WARRIORS OF THE YEAR 2072 (1983) (Severin Films Blu-ray Review)

WARRIORS OF THE YEAR 2072 (1983) 

AKA ROME 2072 A.D. THE NEW GLADIATORS 

Label: Severin Films
Region Code: A
Rating: Unrated

Duration: 92 Minutes

Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 with Optional English Subtitles 

Video: 100p HD Widescreen (1.85:1)

Director: Lucio Fulci

Cast: Al Cliver, Jared Martin, Fred Williamson, Howard Ross, Eleonora Brigliadori, Donald O'Brien, Cinzea Monreale

Set in the still futuristic year of 2072 Lucio Fulci's Warriors of the Year 2072 (1983) is a slice of dystopian sci-fi where two worldwide TV stations - Seven Seas and The World Broadcasting System(WBS) have competing "death games" programs . We have the combat by motorbikes show "Kill-Bike" on Seven Seas, while WBS has "The Danger Game" which is a weird virtual-reality sort of game that puts contestants through their worse fears with technology that project their mind's imagery onto the screen. Kill-Bike is the long-running ratings champ though and The Danger Game pales in comparison. The former features a charismatic champion named Drake (Jared Martin, Aenigma), who is popular with viewers. With The Death Game waning in the ratings WBS exec Cortez (Claudio Cassinelli, Murder Rock) is informed my the mysterious station president Junior that they are developing a Kill-Bike knock-off called The New Gladiators which is set inside The Roman Colosseum, and features death row inmates competing to the death for their freedom. To that end Cortez sets in motion a plan to snag Seven Seas star performer Drake, hiring a trio of assassins to murder his wife, in an atmospheric and chilling sequence,  and then frame him as the killer, thereby landing him on death row and a spot on the new program.  

Upon getting to the Colliseum set Drake is greeted by wicked leather-clad warden Raven (Howard Ross, The New York Ripper) and given a rough welcome and then thrown into a cell with his new teammates, death row criminals Akira (Hal Yamanouchi, The Wolverine), Abdul (Fred 'The Hammer' Williamson, 1990: The Bronx Warriors),  and Kirk (Al Cliver, Zombie) who jump him upon his arrives. Also be on the lookout for Donald O’Brien (Dr. Butcher M.D.) as a severely scarred WBS employee who has history with Drake. 

As they are prepared for the debut episode of The New Gladiators the criminals bond as they plan to escape, aided by an attractive WBS computer programmer named Sarah (Eleonora Brigliadori, Beyond Kilimanjaro, Across the River of Blood) who after interviewing Drake believes he's innocent; and sets about sleuthing the truth which leads to her uncovering not just the murder set-up but a bizarre evil corporate A.I.! Connected to that A.I we also have an appearance from Cosimo Cinieri (Manhattan Baby, New York Ripper) also shows up as a professor who has something to do with the A.I. program who is sought out by Sarah. 

I had a great time with this one, it was my first-time watching it, and it's always  a treat to see a Fulci flick I haven't checkout yet, let alone a dystopian sci-fi actioner. It's got some great production value and scope to it, but it's  certainly done on a budget. Also notable are the cool Blade Runner-esque miniatures of the Rome cityscape, including the Coliseum, and some goofier stuff like a ray-gun that freezes the convicts in place that doesn't look that great, but aren't too shabby either if you're a fan of this sort of stuff. Not a ton of gore here, surprising for an early 80's Fulci flick, but it does open with a Poe styled pendulum slicing open the throat of a contestant on The Death Game (featuring Cinzia Monreale of The Beyond), and a few cool fire-stunts and some fantastic gladiator style motorbike action with multiple fiery explosions. This one had a solid vibe that I loved, reminding me of Spartacus by way of Rollerball (1975) with Harris definitely channeling Caan in look and spirit. 

Audio/Video: Warriors of the Year 2072 (1993) arrives on Blu-ray from Severin in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen scanned 4K from the IP. This appears to be an HD master licensed from Studio Canal based on seeing their logo pop-op before the film started. The source is in good shape and has some lush film grain and depth throughout. Color reproduction is solid but there are some soft spots due in part to Fulci's diffused lensing style during this period and the smoke-filled atmosphere that permeates the film, but on the whole this is a fantastic looking release and any shortcoming are source related and no fault of the great-looking scan and transfer. 

Audio comes by way of uncompressed English DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. The dubbed English dialogue is crisp and well-defined with loads of familiar voices for anyone who watches a lot of Italian flicks from the 80s, plus we get a fun 80's synth score from Riz Ortolani (Cannibal Holocaust) that is highlighted on the accompanying soundtrack CD as a bonus.  

Bonus material begins with a great Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, Author Of Splintered Visions – Lucio Fulci & His Films who get into the various titles of the film, the disputed year it's set in and Fulci's declining health. It's another knockout listen from this duo who always deliver a detailed yet conversationally fun evaluation of the film. 

There's a nice heft array of new interviews as well, beginning with the 11-minute The Fulci Tapes: Conversations Between Lucio Fulci and Michele Romagnoli with Fulci addressing his films Manhattan Baby and Warriors of the Year 2072, getting into production issues, the use of miniatures, critic's reception and how he figures mass media will figure into our lives and TV viewing habits in the future. Unloved: Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti is a 16-minute interview with the legendary Italian screenwriter who talks about crafting this film from the remnants of another script about gladiators and infusing it with a Giallo-esque whodunit plot, and how he always seemed to be a few years ahead of his time, also stating that The Running Man ripped off this film a few years later. He also touches on his relationship with the producers and Fulci. The Nicest Villain: Interview With ‘Raven’ Howard Ross is an eighteen-minute chat with the actor who also appeared in Fulci's The New York Ripper and why he was cast in this film, which he recollects quite favorably, complementing Fulci and getting into the filming of a few of the action sequences. 

The Good-Hearted Gladiator: Interview With Actor Al Cliver features the star speaking for 12-minutes quite comfortably on a street stoop in his shorts about working with Fulci beginning with Zombie, and what it was like working in teh Italian film industry in the 80's. Fulci's daughter give a 19-minute interview for My Father, The Hero: Interview With Antonella Fulci, discussing her father's way of treading scripts, the way he treated people, his sense of humor, and commenting on some of his films and how her father's skillset was particularly suited for horror films.  The last two interviews are the 17-minite Photographing the Future: Interview With Cinematographer Giuseppe Pinori who gets into working with Fulci on this film and Murder Rock and the challenges of both, while the 8-minute Four Times Lucio: Interview With Actress Cinzia Monreale features the still quite pretty actress who first started with Fulci on the western Silver Saddle discussing Fulci temper and humor and their friendship. The disc is buttoned-up with a beat-up 3-minute trailer for the film.

The 2-disc BD/CD releases arrives in a dual-hubbed black keepcase with a reversible sleeve of artwork, inside there's a CD containing the Riz Ortolani score and an insert with artwork featuring the track list for the 19-song CD that runs approximately 69-minutes. 

Special Features:
- The Fulci Tapes: Conversations Between Lucio Fulci and Michele Romagnoli (11 min) 
- Unloved: Interview With Screenwriter Dardano Sacchetti (16 min) 
- The Nicest Villain: Interview With ‘Raven’ Howard Ross (18 min) 
- The Good-Hearted Gladiator: Interview With Actor Al Cliver (12 min) 
- My Father, The Hero: Interview With Antonella Fulci (19 min) 
- Photographing the Future: Interview With Cinematographer Giuseppe Pinori (17 min) 
- Four Times Lucio: Interview With Actress Cinzia Monreale (8 min) 
- Audio Commentary With Mondo Digital’s Nathaniel Thompson and Troy Howarth, Author Of Splintered Visions – Lucio Fulci & His Films
- Trailer (3 min) 
- Bonus: Riz Ortolani CD Soundtrack (19 Songs, 69 mins) 
- Reversible Sleeve of Artwork

Warriors of the Year 2072 (1983) is a pretty dang cool post-nuke adjacent sort of flick with some fun gladiator style motorbike carnage and a prison escape/whodunit detour with some interesting ideas and an impressively executed by Fulci with a strong cast. 

 

Screenshots from the Severin Blu-ray:

Extras: