review/TV Scene. Jan 5, 1990. p. 16-A – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ "The New and Reviewed: Video Calendar". The Charlotte Observer/Break. May 6, 1992. p. 12 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ Hartl, John (May 2, 1992). "Top Canadian film 'Commond Bonds' goes straight to video". The Daily Dispatch and Argus. Moline. Seattle Times. p. C9 – via newspapers.com (subscription required) .
- ^ "Empire of Ash II". classification.gov.au. Australian Government – Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "Empire of Ash (Australia)". videocollector.co. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "EMPIRE OF ASH | British Board of Film Classification". www.bbfc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07.
- ^ "Maniac Warriors: Review". tvguide.com. Archived from the original on Oct 16, 2015.
- ^ Elliot, John (1990). "The Films". Elliot's Guide to Home Entertainment (1st ed.). London: Boxtree. ISBN 1852832991.