उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

You'all, Yes it was a kind of silly movie...but I was in it!!! I was Shirl the Girl,dispensing contraception in the toilet block. Hey, we had such a hoot making this movie. The explosion scenes were fabulous and the people I worked with were great. My family hasn't seen the film (husband and kids) because I've always been embarrassed by it...but so many people found it so much fun so in that way it was a success albeit cultish. I think I'll try to pick it up on e-bay and try to watch it again after all these years. Thanks to all you international folk for being so adventurous and watching such an obscure flick!!!

Nikki McWatters

P.S All I remember about Brian Trenchard-Smith was that he kept talking about another actress who he thought was destined for big things - Nicole Kidman! So I guess he had an eye for talent!

Brian Trenchard-Smith is probably not a house-hold name even for B-movie fans, however, this Australian director has created among the wackiest and most original movies ever. While his work may not be of high quality (his two "Leprechaun" films are a good example of this), they are always creative as his wild imagination seems to be set loose every time he sits at the director's chair. "Dead-End Drive In", probably his best film, is a perfect example of this: writer Peter Carey constructs a very intelligent tale set in an apocalyptic wasteland, and Trenchard-Smith takes fully advantage of the plot to construct one of the best Australian b-movies. A cult-classic.

After the world's economy collapsed, Australia was turned into a wasteland where the unemployed youth uses the street as a battlefield and the law is forgotten. To fight this, the Government uses a Drive-In to lock them and keep them controlled using fast food and movies. A young man named Crabs (Ned Manning) is trapped in this way, but instead of becoming a conformist member of the nihilistic youth, he decides to fight back and escape no matter the cost.

Hidden under this sci-fi/horror tale of an apocalyptic society is a very well-written plot with social commentary included. "Dead-End Drive In" is a great story against the conformism. Crabs is trapped in an apparent paradise where he can get all the fast food he wants and do nothing but live each day, but instead he chooses to fight back and try to escape from the Drive-In and to return to his family. He knows this "paradise" is false, and that the only thing worth fighting for is real freedom.

Stretching the budget to the max, Trenchard-Smith manages to create very well done scenes with the very few resources he has. He makes a great use of his locations and the film is packed with high-octane action and a healthy dose of humor. Still, the film remains focused on its message and Carey makes a portrait of present-day society, as racist, conformist and violent as the youth depicted in the film. It is not a horror movie in the sense of being scary, but it is haunting in the sense that even when it is a fictitious scenery, it is not hard to believe that humanity will behave the way the conformist teenager do in the film.

Ned Manning is very good as Crabs, as he has the looks of a common young man trapped unfairly in a living tomb. His character is very likable and his performance makes the most of it. Natalie McCurry, playing Crab's beautiful girlfriend Carmen is also an important character, as she begins to lose hope in Crabs' idea and starts to behave just as the rest of the cattle. The rest of the cast is very good, but really nothing memorable.

The films's biggest flaw is the sad fact that the film looks terribly dated. The film has that distinct 80s feeling and look and it can't come up as "futurist" anymore. Anyways, that is not really a serious flaw as it adds up to the charm the film has. The movie still manages to be quite entertaining and some effects (like the use of explosives) still look great after 20 years.

"Dead-End Drive In" is a very interesting sci-fi movie from Australia that it's definitely worth a rent. With its 80s feeling, high-speed action and social commentary it still delivers the goods. This film is more than a cheap "Mad Max" rip-off, it is a terrific (and hopefully not prophetical) vision of the future. 7/10

Yes this movie stinks with 80s pompous acting and tackiness, yet from another perspective it becomes an interesting time-capsule into the resent past, and for someone who did not experience the 80s I watched the film with an anthropological curiosity. Though this film suffers from logical loopholes. They are easy to overlook since the plot holes are there for the purpose to present a socially satirical world. Overall the acting was fine and the message interesting, though what really stood out in this movie to me are the great set designs and first class cinematography. Also the story is engaging and the characters charming in a comic way. I recommend this movie to the already fans of the genre and to those who are like movies that are offbeat and satirical.

The opening of 'Dead-End Drive In' quickly sets out its world. There's been a series of disasters that have led to society struggling to survive. A food crisis, a financial crisis, and then an unemployment crisis. And Australia is suffering with the rest of them. Gangs of punks are fighting authority and crashing cars. As an Aussie movie, there's shades of 'Mad Max' to this, but it's given a more populated feel. Instead of empty streets, there's a bunch of people in 'Dead-End Drive In'. Despite the lack of budget for the movie, Brian Trenchard-Smith gives a real sense of lots of people suffering from the consequences of economic failure.

The movie follows Crabs and his girlfriend Carmen, who end up stranded in an almost post-apocalyptic drive-in cinema after their tires are stolen by the police. The drive-in cinema has nearly 200 people in a similar situation, lighting fires and glaring at each other. The stranded are given food vouchers to eat takeaway from the on-site greasy restaurant.

Crabs is a very engaging character. He wants to become a tough guy, but no matter how much he works out, runs and eats, Crabs is still regarded as a "scrawny b*****d". Yet, as soon as he's stranded in the drive-in, he wants to get away. He wants this so badly, he irritates his girlfriend and also incurs the wrath of people spray painting "Crabs can't get it up" on his car. Carmen, incidentally, is so attractive I spent the movie slightly slack jawed.

For a supposedly trashy movie, it's actually very cleverly done. The car crashes are spectacularly choreographed. Don't expect a special-effects laden movie - it's not that - but when effects are used they're used well. Sparks fly up as cars speed through large fires. Bullets ping off the walls and cars with some canny squib effects.

Above all, there are some great undercurrents to the movie. The way the drive-in deals with the unemployed seems to ring very true with the concept of ghettos. The controller of the drive-in cinema even provides them with drugs. Crabs becomes even more likable because - like us - he sees the drive-in as a huge prison infested with unfair racial divisions.

'Dead-End Drive In' is, naturally, a little rough around the edges. But by limiting the movie to the confines of a drive-in cinema, it creates a well realised world. It's also great to see everyone throwing their all into a movie. Maybe by focusing more on characters and a basic story of "me versus them" it simply doesn't overstretch. It's an enjoyable - and sometimes thought provoking - way to spend 92 minutes of your life.

What we have here is a genuinely oddball, atmospheric and undeservedly obscure apocalyptic-themed adventure from the land of the Aussies and directed by no less than the dude who brought us the ultimate guilty-pleasures "Blood Camp Thatcher" and "Night of the Demons 2". Brian Trenchard-Smith's "Dead-End Drive In" combines practically all the greatest elements of the 80's decade in one giant derivative yet surprisingly refreshing and entertaining film. The grim plot and disturbing undertones are more than obviously inspired by "Escape from New York" as well as that other Aussie cult landmark "Mad Max", but at the same time there's also a lot of light-headed comedy and cheesy 80's tunes in the film. You simply have got to love any movie that opens with depressing newspaper headlines about mass murder and economic crisis and then subsequently plays an exaggeratedly cheerful pop song during its opening credits! The story, albeit severely flawed in some departments, is very well elaborated and I even daresay quite ambitious since it even offers some effective social mockery that assaults issues that are timeless, like racism and the typically human herd mentality. In the year 1990, when the entire world is rotten and there ain't much left resembling law and order in the streets, Jimmy – or "Crabs" like the friends tend to call him - invites his funky voluptuous girlfriend for a night at the Star drive-in theater. The romantic date quickly turns sour when someone steals the wheels from underneath his "borrowed" 1956 Chevy and they're forced to spend the night at the drive-in. Only in the morning it becomes obvious that the drive-in serves as a prison camp for punks and juvenile delinquents. Crabs refuses to accept his situation and plans and escape, but all the other prisoners – including his girlfriend – seem to like the place because they have easy access to fast food and plenty of free movie. Quite the contrary, whilst Crabs is risking his life trying to get out, the rest of the drive-in crowd complains about the increasing number of Asians in the prison camp. "Dead-End Drive In" is a vastly amusing and often wittily scripted cult gem that is ripe for rediscovery by fans of Sci-Fi and action cinema all around the globe. It's available on DVD already, so what are you waiting for? The locations and set-pieces are convincingly grim, the soundtrack is – as said – quite exhilarating the Nathalie McCurry's female curves are a joy to look at. As briefly indicated before, the screenplay does have its shortcomings, though. The first, say, fifteen to twenty minutes of the film are in fact entirely pointless since they revolve on Crabs' "family" situation which is completely irrelevant. Also, the actual reason for his and Carmen's admission remains somewhat unclear. My biggest (but still forgivable) complaint about the movie is that it isn't as violent and bloody as it should have been. There are some notably sadistic moments, but – seriously – an exploitative and unscrupulous "Mad Max" clone like this ought to feature more sickening carnage, despicable rape sequences and relentless footage of mass destruction. Although I disagree, I can easily understand why some people think "Dead-End Drive In" is disappointing and even a bit boring. It's a fun and unexpectedly intelligent movie, but a little more panache would have been welcome.

Australia makes some zany films in the 80s; from what I've seen they're often full of rebel punks who wear crazy things & go wild brawling. They're colourful & you can tell everyone is having fun making the film.

This is one of those highly stylized films, full of painted up cars & 80s hair & clothes. It's grungy & hyper pigmented.

There were scenes that I enjoyed the visuals for & the kick back to an 80s soundtrack, but the plot of a young teen or/20something? couple who get stranded at a drive-in that becomes a wasteland of cars is a bit of a limiting plot that literally doesn't go anywhere fast.

I can see this being a cult classic for some, but aside from appreciating visual stills or clips, I'm personally not persuaded by it's particular taste of cheese.

DEAD END DRIVE IN is set in a sort of post-apocalyptic 1990. That's a bad thing, to date your movie like that. They should've known better, they're from Down Under, for god sakes. This is the land THE ROAD WARRIOR came from! So if you're going to take a chance on this film, try not to think of it as 1990. Also try not to think about the mid-80's synth soundtrack. There's nothing futuristic about it either. You really have to suspend your disbelief on this one.

After you've done that, DRIVE IN moves along a nice pace, getting in some required nudity, violence and car crashes. Crabs and his girl go to the Star Drive-In for some hanky-panky and realize they can't leave. It's a government program that traps the youth inside and shows them exploitation films and feeds them junk food. No reason why, guess it keeps part of the population off the streets. After awhile, social significance starts creeping in with allusions to welfare states and institutional racism. This is where it begins to falter. It's too heavy handed and frankly, quite embarrassing. Trenchard-Smith is a decent B-movie vet, and he should know better to pile it on like this. A great car jump saves the day though and takes you home, and you realize that even though you could've lived without DEAD END DRIVE IN, you really enjoyed the heck out of it. Look for the director's own ESCAPE 2000/TURKEY SHOOT playing on the drive-in screen during the film. If you enjoyed this, you'll dig that too.

Although I reckon a Mad Max reference/homage is more apt ... as the audio commentary also suggests that I listened too. But with less money that that movie had ... and that didn't have that much money to begin with. So while I do not think that this looks cheap, it does really make the most of the location it plays for most of the time.

Other than that it is a bit of Apocalypse here and ... well now I reckon - no pun intended. If you love Drive Ins (and know what they are), you might be able to get a bit more out of the movie than others. Overall a fine piece of weird action movie ... that is not without flaws ... but they work more like charms rather than anything else.

I'm a huge fan of sci-fi and horror movies and have built up quite a tolerance for movies in this genre that are below average. Just as long as they are funny, interesting and exciting to watch they are also worth your time to watch them. Many low-budget movie productions also have nice ideas but not always a budget that can realize them.

Well, in Dead End's case it's pretty clear that the producer didn't know what to do with his idea, although he must have had a fair budget since it doesn't look especially cheap. The performances are also quite OK for a movie like this. These parts are good. The bad things are how ridiculous, almost embarrassing crappy à la TV-movie way, the story goes on. I don't know where to start actually. From the first statement by the supervisor that the youngsters are stuck in that place to the laughable car chase and racist inflammatory speech near the end and finally the 'exciting' car jump over the fences... Oh boy! That ramp was perfectly placed there wasn't it?. Why didn't he just drove through the fences at the right moment when he got his tyres and gasoline. Although the fences were electrified it shouldn't had made any difference. In normal cases these trashy peoples would have undoubtedly started a riot and crashed the place. Things like this just make me angry and annoyed, when the director thinks that the audience are dead-panned idiots who can't think for themselves.

I know this movie is meant to be somewhat satirical and that these kind of movies shouldn't be taken too seriously, but honestly, it's not even so bad it's funny and that makes this movie a real bummer. That sequence with the 'foreigners' who were driven to this 'camp' is just a cheap excuse to make the movie a little bit longer and has nothing to do with the story. It's just so awkward and unnecessary. Even the picture on the DVD is strange because it makes you falsely believe that that is how the main actor in the movie looks like. This is not the case...

Why this movie have got almost the same rating as the cult classic The Wraith, produced the same year, is beyond my belief. That movie was at least funny and had a great soundtrack. Sure, it was lame at parts, but it was exciting and funny. I also can't believe how some people who posted here have the nerve to even compare this piece of crap with Mad Max. They must have been first-time sci-fi viewers.

I'm glad I got to view this movie without paying for it before I bought it on DVD. That would have been an even larger disappointment. For God's sake, even the horrendously bad Garbage Pail Kids: The Movie is more fun to watch than this stinker! My advise is, keep away from this piece of garbage and go see The Wraith instead or some other cult classics. Movies like this are meant to stay forgotten...

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!

I love 80s post apocalyptic fare, from the low budget to the tent pole blockbusters, but this one falls just shy of being reasonably entertaining. It has a lot of pluses with the sets, setting, and overall snapshot of edgier 80s punk, grit, what have you, however the story just muddles. Imagine a Cherry 3000 meets Mad Max less a story with any real conflict or sense of self, then pepper in some nonsensical protagonist actions that goes from one long drawn out scene to another and bam you're there. Look, the 80s had some moments cinematically, but this isn't one of them. Snoozer? Almost definitely.

I really enjoyed Dead End Drive In. This is a sci-fi film with great looking sets, decent acting and an illogical story line. Put it all together and add a few explosions and you have a fantastic ride.

The film tells the story of Crabs a young man who borrows his brother's car and goes to the drive in with a date. Then the government steals his tires and he is forced to live at the Drive In with about a hundred other teens who are also stuck there. It is never clearly explained WHY the government wants them to stay there (or even which government). Director Brian Trenchard-Smith makes the most of the story and pulls off some rather clever camera work. An aside from a racism subplot that is never really resolved, the story never drags. The sets are very extravagant and include some very funny touches (a poster for Rambo 8 hangs in one scene). Overall, the film is fun and is really good for anyone who likes futuristic, tongue in cheek sci-fi flicks.

After the global success of low-budget exploitation flick Mad Max, the Australian film industry underwent a revolution, built mainly around fast cars, a rebellious attitude, and a satirical look at the 'dangerous' youth of the day, all within a post-apocalyptic, near-future setting. One of the directors at the forefront of the Ozploitation movement was Brian Trenchard-Smith, the man behind such cult classics as Turkey Shoot, BMX Bandits and The Man from Hong Kong. The director referred to his best work, Dead End Drive-In, as a mixture of Mad Max and Luis Bunuel's The Exterminating Angel, and although he was clearly over-reaching by comparing his film to two established classics, there's much more going on here than punk teenagers, souped-up classic cars and boobs. Yes, Dead End Drive-In is just as concerned with social and economic commentary as it is with loud music, B-movies and vehicles smashing into each other.

In the near-future, society has crumbled amidst economic collapse, and small gangs of mohawked ne'er-do-wells scour the cities for car parts. With manufacturing at an all-time low, cars are now a commodity so criminals cruise the streets looking for accidents in the hope of swiping rare parts for profit or to pimp out their own method of transportation, while rival salvage companies battle it out for scraps. Workout junkie Crabs (Ned Manning) has little trouble getting his hands on an impressive ride - his burly older brother possesses a 1956 Chevy - and he manages to persuade his sibling to loan him the chick-magnet for a date with his girlfriend Carmen (Natalie McCurry). A night at the flea-pit local cinema followed by a night of steamy passion is clearly on Crabs' mind, but this particular drive-in has a little secret. Surrounded by high fences and S-roads that don't permit walking, the drive-in is actually a concentration camp that keeps its inhabitants - horny, trouble-making teenagers - prisoner. While the residents of the graffiti-laden hellhole appear content with their responsibility-free existence of booze, drugs and sex, Crabs does everything he can to persuade the creepy owner (Peter Whitford) to help him escape.

Described as a sort-of offbeat Mad Max clone upon its release, the comparisons to George Miller's grindhouse favourite seem a little lazy. While both films share a fetish for automobiles and a concern for the economic climate, the only other similarities are the accents and a grungy aesthetic. Dead End Drive-In doesn't litter the story with action scenes, and although it is book-ended by some impressive stunt-work, the film takes it down a gear during the middle section to explore the madness of Crabs' situation. The idea of a makeshift concentration camp for the apparently disenchanted youth is interesting enough, but the crazy idea that the prisoners within the walls are in fact happy to stay lend the film a unique and rather pleasantly maddening tone. If you've ever been stuck within a dream where nobody can understand you, you'll empathise with Crabs' plight, despite his unfortunate nickname. While the dip in pacing may infuriate exploitation fans hoping to see leather-clad warriors of the apocalypse battling it out on jacked-up vehicles, it only increased my curiosity, and while Trenchard-Smith doesn't explore its themes with enough care to make the film truly resonate, Dead End Drive-In is one of the more thought-provoking and off-kilter efforts from the age of Ozploitation.

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.

This film is all over the place! They build a while world and then simply abondon it for another! The main character is all over the place, both brave and weak. If done better it would come across nuanced. As it is, it just seems confused.

I would take this all to be satire maybe. But then there are real issues raised by the film of race and income inequality, so I think it's trying to be serious. But these issues are presented so sloppily that they also don't land and add to the mess. The end song along can tell you how delusional this film is.

Overall this is a great movie to take the piss out of, and if it is all intentional then I'll eat my words, but I'm pretty sure it's not.

In the near future, a teenage couple is trapped in a drive-in theater which has become a concentration camp for social outcasts. The inmates are treated to drugs, exploitation films, junk food, and new wave music.

Right off the bat, I have to say this is not a film for everyone. I am not even sure if it's a film for me. I have never quite understood the appeal of so-called Ozploitation, and I am not even a big fan of "Mad Max", which is easily the giant of the subgenre.That might be blasphemy, but it's true. So if I say I liked or disliked something, I won't be surprised if the die-hard cult fans disagree. (Perhaps all horror /cult fans have their weak spots. Some fans dislike slashers, but I adore them.)

Director Brian Trenchard-Smith has said, "The Drive-In is, of course, an allegory for the junk values of the eighties, which our hero sees as a prison." I am not sure how clear this is. The concept is clever, but flawed. Why do so many of the characters -- even our two leads -- accept this fate so easily? Our hero rebels, but not by much... it takes him days or weeks to even consider busting out. And his date seems to fall in line within minutes, never even questioning it. Huh?

The racial element is especially strange, as it is picked up but never pursued. The film's release on blu-ray may be appropriate for 2016, what with the racial aspects of Brexit in the UK and Donald Trump in the US. Immigration is a hot topic. But again, the film does not really explore this theme. Where does the truck load of Asian prisoners come from? Why is there racism in the camp? Is this maybe something Australians will understand that is over my head?

Bill Gibron of DVD Verdict wrote that the film's themes are "cliché and lame" and the film tries too hard without going far enough. I think Gibron and I are on the same page. For me, the social commentary was weak and could have been pushed. And it wouldn't hurt if the action was picked up. We don't get much of that until late in the film, meaning much of the story is a man wandering around a parking lot looking for spare tires.

For fans of the film (and there are many), Arrow does what Arrow does best and packs on some great extras. We have a brand new 2K restoration from original film materials (which looks pretty good despite the low quality it likely started as). There is an audio commentary by director Brian Trenchard-Smith ported fro man earlier release. And some new goodies: "The Stuntmen", Trenchard Smith's classic television documentary on Grant Page and other Australian stunt performers. And "Hospitals Don't Burn Down", his 1978 public information film told in pure Ozploitation fashion.

Apparently 'Dead End Drive-in' is based on a short story. Personally, I think it would have worked better as a short instead of a feature film.

'Dead End Drive-in' is classified as a horror. The only horror here was the premise, and having to sit through it. Had it been better motivated, it might have been more believable. This was just weird and inconceivable.

So, Jimmy and his girlfriend, Carmen, goes to the Star Drive-in. While having sex in the car during the movie, their wheels are stolen. Complaining to the owner, Thompson, they are told there is nothing that can be done, and that they can't leave and has to stay the night. The next morning, they find there are hundreds of cars still. The story goes, there is no transport to and from the drive-in, and there is no phone. (Also remember there were no mobile phones when the movie was made.) They are also not allowed to walk on the freeway, so they - and hundreds of others - are stranded.

With an electric fence around the drive-in, there's no way out. Most of the people don't want to return to their 'previous lives', and prefer to stay at the drive-in. They live in shelters, and there's a restaurant, hairdresser, shower facilities, etc. People are actually living at the drive-in, and prefer it that way. They should have given a reason for this. Being a dystopian future, maybe there could have been something evil lurking outside, and they felt safer at the drive-in. They should have given us something, at least. Any explanation would have sufficed. Instead, they simply just said they don't want to return to where they came from.

Many of the characters (and vehicles) look like they've stepped off the 'Mad Max 2' set. The film felt like a claustrophobic version of 'Mad Max 2' - just not as good. I must admit, the final act was quite good.

Would I watch it again? No.