In 1986 a comic strip created by Peter Milligan and Brendan McCarthy called Freak Wave was published in an anthology series. It was a loving tribute to the influential film Mad Max 2 aka The Road Warrior. The twist was that in this post-apocalyptic future the earth has been covered by water and the surviving humans adapt by living on homemade sailing apparatus. The futuristic warrior is called The Drifter and he must survive by scavenging while fending off fellow scavengers the Spoilers. The comic would continue for a few more installments but could not find a big audience and was cancelled. In Waterworld the earth has been covered in water and the Mariner is surviving by scavenging and fending off fellow scavengers the Smokers. Upon its release in 1995 Waterworld would be the subject of much gossip about concept and budget with very little being said about its possible true origins.

Star Kevin Costner was able to do whatever he wanted at the time and he chose this sci-fi action film and its expansive scope led to it going alarmingly over budget and becoming not only a scandal but also a disappointment at the box-office. In retrospect it is certainly an enjoyable adventure and Costner does a fine job in a role he wasn’t quite cut out for. Dennis Hopper plays the oddball villain and gives the film a much-needed dose of dark humor. The ambitious special effects and action scenes are well done and the sets on the atoll and the battleship are fantastic. This Arrow release comes in a limited edition that includes the theatrical cut, the extended television version plus a fan edited Ulysses cut combining footage from both the extended version and the unedited theatrical cut. Arrow includes a boatload of extras including a new feature length documentary.