America 3000 - Sam and Justin’s ”Citizen Kane”

Arguably the most unique of post-apocalyptic films and Cannon Group's darling, it's also one of the most under-rated budget films of history. This is a big deal folks and 2/3 Stinker Madness host's favorite b-movie.

PA films commonly suffer from their own existence. Most only take place in a "nuked" world because, welll... the desert is just right there. So they shoot this crappy $0 action film in a post-apocalyptic world because it's super cheap to do. The world they live in isn't even the focus. Then tack on a bunch of b-movie tropes (cars with random crap bolted on it, skimpy lady outfits, the chef-d'œuvre usually in the form of a head coming off or exploding at some point) and you've just got a bunch of people chasing each other around in the dirt. Whoopee!

America 3000 busts directly through all that, possibly accidentally, and tells a multi-layered, universe-driven story, where the focus is shifted away from giant radioactive cockroaches or Zardoz-like swinger communities, and into a world with deep political divides, GofT style conspiracies and plotting, societal conflicts and complications and humanitarian issues. All while fitting in a balding Sasquatch and a Hal Needham level of chaos battle-scene.

Wait, did you say there is a Sasquatch in this movie? Yes, there is Aargh. Aargh the Awful, in fact. A character like Aargh in just about any other crappy film we cover would be the lone reason to show up. Yet this is more of a "all this stuff plus there is Aargh" type scenario.

America 3000 is a missed treasure in film history on either side of the good/bad genre of film enjoyment and film study. It's competently made on a tight-budget with a beautifully deep story that is truly like an onion. The characters are endearing, the action is excellent (and dangerous), the comedy is solid, the music is amazing, and worth watching over and over again - if only to fully comprehend how complex the world-building is. It's like a 18 course meal fit for Georgie Porgie, finished with a Creme de Aaargh, the greatest freeze-frame/credits ever made.

It's Justin and Sam's favorite bad movie of all time and sits squarely atop the "Bad Movie Hall of Fame" like a proud mutated Bigfoot man that loves rock n' roll. No greater thing can be enjoyed in the world. It's "hot plastic".