Dead End (2003)

Christmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

Directors:

Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa

Writers:

Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa

Stars:

Ray Wise, Lin Shaye, Mick Cain

7 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Ray Wise	...	Frank Harrington
Lin Shaye	...	Laura Harrington
Mick Cain	...	Richard Harrington
Alexandra Holden	...	Marion Harrington
William Rosenfeld	...	Brad Miller (as Billy Asher)
Amber Smith	...	Lady in White
Karen S. Gregan	...	Doctor
Sharon Madden	...	Nurse
Steve Valentine	...	Man in Black
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Worker #1 (as Jimmy Skaggs)
Clement Blake	...	Worker #2

Storyline

For the past 20 years, Frank Harrington has grudgingly driven his family to celebrate Christmas with his mother-in-law. This year, he takes a shortcut. It's the biggest mistake of his life: The nightmare begins. A mysterious woman in white wanders through the forest, leaving death in her wake. A terrifying black car - its driver invisible - carries the victims into the heart of the night. Every road sign points to a destination they never reach. The survivors succumb to panic, to madness; deeply buried secrets burst to the surface, and Christmas turns into a living hell.

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Plot Keywords:

forest | woods | night | christmas eve | man slaps woman | 

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Taglines:

Read the signs.

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Genres:

Adventure | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language, sexual content and some drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Pentagon Pictures

Country:

France

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Atajo al infierno

Filming Locations:

St. Luke Medical Center, 2632 E. Washington Blvd., Pasadena, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sagittaire Films, Captain Movies

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie was a smash hit on home media earning U.S. $ 77 millions by DVD sales.

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Goofs

When the father gets out of the driver's seat (at around 28 mins), the seat nearly gets out of the car with him, revealing a "rigged" car where the camera is sometimes mounted where the driver's seat is and therefore the driver's seat needs to be removable (like the other seats).

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Quotes

Marion Harrington: I'm pregnant...
Richard Harrington: I smoke pot?!

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Crazy Credits

After the credits are over, we see a picture of the Harrington family during a party, which could be a Christmas celebration.

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Connections

Referenced in Stuck on This Bloody Road (2004)

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Soundtracks

Please Don't Go
by Greg De Belles & Elizabeth Daily (as E.G. Daily)
Produced by Greg De Belles
Published by Klektik Music / BMI

User Reviews

A Great Low Budget Horror Movie

On the Christmas Eve, Frank (Ray Wise) is driving with his family, composed by his wife Laura (Lin Shaye), his son Richard (Mick Cain) and his daughter Marion (Alexandra Holden) and her boyfriend Brad (Billy Asher), to have the Christmas dinner at the home of Frank's mother-in-law. Frank, asleep, decides to drive through an unknown shortcut using a secondary road, where the weirdest things happen with his family and him. This low budget movie is terrific: although the story passes basically in a car and on an empty road, it is tense, scary, having a dreadful atmosphere, being certainly on of the best in the genre. The screenplay is excellent, having many ironic lines, the direction is tight and the cast is very sharp, alternating funny and frightening situations. This film is highly indicated for fans of `The Twilight Zone', `The Others', `Abra los Ojos', `El Espinazo del Diablo' and `X-Files'. The situation of Frank's family on the road without finding their destination or even an exit recalls Paul Hackett unsuccessfully trying to get home in `After Hours'. I saw on the cover of the DVD that this movie was awarded with many prizes in minor Festivals. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Rota da Morte' (`Route of the Death')