Dead End Drive-In (1986)

In the future, a health nut and his tag-along girlfriend become trapped in a drive-in theater that has become a concentration camp for outcast youths, who are placated with new wave music, junk food, drugs, exploitation movies, and racism.

Director:

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writers:

Peter Smalley (screenplay), Peter Carey (story)

Stars:

Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ned Manning	...	Jimmy 'Crabs' Rossini
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	...	Narelle
Margi Di Ferranti	...	Jill
Desirée Smith	...	Tracey (as Desiree Smith)
Murray Fahey	...	Mickey
Jeremy Shadlow	...	Jeff
Brett Climo	...	Don

Storyline

In the near future, drive-in theatres are turned into concentration camps for the undesirable and unemployed. The prisoners don't really care to escape because they are fed and they have a place to live which is, in most cases, probably better than the outside. Crabs and his girlfriend Carmen are put into the camp and all Crabs wants to do is escape.

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Plot Keywords:

cricket bat | concentration camp | drive in theater | interrupted sex | red car | 

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Taglines:

The price of admission is the rest of your life.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Brian Trenchard-Smith has described this film as "Part Mad Max (1979), part Exterminating Angel [The Exterminating Angel (1962)]".

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Quotes

[opening title card]
Title Card: SYDNEY, January 26th. 1988: Bicentennial celebrations spark 'The Rocks Riot', 51 die / TAHITI, December 3rd. 1988: Mururoa Atoll destroyed by Nuclear accident. Pacific fishing ground polluted / CAPETOWN, April 1st. 1989: The great white massacre, 103,000 die. Gold & diamond exports cease / NEW YORK, June 10th. 1990: The second Wall St. crash. World economic crisis spreads / Inflation, shortages, unemployment, crime wave / Government invokes emergency powers

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Connections

Referenced in Adjust Your Tracking (2013)

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Soundtracks

Small Brave Land
Written by Tom Harran (as Harran) and Neville Dowling (as Dowling)
Performed by The Expression

User Reviews

Trapped without Tyres

After their tyres are stolen while making out at a drive-in theatre, two Sydney youths find themselves trapped in the drive-in theatre, unable to phone for help, along with several social misfits in this absurdist thriller from 'Turkey Shoot' director Brian Trenchard-Smith. The film is quite slow to warm up (it takes 25 plus minutes for them to reach the drive-in) but once it gets going, the film rarely lets up, milking the outrageousness of the offbeat premise for all that it is worth. Initially there is much mystery as to why they have been trapped; with food coupons and many amenities, the drive-in has clearly been designed for long-term living. Even more interesting is how many residents prefer living in the drive-in to the outside world; "I was four years out of work, nowhere to go" states one happy resident. As the protagonist's girlfriend quickly grows to like the place too, the film offers a satire of relationship commitment as he soon finds himself forced to live with a woman who he saw as no more than a 'squeeze' day-in, day-out. The film loses some edge in the final half-hour as immigrants are shipped into the drive-in, with the film adopting a tiresome racial tolerance stance as it becomes obvious that the drive-in is a government sanctioned facility for 'undesirables'. Even with a weak final third though, 'Dead-End Drive-In' is potent, thought-provoking stuff and meticulously well crafted. All the glorious tracking and panning shots and constant low lighting combine to make the picture very atmospheric with a genuine sense of doom and dread in the air.

Details

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dead End

Filming Locations:

Star Drive-in, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Box Office

Budget:

AUD2,300,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Springvale Productions, New South Wales Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1