Fortress of Amerikkka

Fortress of Amerikkka is a 1989 American action film directed by Eric Louzil and distributed by Troma Entertainment.

Fortress of Amerikkka
DVD cover
Directed byEric Louzil
Written byEric Louzil
Produced byLloyd Kaufman
Michael Herz
StarringGene LeBrock
Kellee Bradley
David Crane
William J. Kulzer
Karen Michaels
Douglas C. Fox
Scot Perlstein
CinematographyRon Chapman
Edited byDiane Robinson
Music byDave Ouimet
Distributed byTroma Entertainment
Release date
  • August 1989 (1989-08)
Running time
100 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

The film follows John Whitecloud, a criminal rebel who seeks revenge against a corrupt Sheriff and a militia run by a crazed General.

Production

The production is presented as an attempt to deal with political topics, with which Troma was not generally associated, Lloyd Kaufman saying about the film: "It was about a futuristic society where everyone in the world hates America. What a preposterous idea that is! "[1]

Release

The film was theatrically released as Fortress of Amerikkka: The Mercenaries. Troma released a VHS and then DVD version of much disputed quality (respectively qualified as "borderline unwatchable" and "scuzzy").[2] Vinegar Syndrome released a Blu-ray edition in 2020.[3]

Reception

DVD Talk said the film "would have been decent. Not great or even good, but worthy of wasting a Friday evening on. But with his movie mania in overdrive and his head in a geo-political treatise instead of a story of vicious, villainous vice, Louzil loses control of the chaos and his film crashes and burns."[4] Another recent review contains a similar assessment of the film: "Fortress of Amerikkka initially presents itself as a considered understanding of divisiveness and American values, offering an introduction that details the central crisis between those who choose to live in the country and those who seek to control it under the guise of patriotism. There's a moment when the feature seems like a prescient look at the world we live in today, offering a brutal but accurate understanding of armed wackos and the hyper-masculine, Rambo-loving world they live in. Alas, this is a Troma Entertainment production, so hope for a nuanced understanding of militia activity and thinking isn't a priority. Instead of a blistering critique of American life, writer/director Eric Louzil (Bikini Beach Race, Class of Nuke 'Em High Part II: Subhumanoid Meltdown) is out to make an exploitation movie filled with dim-witted characters, loud gunplay, and topless women. That's the basic shape of Fortress of Amerikkka, which vacillates between graphic, mean-spirited violence and goofball antics with broad performances. There's some entertainment value in the absurdity of Louzil's screenplay, but the endeavor falls short of its potential, missing a chance to give Troma a real politicized offering to help them break free of their low-budget formula."[5]

References
  1. Kaufman, Lloyd (2012-09-10). Produce Your Own Damn Movie!. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-136-05942-1.
  2. "Fortress of Amerikkka". www.mondo-digital.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  3. "Fortress of Amerikkka (Vinegar Syndrome) Blu-ray Review". Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  4. Gibron, Bill. "Fortress of Amerikkka". DVD Talk. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  5. Fortress of Amerikkka Blu-ray (Vinegar Syndrome Exclusive), retrieved 2023-04-17

Bibliography
  • Daniel R. Budnik, 80s Action Movies on the Cheap 284 Low Budget, High Impact Pictures (McFarland, 2017), p. 219
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