Dead End Drive-In

Apparently, pretty much everyone just loves this movie, but I was somewhat disappointed. For one thing, the whole film is almost like a feature-length music video. If you are like me, and you saw tons of rock videos back in the mid-1980's, then this movie will be immediately recognizable to you. It has all the crazy hair, shining neon, ripped clothes, metal studs, black leather, and day-glo colors that you saw in a thousand Duran Duran, Human League, Eurythmics, Soft Cell, and INXS videos. Not to mention the B-52's. This film is so steeped in 80's culture and visual styles that it shifts from being really dated to being really camp. I guess that can be good or bad, based on your point of view. Anyway, I was hoping for something better. Or maybe I'm just burned out on the 80's. But if you like cheapo Mad Max (1980) rip-offs, you might enjoy this. Now let's look at the plot. A young Australian couple go to the drive-in theater, and are unwittingly locked in. This theater has become a kind of concentration camp for low-lifes and alienated young people. But one of the big implausibility factors, right from the beginning, is that nobody really seems to mind this situation; it doesn't bother them that they're trapped in a parking lot prison. In fact, everyone happily spends their time skateboarding, styling their hair, eating hamburgers, and watching crappy Kung Fu movies on the big screen. No one tries to escape, except our young male lead. It's pretty far-fetched, to say the least. Also, there is this half-baked sub-plot about racism against Asian people. It's just abruptly tacked-on toward the end of the movie, and it's thin and undeveloped. It's like the filmmakers suddenly realized that they should add a "message" to their movie. So they have a big truck full of Asian people drive around the theater while the low-lifes taunt them. And that's pretty much it. You never see these Asian folks again. The filmmakers must have felt that it would be good for their reputation if they dealt with the issue of racism. But they do it in a very brief, half-assed, totally empty gesture. It's just a throw-away effort. It doesn't feel sincere, and it's totally shallow. As for the budget, and the production values -- well, they're obviously not so hot. For example, they apparently couldn't afford actual police cars for their chase scenes, so they used tow trucks instead. You read that right. The chases in the movie involve tow trucks chasing each other, with the sound of police sirens dubbed in. Now that's a cheap-ass special effect, if you ask me. And practically the entire film takes place in the drive-in parking lot -- you can't get more low budget than that. On the plus side, the acting is fairly decent, and the cinematography is strikingly good. There are some effective visuals, and some striking lighting techniques. If only they had had a bigger budget, and a smoother, more professional script, this movie could have been a whole lot better. And by the way, the director, Brian Trenchard-Smith, made a similar film called Escape 2000 (1980), which has essentially the same dystopian concentration camp plot. If you love 1980's music videos, or have a lot of nostalgia for the era of MTV, then you may get a big kick out of this movie. But I found it cheap, dull, and formulaic.

This film is placed in the incorrect genre based on its name as it's hardly a horror film unless you consider a look at the effects of the overreach of government creating a dystopian society, or a look at a pseudo-Socialistic commune as made necessary by the outcome as horror. Instead, this is more of a drama and action film that takes place in a once-successful drive-in theatre that has now become a fenced-in pen for the dregs of society. Our hero becomes a victim of this as he tries to be smart and take the discount price, only to find the wheels of his vehicle stolen. What looks like a paradise for the lost generation soon turns into a nightmare when he realizes he's surrounded by ne'er-do-wells and psychopaths who would rather just accept their place in this asphalt toilet than get out, so he does the only logical thing. What would you do, when you were suddenly surrounded by racist pseudo-Nazis in a fenced off commune that is being forced to traffic in Vietnamese refugees against the will of its derelict denizens? Not a perfect film, but an enjoyable watch with a nice 80s soundtrack and a lot of moments that really make you sympathize with our underdog lead.

Loved LOVED this flick as a kid probably because no one else had heard of it at the time. Wanted to rent before I paid for the blu ray and I still enjoy!!!

Been wanting this in my collection. Nice movie.

I wasn't really familiar with this movie til a few years ago, and that was a shame, as I really enjoyed this one. I saw it on Prime and just had to pick up the Arrow blu ray and watch it again. I see this movie as almost a prequel to Mad Max and other dystopian movies, as it sets the tone of a world on the brink of anarchy. It's a shame that Natalie McCurry wasn't in more movies, as I just loved her here. Arrow really did a great job on this release.

Shipped fast and easy. Only thing is my dog ate it so had to buy another. Shipped just as fast. The movie itself is a gem.

I did want to like it more, I really tried. This Australian movie from 1996 is confusing to me. This takes place in some post apocalyptic future a la mad Max, kind of, a couple borrow a brothers car and go to a drive in to see a movie, the cops take their tires???? and they are stuck there as in prisoners and will not ever get out????? Why???? I haven't the foggiest. We see Jimmy trying to cozy up to the "manager" Thompson and find a way out but he keeps getting thwarted (love that word) so while everyone else is content to be where they are he isn't and it causes him no amount of grief. I guess it is interesting in its way but.....why????????

This is GREAT, and has a great special edition from Arrow.

Title: DEAD END DRIVE IN (1986)Label: ARROW VIDEOTranfer by: ARROW FilmsAspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1Another superb release from ARROW VIDEO of an extraordinary Australian movie. Maybe somewhere between MAD MAX (1979), A BOY AND HIS DOG (1975) and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981). Better forget that kind of comparisons at once. This movie is unique and you should give it a try. Anyway, shouldnt every movie be seen completely detached from other works? Brian Trenchard-Smith made a highly entertaining and good-looking stylish little end time / action movie. He also directed TURKEY SHOOT aka BLOODCAMP THATCHER (1982). You can watch a little piece of this cult item on the cinema-screen at the drive-in inside DEAD END DRIVE IN. The movie does not offer a big story but it was made with passion for detail, has a great cinematography, good costume-design and nice color and light compositions. The acting is fine as well. I call the production a cool one. Very straight story without frills. To put it in a nutshell: A man wants to get out! Seen it all before? Sounds boring? It isn't at all, cause the directional style is really one-of-a-kind.No Grain Baby, No Gain / The Transfer:The Transfer was done from a 2K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. The source is in a very good condition. There is an intact and film-like grain structure and therefore the picture offers plenty of details, texture and grip. The colors are vivid and constant throughout the whole presentation. The negative was well cleaned up and stabilized. Blacks are fine and no crush of details here. I enjoyed watching DEAD END DRIVE IN in every aspect and couldnt spot the abuse of DNR filters, edge enhancement and other digital abominations of that sort.Cut and Run:This is a version integrale from a complete camera negative. NO noticeable inserts from different sources have been applied. I find this so important for a fluent visual experience. The movie has passed uncut by the BBFC.Final Thoughts:Fans, collectors and people with big screens or projectors should spent their money without any further doubt. ARROW did a very good transfer to bring life into your home cinemas. The BD Set contains an audio commentary by the director itself and a nice booklet. Dont miss it, the booklets only go with the first pressings. Highly recommended.How I rate / What I rate:My ratings refer exclusively to technical aspects of BD sets. The more film-like a HD transfer looks and feels via a projection, the more high-class the source is scanned and digitally treated afterwards, the higher my ratings will be. Digital phenomenons like edge enhancement, block noise, digital appealing grain, swarming grain / noise behavoir and DNR filtering will directly result in lower ratings.I do not rate movies at all. In the introduction part I just offer my opinion, based on taste, preferences and knowledge about film/photography in general. Movies are artificial constructions where many efforts have been taken (including complex postproduction) to accomplish a vision of whatsoever kind. No movie made for cinema ever shot has earned a 1 star rating on AMAZON or a 1 point rating on IMDB. I have studied many publications about making films, their psychological impact, and the subject violence on film. I am a hobby photographer knowing much about frame compositions, color and light effects and different styles. I am also a hobby musician and sound designer for my own private joy. I could rate a movie/ its soundrack, but why should I? Things are what they are and nothing more or less. I like to think beyond mind constructed terms of good and bad. So called "objectivity" becomes fast diluted by preferences which results in comments of personal taste. These comments are fine but they go without any base value for creating a rating-scale out of them. Technical aspects are a different kind of matter. DNR, edge enhancement, block noise and such things are obvious even on small screens and maybe we can speak more of objectivity and measurability in this area. I think we should be informed about the quality of a product.All about Ev(m)e:I am a collector of films for 27 Years, own about 3.000 films (would be far more, but I often sort out transfers I dont like) and watch them in a home-cinema room via bigscreen projection. I am also a hobby musician and photographer with some experience scanning camera negatives in high definitions. I am fascinated by film (from reels) since I am a kid and spent hours for hours in cinemas and visiting film festivals.

Imagine a place where young people go to of their own free will but discover that they cannot leave, imagine that they sleep all day, don't need to work, live on junk food, take drugs, have sex and watch movies all night.This is dead end drive in!In the near future the government has set up secret internment camps disguised as drive in movie theatres. The idea is to get unemployed and undesirables out of the way until they can figure out what to do with them.The latest arrival is not willing to accept this fate and battles to escape at any cost.What a fantastic, quirky movie this is.Its full of excellent eighties new wave style from the music and clothes to the constant neon lighting and graffiti, Its got a great "Mad Max" feel to it and builds to a terrific climax.This review is for the Bluray version and the picture quality and sound are excellent.One or two odd extras that are rather enjoyable too.

Dead End Drive In (1986) is about a drive in set in the then near future in Australia that locks its customers up- the drive in stands in as a sort of concentration camp. Only the customers mostly new wave punks are more than happy to stay there. They get their drugs, drink, music watch bad B movies- what the hell, is life really that much better outside the drive in?One kid wants out, played well enough by Ned Manning. He's a likable character and certainly keeps the movie alive. But the problem with the film is the lack of characters. Cult movies have always had one or two real stand out characters, and Dead End Drive In fails here. They are here, you can see them in the background- indeed there are a lot of punk kid extras here and maybe they should have been given some more lines, it would have helped. Instead we are stuck for the majority of the film with Manning, the drive in owner and Mannings beautiful girlfriend played by Natalie McCurry- it just isn't enough to add spark to the film. Though McCurry may well be one of the most attractive women to be shot on celluloid- no surprise that she would go on to win Miss Australia.I liked the film, I loved the 80s references and the new wave punk fashion- I love Australian cinema especially from this time, so for the most part enjoyed it.With a little more characters, action and humour, there was a real lack of that in here- I would have called it a classic, instead its just a good movie.

I didn’t know what to expect from this movie. I just bought it on a whim, and ended up loving it! Can’t really pinpoint what exactly made me love it so much, maybe it was the excellent vibe, the sort of Mad Max-esque visuals or the actors, witch is perfect in their roles, or maybe it was the awesome soundtrack. Whatever it was, it was good!

What a load of b****x absolutely boring waste of rubbish I had to go watch kettle boil for sum excitement