Empire of Ash III
Empire of Ash III is a 1989 Canadian post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Lloyd A. Simandl and Michael Mazo and starring Melanie Kilgour, William Smith and Ken Farmer. In the U.S., it was released as Last Of The Warriors. It is a sequel to the 1988 movie known as Empire of Ash, Empire of Ash II or Maniac Warriors.
Plot
In 2050, sometime after a nuclear war, much of the ruling elite has succumbed to a disease that requires a transfusion of blood. Bands of militaristic, government-sanctioned band of nomads called the Warriors, led by the Baalca, forcibly use needles to extract healthy blood from unwilling females and deliver it to the rulers. Zak and Iodine are regarded as a subversive threat to the blood bank troops. Danielle rescues loner Lucas, who later returns the favor and assists her in assembling a group for her sister's rescue as they try to stop the blood harvesting.Production
The film was the second collaboration between Canada's North American Pictures and Wales' EGM International, after Slow Burn, which starred William Smith. Early press materials suggested that the film might be co-directed by North American's Lloyd Simandl and EGM's John Eyres, but Simandl and his usual partner Michael Mazo ended up being credited. North American Pictures used the proceeds of the first Empire of Ash to finance the sequel. It also received some subsidies from B.C. Films, a recently created lottery-funded support program. The project was budgeted at CAD$500,000. Principal photography started on June 4, 1988, and lasted until the end of the month. Like its predecessor, the picture was shot in 16 mm. Filming took place in the Mission and Abbotsford–Matsqui areas of British Columbia, Canada, and it was billed as the first feature shot in the latter. Locales visited included the Ruskin Dam, Dewdney Slough, and several spots on Sumas Mountain: the Kilgard open pit mine, the Cox Landing quarry and the Heritage Valley resort, which served as residence for most of the crew.The stunt coordinator, Ben Derrick of Mission, announced stunts such as a full body burn, a helicopter drop and a 100-feet motorcycle jump, some of which were touted as "never before attempted in Canada." The movie was noted for various BDSM-themed scenes, which harkened back to Simandl's earlier works. One article stated that the film's team numbered 98 people, of which 90 were Canadian. According to another, 103 extras were used, of which 83 were from the Abbotsford area. The Grand Shepherd's car was a 1968 Ford Fairlane customized by a group of Fraser Valley College welding students, based on a design from art director Brian Maxwell Drummond-Hay. The so-called "Battle Wagon" was a 1956 Sicard Industries truck previously used by the RCAF as a runway snow plow. Following the shoot, some of the film's vehicles were exhibited on July 1 at the Historic Transportation Centre in Surrey.