The New Barbarians (1983)

Every time cinema has a game-changer (in this case, 'Mad Max' and the entire genre of 'post-apocalyptic dystopia movies'), it's fascinating to watch how various countries and cultures react to the instant knowledge that 'something new is out there that can bring in for us a lot of money'. For this Italian effort, which needed very little in the way of budgeting for either actors, set design or costumes, it's not bad. Director Castellari brings to it an action-packed flow which never flags for a moment. (The 87-year-old Rome native--God bless him--is directing 'Keoma Rises' at the moment, hi…