Tina Turner wasn't in this one...
January 8, 2011 9:39 AM   Subscribe

What was the film I saw about 15 years ago? Female lead in a Mad Max-esque dystopia. May have been on earth, maybe not.

The lead was a woman in her early twenties. I seem to recall she had red hair and was quite slim. She might have been wearing a red baggy jumper of some kind.

In one scene, she's taken prisoner by a guy in some sort of vehicle. He may have been part of the vehicle. This character threw the lead into some water so she could wash. Another guy appeared, also in a vehicle. There was the sound of children singing, in an angelic choir sense. Children appeared at the top of some cliffs surrounding the characters, seemed to exchange bombs and then throw them on the three below.

The next scene I remember has the lead trying to break into some kind of compound, or maybe city. She goes in (possibly) through a sewer system. As she gets close to breaking in, she goes into a larger area that is flooded with water and is followed by what appear to be "evil mermaids".

The next scene I recall has some kind of mad scientist drawing life energy from people. They stand in front of a machine that has circular pink fluorescent tubes. We see a woman in a beige jumpsuit having the procedure performed on her. The energy is being drained for a man who is also part machine. He sticks out of the top of it, and has a white face. He seems to be the leader of the community.

The next scene I recall is the female lead being punished (?) by being made to go through some kind of maze filled with traps and spikes and such, with the white faced guy in charge. Lots of people are there watching her go round.

I first saw this film about 15 years ago, but it was on TV (possibly on video, though this is unlikely), not at the cinema. There was a very Waterworld/Planet of the Apes feel to it, like humanity had destroyed itself.

Any ideas?
posted by Solomon to Media & Arts (18 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
And it didn't have Iggy Pop in it?
posted by Artw at 9:41 AM on January 8, 2011


Response by poster: No, that's not it. It was in colour. The female lead might have been trying to pass as male.
posted by Solomon at 9:53 AM on January 8, 2011


Cherry 3000?
posted by hnnrs at 9:55 AM on January 8, 2011


Tank Girl?
posted by timsteil at 10:02 AM on January 8, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: No, not Cherry 3000 either. The female lead was definitely human. I think I recall her being put into the energy draining machine.
posted by Solomon at 10:04 AM on January 8, 2011


I came in here to suggest Tank Girl as well.
posted by ThaBombShelterSmith at 10:09 AM on January 8, 2011


Tank Girl - trailer
posted by philip-random at 10:11 AM on January 8, 2011


Best answer: Space Hunter
posted by gmm at 10:15 AM on January 8, 2011


Response by poster: No, it's not Tank Girl. Less Gwen Stefani, more street urchin with short hair.
posted by Solomon at 10:17 AM on January 8, 2011


Response by poster: I think gmm has it. I'll need to see it to make sure, but the plot seems very familiar.

Thanks folks.
posted by Solomon at 10:21 AM on January 8, 2011


If it's not Space Hunter, any chance you might have seen it on sci-fi channel's short film show, Exposure? I've found that a lot of half-remembered film memories of mine are from there.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 10:41 AM on January 8, 2011


Best answer: I am going to put in a vote for Space Hunter. I definitely remember a scene where the female character had to go through a trap maze thing. And I recall the evil guy.... after she gets through she says something like "But you said you'd let me go if I succeeded!".... and evil guy beautifully delivers the line... "I lied!"
posted by Decani at 2:52 PM on January 8, 2011


Here you go... the baddie was called "Overdog"
posted by Decani at 2:53 PM on January 8, 2011


Heh.
posted by Decani at 2:58 PM on January 8, 2011


Maybe a poorly-remembered Barbarella?
posted by Muttoneer at 4:18 PM on January 8, 2011


Response by poster: It's definitely Space Hunter. I got hold of a copy last night and watched it. Terrible but enjoyable.
posted by Solomon at 3:26 AM on January 9, 2011


Well, Tank Girl's not exactly Gone With The Wind either.
posted by philip-random at 10:48 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: I've never seen either film.
posted by Solomon at 11:31 AM on January 9, 2011


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