In this genre, Mad Max is the undisputed benchmark, inspiring countless imitators. Johnny Hallyday himself seemed to be a huge fan of George Miller’s film, donning a Mel Gibson-esque look and wielding an axe on stage during his early 1980s concerts. Terminus was intended to make him the French Mad Max. The film was directed by renowned cinematographer Pierre-William Glenn, who had worked with major French filmmakers (Rivette, Truffaut, Demy, Costa-Gavras, Tavernier…). The futuristic world was designed by Enki Bilal, and the international cast included Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Jürgen Prochnow (The Keep). However, despite the ambitious production, Johnny—sporting peroxide-blond hair for the occasion—crashed and burned along with his truck, as the film turned out to be a spectacular failure.

On a much smaller budget, Italian director Enzo G. Castellari (Keoma) launched a post-apocalyptic trilogy with The New Barbarians. In addition to Mad Max, he borrowed elements from John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (another cornerstone of the post-apo genre) and Walter Hill’s The Warriors. Castellari was a master of imitation—his previous film, Great White, was so similar to Jaws that it led to a lawsuit. However, with this new genre, he found a natural affinity… even if these films never reached the heights of his masterpieces in spaghetti western and poliziottesco cinema!