In this strange Aussie post-apocalypse cult flick, a hot rodder and his girlfriend become trapped in a gang-infested drive-in theater that also doubles as a Government detention center for "undesirable" youths, and he spends the rest of the movie trying to plot an escape.
The film's trailer compared "Dead End Drive In" to "A Clockwork Orange" and "Mad Max," which is pretty silly because it's nowhere NEAR as good as either of those films. Once all the characters are in place, it takes for-EVER for anything to happen in "Dead End Drive In." The "futuristic" outfits on the various teen punks and the new-wave soundtrack are a scream, and the climactic action sequence is well done but by that point, all but the most diehard bad-movie geeks will have given up on this flick.
My advice: Avoid.
1 of 2 member(s) found this review helpful.
Movie Reviews
Please replace the speaker on it's stand before leaving.....
Drive-In-Freak | 01/23/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This one has it all.There's violence,sex,car chases,explosions,cheezy '80s music,a '56 Chevy,and most importantly a drive-in! In a futuristic 1990 the government is keeping the unemployed youth locked up in a drive-in and giving them snack bar food,drugs,beer,and all night movies for free.Where do I sign up? Yes it's a bit silly at times,and the premise is unbelievable,but after all it's a "B" film.You just can't expect perfection in films like these,and I (for one) wouldn't have it any other way.There's nothing like stepping back to a simpler time and place.This fine little independent film from Down Under is just like taking a mini vacation in the way back machine.Pop this one in the DVD break out the popcorn and a cold Fosters and enjoy this blast from the past....8)
8/10 on the Drive-in-Freak-O-Meter...ya just gotta check this out!"
Sublime Post-Apocalyptic Aussie Trash
Jonny Khan | Morgantown, WV | 12/09/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the near future (that is, 1994) the world is brought to the brink of anarchy by, for some reason, inflation. This has apparently caused millions of rusted car frames to be scattered around Australia, and forced everyone to dress like hepped up punk rockers and fight with tire irons. Thusly, the government tricks the unemployed people into drive ins and locks them up. This clever ruse works despite the fact that no one in Australia ever returns from the movies. If you like movies which are both painfully bad and jaw-droppingly amazing, this is the film for you. What doesn't it have? There is pointless nudity, vast continuity problems, tire fires, dozens of Mad Max meets the Sex Pistols montages, a fight with cricket bats,a timeless lesson about racism/relationships/junk food, a fight with car parts, amazing hairstyles, a monkey smoking pot, vigilante tow truck squads, and plot holes you could drive one of their combat ready tonka's through. This is an excellent cultural artifact shedding light on the eighties, sub-cultures, and Australian psychoses. Don't expect it to be good, but prepare for it to be amazing."
A funky little B movie but entertaining
Jonny Khan | 02/21/1999
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I saw this movie in 1987/8 when it was shown on the Canadian pay TV channel and I enjoyed it. It's not a deep or intellectual movie by any stretch of the imagination but it's very entertaining (in a Mad Max kind of way). The fact that most of the movie takes place in the very limited set of the drive-in gets a bit tiresome after a while but all in all it was worth watching."
Enjoyable fantasy flick from down under
Joseph P. Ulibas | Sacramento, CA, USA | 01/31/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Dead End Drive In is an interesting film from genre filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith. It takes place in the not so near future. Unemployment and crime is rampant so the government decides to do something about the unruly population. Crabs, a runty delivery driver get's caught up the madness by being cheap when he's on a date with his runaway girlfriend. Sleaze and violence follows. Remember, it doesn't pay to be be cheap!