Damnation Alley

Damnation Alley (1977) starring George Peppard, Jan-Michael Vincent

Synopsis of Damnation Alley

Damnation Alley – In a post-apocalyptic world, a group of survivors travel and find other settlements in huge custom designed all-terrain vehicles.

Review of Damnation Alley

In Damnation Alley, George Peppard and Jan-Michael Vincent go on a road trip.  A post-apocalyptic road trip.  After nuclear war has knocked the Earth of its axis, a road trip.  To find survivors, and try to make it to Albany, New York, the only source of a radio transmission afterward.  A road trip with:

• Giant scorpions
• Killer cockroaches
• Insane “mountain men”.
• Really bad weather – including flooding that turns over the vehicle, a sandstorm that kills multiple people.

Damnation Alley is a cult classic, due to no small part to the special vehicle that they take their road trip it.  In a real sense, it’s the star of the film.  Although the various actors have done excellent performances elsewhere, the performances here are fairly wooden.

Cast of characters in Damnation Alley

• 1st Lt. Jake Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent, Airwolf).  Air Force veteran, who fired the retaliatory strike with Denton.  Now, simply trying to survive.
• Major Eugene “Sam” Denton (George Peppard, Blue Max, A-Team).  A “by the book” military man, in charge of the expedition.
• Janice (Dominique Sanda, The Conformist).  A young lady, rescued by them who joins the group.  She had been living in an abandoned casino – and had thought that she was the last survivor.
• Tom Keegan (Paul Winfield, The Terminator, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan).  Former airman, an aspiring artist, and Tanner’s friend. He has a “close encounter” with cockroaches.  His friendship with Tanner is one of the most relatable parts of the movie.
• Billy (Jackie Earle Haley, Watchmen).  A teenage boy who’s been living on his own, since the death of his father.  A likable young man, who throws a mean rock.
• Lieutenant Tom Perry (Kip Niven, Airport 1975).  Denton’s right-hand man, a by-the-book military type.  He sadly dies relatively early in the sandstorm.

Updated February 10, 2022