This week’s retro trailer is for the 1987 post-apocalyptic martial arts action flick Steel Dawn, which stars Patrick Swayze as a wandering, sword-wielding warrior known only as Nomad.
Set in a desolate desert wasteland following a devastating war, Nomad roams the sand-blasted ruins of civilization searching for peace, but ends up caught in a battle between a peaceful farming settlement and a ruthless warlord who wants to control the region’s only water source.
Along the way, Nomad finds redemption, romance, and a whole lot of slow-motion sword fighting. Think Mad Max meets The Karate Kid, but with a mystical swordsman twist.
What makes Steel Dawn such a wild ride is its bizarre mashup of genres and aesthetics. The film blends ‘80s action cheese with spaghetti western vibes, samurai movie influences, and an inexplicable amount of interpretive martial arts.
Swayze, complete with a gravity-defying mullet and brooding glare, brings a strangely zen vibe to a desert swordsman who delivers roundhouse kicks and deep philosophical quotes in equal measure.
Add in mutant scavengers, psychic monks, and a villain with a mullet nearly as glorious as Swayze’s, and you’ve got a movie that’s both totally bonkers and weirdly sincere.
It’s a cult gem that’s so offbeat, it has to be seen to be believed.
