Barb Wire (1996)

Director:

David Hogan

Writers (WGA):

Chris Warner (characters in comic)
Ilene Chaiken (story)

Release Date:

3 May 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Don't call me babe!

Plot:

Post-Apocalyptic remake of "Casablanca" set in a strip club.

Plot Keywords:

Bar | Bounty Hunter | Breasts | Busty Heroine | Dark Horse Comics

Awards:

1 win & 6 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Jan. 6

3:50 AM

HBO

Cast

Amir Aboulela	...	Patron
Adriana Alexander	...	Redhead
David Andriole	...	Goon #2
Vanessa Lee Asher	...	Emily
Ron Balicki	...	Customs Agent #1
Jennifer Banko	...	Spike
Candace Kita	...	Dancer (as Candace Camille Bender)
Xander Berkeley	...	Alexander Willis
Tony Bill	...	Foster
Alex Bookston	...	Man in White Suit
Gil Borgos	...	Old Man
Andre Rosey Brown	...	Big Fatso
Mark Collver	...	Manny (as Marc Collver)
Tina Cote	...	Woman in Bar #1 (as Tina Coté)
Vinnie Curto	...	Aide to Pryzer

Also Known As:

Barb·Wire (USA) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and nudity/sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:98 min | USA:100 min (unrated version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:15 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1996) | Singapore:NC-16 | South Korea:18 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:M | Canada:18A (unrated version) | Finland:K-15 | Germany:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (certificate #34430) | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Dark Horse Entertainment

Trivia:

The film's producers took the unusual step of announcing there would be no sequel after it's disappointing opening. In a 2002 interview Pamela Anderson stated that she would not have been interested in one anyway and that the late decision to include nudity and more violence was a mistake.

Goofs:

Continuity: In Barb's war flashback we see her in a military uniform next to a helicopter that's about to take off. In some shots her left hand is on her helmet but in other shots it's at her side.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Alexander Willis: Where will you go now, Barb?
Barb Wire: Well, I hear Paris is nice this time of year.
Alexander Willis: Mind if I tag along with you?
Barb Wire: Don't mind.
Alexander Willis: I do believe I'm falling in love.
Barb Wire: Get in line!

Movie Connections:

References Casablanca (1942)

Soundtrack:

Dancing Barefoot

A fair time-killer.

"Barb Wire" was pretty transparently designed as a showcase for both Pamela Anderson's body (too "artificial" for my taste) and her newly-acquired martial arts skills (which, I must say, are quite remarkable). Other than that, it has nothing new to offer to the sci-fi/comic-book adventure genre, although it has a few (too few!) well-executed action sequences and a more professional look than thematically similar crap like "The Demolitionist". (**)