DEAD END DRIVE-IN

It's the early 1990s and the world has been thrown into a state of perpetual disarray, thanks to economic crisis and one natural catastrophe after another having occurred during the late 80s.

Consequently, the streets have become dark, lawless places and the police are taking a harder line than ever in an effort to quell the gangs of punks who now routinely loot and pillage under cover of the night.

Jimmy (Ned Manning) is a teen dropout with an unfortunate nickname who follows his older brother Frank (Ollie Hall) around, dreaming of the day he'll be allowed to borrow his hallowed '66 Chevy to take his girlfriend Carmen (Natalie McCurry, gorgeous) on a date.

He eventually has his wish granted, and takes Carmen to the local Star Drive-In where they settle down to watch a screening of TURKEY SHOOT (which shares the same director as this film, Brian Trenchard-Smith).

Pretty soon though, Jimmy and Carmen are doing what most couples do at the drive-in: fucking in the back of their car. Only, two of the wheels are stolen from the vehicle while they bonk. Jimmy gives chase to the thieves, but is alarmed to discover that the police are the culprits.

He reports the crime to drive-in manager Thompson (Peter Whitford), who simply advises the couple to get comfortable for the night and return to his office in the morning. When they do so, they learn that - due to uncontrollable rises in youth crime - the government have transformed their drive-in theatres into prison camps for unruly teenagers. Along with 193 other captives, Jimmy and Carmen are being held against their will until the powers-that-be see fit to release them.

Carmen's more worried about remaining fed and getting a decent hairdo. Jimmy, meanwhile, is panicked about getting fresh wheels for Frank's car. In the meantime, the pair of them learn to accept life within the confines of the drive-in: they're surrounded by like-minded souls, shown films every night and have free access to its American-style soda bars. As prisons go, it does all seem rather accommodating.

But then the problems start. The introduction of a busload of immigrants - "rice gobblers" as one hick puts it - disgruntles the racist faction of the drive-in's youths. Gang warfare, attempted breakouts and heavy-handing policing ensue...

Can Jimmy emerge as the hero of the day, replace his brother's stolen wheels and escape?

If you've seen a Trenchard-Smith film (TURKEY SHOOT, STUNT ROCK for example), you'll know that he's adept at shooting action sequences in stirring, bone-crunching style. He delivers the goods in DEAD END DRIVE-IN too, albeit with healthy doses of sardonic wit and political satire thrown in for good measure. The stunts (car chases, explosions, fist fights) are all staged well, while the exploitative element is further bolstered by gang violence and the aforementioned scenes of car-bound nookie.

The cast are all proficient enough to keep things ticking over, but no-one in particular stands out. In fact, the main stand-out in the film is its sterling cinematography. Luscious widescreen photography, ambitious tracking shots and genuinely attractive framing ensure the film is always stylish - but to an extent that they outweigh the superficial screenplay and rather faceless cast. Although fun while it lasts, DRIVE-IN is definitely a case of 'style over substance'. This is reinforced by a quick resolution that robs the film of any meaningful agenda.

Elsewhere, it's a film that totally feels like a product of its time: the post-Apocalyptic theme, the CLASS OF 1984/MAD MAX-esque punk characters, the hideous disco soundtrack, the Neon set designs of the soda bar and drive-in banner ... This has "went straight to video in 1987" written all over it.

But, is that necessarily a bad thing?

DEAD END DRIVE-IN comes to UK DVD uncut courtesy of Arrow's budget strain, Arrowdrome.

The film is presented in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, in a transfer which has been enhanced for 16x9 televisions. There's a slightly faded look to the colours and blacks, and edge enhancement does rear its ugly bonce on occasion, but overall I found this presentation to be a fair one.

English 2.0 audio fares better, offering a consistently clean and evenly balanced proposition throughout.

The disc's static main menu page contains a scene-selection menu which offers access to the film via 12 chapters.

Bonus features on the disc are limited to a frenetically paced 95-second theatrical trailer. Alas, the director commentary track which graces the region 1 DVD is not provided here. But this set also includes a double-sided reversible cover and a collectors' booklet, neither of which were available for review purposes.

DEAD END DRIVE-IN is an oddity that lovers of trashy straight-to-video curios from the late 1980s will adore. It's served reasonably well on Arrow's nicely priced DVD.

Review by Stuart Willis