Deadbeat at Dawn

Jim Van Bebber seems to be a man with absolutely no impulse control...and thank god for it. Moving with the brash logic of a couple of 12 year old boys playing army in the backyard, Deadbeat at Dawn is curious and compelling, trashy and brilliant. You want cult? You want guilty pleasure? You want guys getting throwing stars lodged in their heads? This movie has it all and then some. At first glance, you may dismiss this as cheapjack filmmaking (the thing looks like a drive-in movie), but trying to shut it off is near impossible. You will be sucked in; you will be fascinated. And if Van Bebber isn't a guy who deserves a shot at the brass ring with a real budget and a real crew, I honestly don't know who is. Not only does he shoot action sequences with some of the most urgent and alive camera work I've seen in awhile, he also does his own stunts--some of it crazy Jackie Chan level stuff. Watching him get dragged around by a car at the end of the flick, I just sat there wondering how this guy didn't end up in a hospital or worse.

Goose (Jim Van Bebber), leader of tough Ohio street gang The Ravens, has only just renounced his violent lifestyle when his girlfriend Christy is brutally killed by members of rival gang The Spiders. Goose vows to avenge her murder, but finds himself caught in a self-destructive spiral of hatred and despair that leads him to attempt suicide. However, just as he is about to blow his brains out, Goose is confronted by Keith (Ric Walker), the current leader of The Ravens, who wishes to recruit him for an armoured car heist; the only problem is that The Ravens have since joined forces with The Spiders and Goose isn't about to forgive and forget...

Written, edited, directed by and starring Van Bebber, who also provides the film's stunts and make-up effects, Deadbeat at Dawn is a marvel of independent movie-making, one that belies its meagre budget by successfully pulling off several gruelling and very bloody set-pieces and quite a few dangerous looking action scenes, with the final 10 minutes or so going all out to shock with its brutal violence and a gruelling sense of nihilism. Where many an 80s horror/action flick ladled on the cheeze, Van Bebber goes for the full-on, gritty exploitation vibe and for the most part he succeeds, his film feeling suitably grubby and depressing throughout with vivid coloured lighting and retro kaleidoscopic scene transitions really adding to that authentic grind-house feel.

While some of the acting is admittedly a bit wobbly (the guy who plays Goose's father wins my award for funniest performance of the film) and the fight scenes aren't always totally convincing, it's easy to forgive these shortcomings when considering the almost negligible budget and Van Bebber's relative inexperience behind the camera (he was only twenty four at the time of the film's release); what he has managed to do for minimal money is most impressive indeed and his enthusiasm for the project shines through on every grimy, filth-ridden frame, especially those where he is putting his life on the line for his art.

This is a particular dangerous movie for teenage boys to watch as it'll likely result in them squandering whatever industrial potential in favor of pursuing a lifetime in the arts. Jim Van Bebber somehow, with 80's technology, was able to write, direct, make special effects, choreograph the martial arts, and star-in this mini-masterpiece shot on a micro-budget.

Heavily inspired by a handful of films including THE WARRIORS and CLOCKWORK ORANGE, the film doesn't star anyone you would recognize and is set in a decaying rustbelt city Dayton, Ohio where you'll probably never go. It lacks the familiarity of Hollywood productions, or even of B-movies, and has an unrelenting ugly crudeness to it (including the acting and sound quality). It makes up for these numerous shortcomings though by being so insanely energetic and outrageous. Van Bebber's performance never wavers and his cinematographer Mike King does an excellent job capturing the fight scenes and urban blight.

This film has a lot of goofy scenes and nonsequiters but gives you the impression of some kind of underlying genius behind the whole affair. I think it's kind of a shame that Van Bebber never was able to make a big, mainstream film but then again I'm sure he would not have done well in the studio system. He comes off as something of an obsessive Orson Welles-type cinema savant who unfortunately peaked early, though his short films are even more expertly crafted.

The handmade, rough-around-the-edges quality of the film, coupled with its high entertainment value could easily inspire anyone watching the film to want to get their friends together and make a similar film. It makes the process look both fun and accessible, and personally I can say it heavily impacted my decision to get into the business (for better or worse).

If you liked playing Double Dragon on your Nintendo, you will love this movie! It's about the kind of blokes you'd have in the video game but now it's just about as psycho crazy and atmospheric as Abel Ferrara's Driller Killer. A street-brawler kid quits his gang to live with his girl, but off course it's not that easy to turn his back on the gang.. It's a very simple plot, but it has a certain style and intensity that make up for that lack of complexity. The style, to compare, is a bit between Driller Killer and Richard Kern's short films (The Hardcore Collection). A sometimes psychotic montage with lots of stylish and semi-shocking images and great action scenes with intense gore and a haunting musical score. Or maybe it was just really good weed. Who knows..

Even without taking a look at the budget, this is one of the most amazing indies I've ever seen. The sheer energy alone bypasses the overused action plot. Kudos to whomever sat down, wrote this, and got enough time to perfect the choreography. It's more believable than most films nowadays.

See this film. Why this film isn't a classic shows that there is no justice in this world. Five stars out of four. A reason to get a DVD player.