sol- Orbiting the globe with a nuclear bomb, three military astronauts debate when to drop their payload and whether to return to Earth after nuclear war breaks out between the United States and Russia in this speculative Canadian thriller. The film begins well, tapping into Cold War tensions that still existed in the early 1980s and with some very intense moments as the trio argue about when to drop the bomb and then later where the safest place to land on Earth is, given radioactive fallout. The special effects and sets in these early scenes are excellent and the film milks the trio's uncertainty for all it is worth as they keep seeing intermittent, truncated broadcasts and have no idea of what is really going on. The film changes tune though as they eventually crash-land and while Maury Chaykin is solid as always as the first survivalist they encounter, things soon go downhill; the second half of the movie comes off as a poor rehash of 'Mad Max 2' as Chaykin and the surviving astronauts become subject to the tyranny of a young dictator who has assumed command. This second-half is so lacklustre - and full of such lifeless characters - that it almost justifies the film's uncannily low IMDb score. When one factors in the awesome first twenty minutes though and all the initial scenes with Chaykin, it is hard to be so harsh on the film. There is a lot of interest here even if it concludes on a weak note.

Coventry "Def-Con 4" can basically be described as a mundane and ordinary post- apocalyptic Sci-Fi/thriller from the mid-80's, but at least it has a couple of semi-original elements in store. There were most 'after the nuclear bomb' movies were uninspired clones of "Mad Max: The Road Warrior", with flamboyantly tuned vehicles and deranged Mohawk villains, this film at least tries to put the emphasis a little more on depth and characters drawings. Although I really like "Mad Max" and most of its clones (especially the Italian ones), admittedly it's not a very plausible post-apocalyptic scenario that all remaining survivors will go bonkers and drive around in eccentric buggies. Anyway, "Def-Con 4" starts from a fairly inventive viewpoint. Whilst orbiting around in a satellite and minding their own business, a three-headed crew of astronauts witnesses how our planet Earth is destroyed during a short but devastating nuclear war between the US and USSR. Two months later, their board computer get "hijacked" and the satellite crash-lands in unknown and probably extremely hostile territory. Quickly after their captain Walker is ripped to pieces by unseen assailants, sole survivors Jordon and Howe end up in a secluded camp run by a pretentious teenager. He's the leader because his parents were rich, influential and owned a helicopter. You'd think people don't care about financial status anymore in a world destroyed by nuclear missiles, but apparently they do. "Def- Con 4" is full of illogical and implausible stuff similar to this, as a matter a fact. Do you reckon it only takes two months for survivors of a nuclear holocaust to turn into cannibalistic savages? Two months of hunger and disease and people are ready to devour fellow person's ripped off arms and rape women with nicely red aureoles. We're doomed, I tell you. Still, if you manage to overlook the dumb errors in the script, this might become an enjoyable little Sci-Fi treat with a decent first half hour and a familiarly tacky climax. The "evil" characters are quite funny and actually come across as pathetic instead of menacing. Kevin King tries hard to act like a genuine bastard, especially when he deliberately drops the freshly baked steak of his paralyzed computer specialist in the mud, but it really doesn't help that he has a cute baby-face and high school jock attitude. His first commander is a sort of albino Nazi and their legal system is a throwback to Medieval times. You survived atomic bombs and now you're going to hang people?!? Please!

Red-Barracuda A group of American astronauts orbit the Earth in a top secret nuclear warhead carrying spaceship. Suddenly World War 3 breaks out down below and the ship is unexpectedly put into a program to land. On arrival on the planet, they are soon captured by a warlord who has emerged after the war.Def-Con 4 is a low budget Canadian attempt at a post-apocalyptic sci-fi action-thriller. These films were ten-a-penny back in the mid 80's. They were often low budget but full of enough action and violence to get away with it. This movie certainly fits the criteria but it fails to impress. I think this is due to a mix of things. The budget is perhaps TOO low, meaning that the sets are very limited. There are also no characters to get overly excited about. There's no one really worth rooting for and that doesn't help. And finally, the story line just seems so under-developed and almost random. It's taking the audiences credibility to the limit to think that the day after a nuclear war, the general population will resemble a Mad Max movie.Not terrible but not good. If you have a tolerance for cheesy and cheap 80's sci-fi movies then you could find something here of interest.

Scarecrow-88 Three astronauts operating an American satellite in space orbiting the globe, carrying a package of warheads, during a turbulent time on Earth as nuclear is a penetrating threat where war is imminent. When an American thermonuclear warhead lands in Russia, supposedly released by terrorists, which doesn't explode, chaos ensues, and the astronauts, faced with the fact that their loved ones and friends will perish, can only look on as the Earth is plunged into worldwide war. Someone from the ground below on Earth, after the nuclear devastation ends with most of the world dead from the nukes landed or dying from radiation in the air, triggers a program which forces the astronauts to land. Landing on a beach, the doctor Jordan(Kate Lynch)is knocked unconscious, while Captain Walker(John Walsch)is removed from the crash-landed capsule by cannibals which cook him over a fire, as astronaut Howe(Tim Choate) tries to find help. Awaiting Howe and Jordan will be a militant group under the command of baby-faced teenager Gideon Hayes(Kevin King)who operates a make-shift concentration camp(..he was the son of a military man, and successfully survived a helicopter crash, leaving him a broke-backed satellites specialist and girlfriend)with other school chums as gunmen. With Gideon's lieutenant Lacey(Jeff Pustil), a pathetic goon who relishes his powerful role which puts him in position to bark orders(..when in truth he'd be mincemeat if left in this world without such company), they take the remaining astronauts hostage, and the rest of the film shows their attempts to break free from his totalitarian grip. We are also shown that, despite most of the warheads having released from the satellite, one has remained lodged in it's chamber counting down to it's explosion time.Maury Chaykin has an amusing role as a filthy civilian named Vinny who, for a time, threatens Howe's life if he doesn't take him to the space capsule full of food, before taken prisoner by Gideon. Lenore Zann is Gideon's Achilles' heel, ex-girlfriend JJ, for whom he still covets despite her rejections. Amusingly, JJ was Vinny's "prisoner"(..but basically, she was using his booby-trapped abode as a hide-out from Gideon)who attempts to help Howe escape. I enjoyed the opening of the film inside the capsule with our astronauts showing their emotions at what was transpiring on Earth. The last portion of the film, once we enter Gideon's concentration camp, kind of ruins an otherwise interesting premise..the idea of astronauts crash-landing on a nuclear devastated world. Gideon, played by King who looks all of 17, as a leader is a bit of a stretch..it's hard to believe that he, Lacey, or any of these teenage clowns, with(..or without) guns could operate a camp of any kind. Gideon is quite a despicable bastard..a kid obviously born with a silver spoon in his mouth and the world at his feet(..there's one scene where he promises his satellite specialist a cooked steak if he reveals a certain password, going back on his word once getting what he desired). But, would such a military brat survive a nuclear devastated world becoming a feared leader over slaves? Bah, I doubt it. I think the film has it's moments, and certainly isn't the worst movie every made as claimed during the user comments. I found it minimally entertaining, being a sucker for post-apoc sci-fi..but, it could've been much better with a more believable story(..and a more realistic villain(s))and focused direction. To start so well, and fall so short is a bit disappointing. I truly feel the film would've served better if the story remained centered on the three astronauts and their adapting to a devastated world.