A huge hiccup in a great action film…
What They Say:
One of Quentin Tarantino’s favourite directors, Brian Trenchard-Smith was a key figure in the Ozploitation movement, responsible for The Man from Hong Kong, Stunt Rock, Turkey Shoot, BMX Bandits… and dystopian cult classic Dead-End Drive In!
Set in a near-future where the economy has crumbled and violent gangs play havoc in the streets, the powers-that-be have decided to lure the delinquent youth into drive-in cinemas and keep them there. No longer just a place to watch trashy movies and make out, these outdoor picture shows have become concentration camps for the unruly and unwanted.
With its day-glo colour scheme, new wave soundtrack, and extraordinary stunt work, Dead-End Drive-In is in the tradition of Ozploitation milestones Mad Max and The Cars That Ate Paris only very, very eighties.
The Review:
Audio:
The audio sounds great, and the soundtrack helps with that feeling. Little quieter than what I’m usually listening to with the setup, but just pump up the volume a little.
Video:
The video looks pretty good. The backgrounds are sometimes a little grainy, but nothing terrible.
Menu:
The menus are typical Arrow, and very functional. I still love them.
For most of the duration of this movie, I was all in on calling this an amazing piece of action cinema. I wanted so hard to believe that this would be great, and those parts are. Taratino calls Trenchard-Smith one of his favorite directors, and you can really tell from some of the stylistic elements of the film.
Then there’s the really random and out of place racism stuck right in the middle of it all. This serves seemingly no purpose other than to show that everyone stuck at this drive in is a scumbag espousing white power (white tribalism is what the movie tries to portray, but they are one in the same). It really took any wind out of the movie that it had for me and made it a much less enjoyable movie as a result. I just want the cool scenes with that ripped out.
Even the one scene that made any semblance of sense in forwarding plot or character was only to show how much of a great guy the main character is. And, look here main character that I constantly mistook for that dude from Two and a Half Men, Asians don’t need a white savior to come to their rescue most of the time. In the face of bullies trying to fuck with you while you pee…maybe. But it’s still just uncomfortable fare.
To make matters worse in this particular instance, the dude is just credited as Indian. Not as if he would have a credited name anyway, but he could have been Sikh Man (but that carries its own kinds of implications similar to Indian…) or Man in Turban or, like, literally anything except “Indian.” Goodness.
In Summary:
I can’t say I liked this movie. Not with those moments that derail the entire rest of the experience. If this were a product of its time (it’s a movie from1986 so…no…), I might be a little more forgiving. Or if there was more reason that I could discern other than…to have Asians??? Maybe. But nah.
I did love the action sequences in the movie. But they aren’t enough to overcome the rest.
Content Grade: D-ish, I guess
Audio Grade: B+
Video Grade: B+
Menu Grade: A-
Released By: Arrow Films
Release Date: September 16, 2016
MSRP: £19.99
Running Time: 88 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Review Equipment: Xbox One, LG 47LB5800 47” 1080p LED TV, LG NB3530A Sound Bar