The Aftermath (1982)

aka: Zombie Aftermath
Dir: Steve Barkett

The three astronauts abroad the Nautilus ready the ship for re-entry to the Earth but are disturbed by a lack of radio communication. While checking the equipment a fire breaks out killing Williams (stop motion / visual effects master Jim Danforth) and sending the ship crashing into the ocean a few miles off the coast from Los Angeles. Separated at first by the crash, Newman (Steve Barkett) and Mathews (Larry Latham) reconnect and begin the trek into town puzzled as to why the authorities did not come to investigate the crash. Stopping for the night to rest, they are attacked by mutant creatures; half man, half beast and driven to kill. Luckily for the astronauts they had a campfire going and the creatures are very flammable.

In the morning the pair complete their climb and look down upon L.A., a city that has been destroyed by nuclear warfare.

Setting up base in a mansion in the hills, Mathews stays behind while Newman goes off to explore the devastated city. Seeking shelter from an oncoming radioactive storm by nicking into a museum he finds The Curator (Forrest J Ackerman) and his boy charge Christopher (played by Barkett's son). Dying from radiation poisoning The Curator places the care of the boy in Newman's hands and walks off to die.

4E!

The two continue to explore the city and are shot at by Sarah (Lynne Margulies, sister of Johnny Legend). Sarah has escaped from the clutches of Cutter (Sid Haig) and his murderous gang and mistook Newman for one of Cutter's henchmen sent to retrieve her. Cutter's crew has left a swath of death and destruction behind them as they kill any man they find and kidnap the women to rape at their pleasure back at their compound.

Cutter on a smoke break between killings

As Newman, Sarah and Christopher bond to become the quintessential nuclear family, Newman swears that he will mete out justice against Cutter.

A very perky Sarah

This is Steve Barkett's film all the way as he is writer (story by Stanley Livingston, Chip of MY THREE SONS fame), producer, director and star. He isn't a very good actor or writer or director but he somehow managed to cobble a film together, pass himself off as a macho action star (must be the mustache) and talk a few women into not only getting nekkid but one of them to bed him.

The matte paintings of bombed out L.A. look fantastic but otherwise this is a cut rate project lacking in continuity, thrills and Sid Haig. Haig is the best part of the film but I'm guessing due to the amount of screen time wasn't part of the production for long.

I had watched the film on VHS when it was first released, was bored by it and didn't like it. In a fit of nostalgia, I decided to give it another chance. Thirty years on and I have an appreciation for what Barkett was able to achieve and what little of the script there is isn't bad, but THE AFTERMATH is still a plodding boring film and time ain't gonna change that.

*1/2 out of ****