Dead-End Drive In (1986)

User Rating:

5.2/10   

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writers:

Peter Carey (story)
Peter Smalley (written by)

Release Date:

August 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

There's a party every day, a movie every night, and all the junk food you can eat. What more can a kid want... except to get out.

Plot:

In the near future, drive-in theatres are turned into concentration camps for the undesirable and unemployed...

Plot Keywords:

Drive In | Electronic Music Score | Smoke | Escape Attempt | Tow Truck

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ned Manning	...	Crabs
Natalie McCurry	...	Carmen
Peter Whitford	...	Thompson
Wilbur Wilde	...	Hazza
Dave Gibson	...	Dave
Sandie Lillingston	...	Beth
Ollie Hall	...	Frank
Lyn Collingwood	...	Fay
Nikki McWaters	...	Shirl
Melissa Davis	...	Norelie
Margi Di Ferranti	...	Jill
Desirée Smith	...	Tracey
Murray Fahey	...	Mickey
Jeremy Shadlow	...	Jeff
Brett Climo	...	Don

Also Known As:

Dead End (USA) (short title)

Runtime:

88 min | USA:92 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

New South Wales Film Corp.

Trivia:

Two of the films playing at the drive-in in the film are The Man from Hong Kong (1975) and Turkey Shoot (1981), also directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith.

Quotes:

[first title card]
Title Card: SYDNEY, January 26th. 1988 Bicentennial celebrations spark 'The Rocks Riot', 51 die

Movie Connections:

References Into the Night (1985/I)

Soundtrack:

My Heart's on Fire

fantastic shots of punk like posers amidst a ruin of busted cars and sunbathers

Futuristic setting when there have been major financial collapses, destabilising governments and creating high levels of unemployment. Sound familiar? Based upon a story by Peter Carey this has some seriousness and deals with the nation's difficulty in accepting non-white immigrants but basically this is just one big car chasing, fist fighting, race of a movie. With only a few bare tit shots to slow up the real action, this one doesn't stop till the stunt men presumably died. Ned Manning is for me a little under whelming in the lead role, but he's effective enough. The drive-in that serves for the post apocalyptic like setting for most of the film is very well established and there are some fantastic shots of punk like posers amidst a ruin of busted cars and sunbathers.