History Film / DamnationAlley

The [=LandMaster=] prop is arguably the best thing in this movie, and went on to have almost as long [[PropRecycling a career in cinema]] as the human star, Jan-Michael Vincent.

* ThereWasADoor: When Tanner and Janice are trapped in a parking garage by the swarm of cockroaches, the [=LandMaster=] just blasts its way in and out with the mortars.

* DullSurprise: During the nuclear war in the prologue, none of the soldiers seem to notice or care (despite an annoucement of the fact) that the world is literally ending, civilization and society are being destroyed and everyone they've ever known is being annihilated by nuclear weapons. Hell, Major Denton sounds absolutely bored, reading off a list of cities that have been hit by Soviet nukes (including Chicago, where his wife is) as if it's a list of [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] draft picks.

* HostileWeather: The first casualty of the expedition occurs when tornadoes overturn one of the [=LandMaster=]'s and the driver breaks his neck. Later a hurricane causes torrential rains that flood Detroit.

* TruthInTelevision: The accident that devastates the military base was a fire started by a guy who nodded off while smoking.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: During the nuclear war in the prologue, none of the soldiers seem to notice or care (despite an annoucement of the fact) that the world is literally ending, civilization and society are being destroyed and everyone they've ever known is being annihilated by nuclear weapons. Hell, Major Denton sounds absolutely bored, reading off a list of cities that have been hit by Soviet nukes (including Chicago, where his wife is) as if it's a list of [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] draft picks.

* AwesomePersonnelCarrier: The [=LandMaster=]. Armed to the teeth with [[StuffBlowingUp rockets, mortars]] and [[MoreDakka machine-guns]], amphibious, large enough to hold several people comfortably (complete with bathroom and shower), an internal navigation system and radio, with a triple-wheel arrangement on each axle that allows it to go over obstacles with minimum fuss. Doubling the awesome is the fact that the thing ''actually worked.'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26n3RsXNyKE This interview by Dean Jeffries showcases the awesome]].

* AttackOfTheKillerWhatever: The cockroaches of Salt Lake City.
* BaseOnWheels / BigBadassRig: The [=LandMaster=].
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Strictly speaking averted, in that he's not the first of the group of survivors to die, but he doesn't come close to surviving the trip either. The fact he is played by Creator/PaulWinfield assures his fate.

* CockroachesWillRuleTheEarth: The survival team makes a brief stop in what's left of Salt Lake City. Of course, everyone's dead, and most of the taller buildings were leveled. The first clue that something hungry is afoot is a pair of human skeletons seated in a car, where even the upholstery is gone, leaving only the springs and frames. The team becomes target of a swarm of huge cockroaches, about 10 inches (25 cm) long. The protagonists bug out of there, minus Keegan, who was last seen about to be nibbled to death.

* DidntThinkThisThrough: The airman who smokes in the gas valve room with a clear sign warning not to smoke ends up blowing the whole base and kickstarting the road trip plot.
* DirtForcefield: Despite Major Denton setting a roster of one shower per week, the main characters look like they take one every day. Only the Mountain Men they encounter look remotely dirty.

* EatenAlive: [[spoiler: Keegan gets [[DeathOfAThousandCuts nibbled]] to death by cockroaches.]]

* HostileWeather: The first casualty of the expedition is when the second [=LandMaster=] is overturned by a tornado after the crew tries to dig in. Later a hurricane causes torrential rains that flood Detroit.

* RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil: The "Mountain Men" make it clear that they intend to rape Janice--indeed they get annoyed when they assume that one of them has started without them. This contrasts with Tanner who's mentioned as having been a rapist in the original novel, but here Keegan [[AdaptationalHeroism rubbishes the idea that Janice has any reason to be concerned about him]].

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Major Denton is assumed to be a tightass but he's right in that discipline will break down completely if he isn't. When they leave on their expedition, he doesn't trust Tanner but is only as hard as he needs to be to assert his authority.

* ScaryScorpions: Giant mutated ones make a brief appearance.

* {{Superdickery}}: At the start of the post-WW3 scene, Tanner has apparently rescued a woman on his dirt bike, but then throws her off to lighten the load and distract the giant scorpions attacking him. Keegan is quite shocked until he looks through his telescope and realises that 'she' is a store dummy.
* TheSwarm: The cockroaches again.
* TagalongKid: Billy. They find him wandering the badlands and take pity on him.
* ThereWasADoor: The [=LandMaster=] is used to blast into and out of a parking garage.

* CosyCatastrophe: The people of Albany have apparently been doing quite well despite the catastrophe.
* CreepyCockroach: A swarm of flesh-eating ones, capable of leaving their victims StrippedToTheBone, devours Keegan alive.
* DeathWorld: Earth, after the nuclear exchange. Narrative titles point out that the weather has gone mad, among other things, and the titular "Damnation Alley" is explicitly the path of ''least'' resistance through the irradiated wasteland.
* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: During the nuclear war in the prologue, one of the soldiers feels the need to clarify that the incoming Soviet nuclear missiles are hostile. You know, in case anyone thought the [[WorldWarIII incoming Soviet ICBMs]] headed for major U.S. were peaceful and loaded wih confetti and streamers.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: The soldier at the start who smokes in the gas valve room with a clear sign warning not to smoke ends up blowing the whole base and kickstarting the road trip plot.

* EarthThatWas: Tanner, Keegan and [[NotSoAboveItAll even Major Denton]] enjoy themselves playing the one-armed bandits in a casino tent, and the air fills with the sound of the crowds that once enjoyed themselves there.

* RedSkyTakeWarning: Red skies are the first thing shown of the post WorldWarIII world, though [[WeirdWeather other bright colors appear as well]]. After the storm that wipes out Detroit, the appearance of blue sky for the first time is a [[CosyCatastrophe sign that things are going to turn out all right]].

* RedSkyTakeWarning: Red skies of the first thing shown of the post WorldWarIII world, though [[WeirdWeather other bright colors appear as well]]. After the storm that wipes out Detroit, the appearance of blue sky for the first time is a [[CosyCatastrophe sign that things are going to turn out all right]].

* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Major Denton

* ChekhovsSkill:

* HiddenDepths: Tanner is actually surprised that Denton, a huge stick in the mud even after WorldWarIII, is the one who thought of naming the route "[[TitleDrop Damnation Alley]]".

''Damnation Alley'' is a 1977 science-fiction thriller set in a post-apocalyptic world, [[InNameOnly very loosely inspired]] by the [[Literature/DamnationAlley novel of the same name]] by Creator/RogerZelazny.

* DuringTheWar: The prologue follows the main characters as they watch WW3 unfold.

* DullSurprise: During the nuclear war in the prologue, none of the soldiers seem to notice or care (despite an annoucement of the fact) that the world is literally ending, civilization and society are being destroyed and everyone they've ever known is being annihilated by nuclear weapons. Hell, Major Denton sounds absolutely bored, reading off a list of cities that have been hit by Soviet nukes (including Chicago, where his wife is) as if it's a list of [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] draft picks.

* DullSurprise: During the nuclear war in the prologue, none of the soldiers seem to notice or care (despite an annoucement of the fact) that the world is literally ending, civilization and society are being destroyed and everyone they've ever known is being annihilated by nuclear weapons. Hell, Major Denton sounds absolutely bored, reading off a list of cities that have been hit by Soviet nukes as if it's a list of [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague NFL]] draft picks.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: During the nuclear war in the prologue, one of the soldiers feels the need to clarify that the incoming Soviet nuclear missiles are hostile. You know, in case anyone though the [[WorldWarIII incoming Soviet ICBMs]] headed for major U.S. were peaceful and loaded wih confetti and streamers.

* DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment: During the nuclear war in the prologue, one of the soldiers for some reason feels the need to clarify that the incoming Soviet nuclear missiles headed for major cities are hostile.

* LastFertileRegion: While the rest of the world is portrayed as a barren wasteland, the area around Albany is rich with grass and trees.

* TheSwarm: The cockroaches again.

* GiantWallOfWateryDoom: The final obstacle before the film's end is a massive flood that wipes out Detroit.
* BlackDudeDiesFirst: Strictly speaking averted, in that he's not the first of the group of survivors to die, but he doesn't come close to surviving the trip either. The fact he is played by Paul Winfield assures his fate.

* AfterTheEnd: WorldWarIII came and went and the world was devastated UpToEleven (at one point, it's revealed that ''Earth's axis has shifted by 90 degrees'').