Def-Con 4 - 1985

The question about this film that attacked me as I watched it:  is it bad or is it brilliant?  Is it awful or is it awesome?  The very fact I asked that versus say, why am I watching this movie, is a good sign. Or, would it really hurt that bad to set myself on fire?  I don't know what it was about this movie, but this movie walked that thin line between genius and pure trash better than just about anything I've seen, and that's a whole shitload o' movies.

Def-Con 4 may be the dark horse in that classic analysis of what's a cult classic and what's not.  Man, that is a fucking awesome way to describe this movie.  Yes, in the venerable race to find out what deserves a following and what doesn't there's the clear winners and the clear losers.  But then outta nowhere sometimes a movie will show up, outta no where, and it'll be the SHIT and that is the dark horse.  Yeah dude.  And Def-Con 4 might just be a dark horse.

Def-Con 4 has lot a of ingredients to make it classic and lots of added bonuses as well.  It has an awesome cast, played very well, having fun on set, not caring too much about their characters.  None of them are known, but they were all great in their roles and they are memorable.  It had a great concept, the tried and true post-apocalypse world.  Always a good niche, the post apocalypse wherein some innocents verse some evil, and this time it's a couple astronauts who were in space while the world got destroyed versus the evil gangs that live on Earth after the destruction.

Earth, as you know, will immediately fall into complete chaos if a bomb ever goes off.  Not only will it kill off fauna and flora, it will dry up water, destroy buildings and cars, but it will conveniently not kill people or destroy their clothes.  It's gonna be a weird apocalypse.  So earth is ruled by gangs, astronauts land, astronaut Howe goes to get help.  Help does not exist, rather there is evil man Vinny.  Vinny and top girl JJ have a pretty tight leash over everyone and although JJ doesn't like it, Vinny is in control.

Howe and Vinny clash cause Howe initially says he has food, Vinny and JJ (who was played by Lenore Zann, aka the voice of Rogue in the 90's X-Men show, fuck yeah) have differing opinions, he sentences her to death and eventually she is good, that's the point. Whatever, plot analysis over.  Fun shit happens.  That's the plot.

It was just classic.  Surprisingly good cinematography, great cast, low enough budget to be creative....I tell ya Canadian sci fi movies get ragged on but are usually surprisingly good IMO.  This one is no exception.  At the risk of two similar reviews back to back (The Head)  this movie might have to get 5 stars.