Aftermath | 1982 | USA | Steve Barkett

Written, produced, directed, and headlined by actor/filmmaker Steve Barkett, Aftermath is a post-apocalyptic science fiction/action/horror hybrid that takes inspiration from many other sources. An astronaut called Newman returns to Earth after a mission, only to discover that nuclear war has been waged in his absence, reducing the planet to a desolate wasteland. After finding the surface is rampant with cut-throat slavers, gangs and mutated humans, Newman decides to take a stand by looking after the orphaned Chris and attempting to save his love interest Sarah from the diabolic sadist, Cutter. While the film is cheaply made, it has a charm evoked heavily by Barkett’s efforts to make an entertaining ride, but sequences involving mutants and shotgun decapitations soured the DPP’s tenderness towards it.