Dead End Drive-In (1986)

For some reason that was surely beyond reproach, we decided Sunday was a good day to watch Dead End Drive-In. I'd been wanting to watch this dystopian gem for a while now, but kept ending up watching something else instead. It was directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (Turkey Shoot, which is actually playing at the drive-in in this film, Night of the Demons 2, Leprechaun 3 & 4), a cult favorite.

The premise seems novel enough: in the near future, the government has turned drive-in movie theaters into makeshift concentration camps for society's unmentionables. It has a post-apocalyptic feel to it; after a series of disasters, the world is in the midst of a food shortage, financial crisis, and severe unemployment. The backdrop is very rough and industrial, with a distinctive 80's "New Wave" punk stylization.

When the movie kicks off, we meet the movie's protagonist "Crabs" (Ned Manning) as he jogs through dangerous streets, a seemingly fragile figure in a hostile environment. Manning plays an excellent "hero", he isn't the typical lead role type and comes across as an Everyman who just wants to rise above the shitty situation he's in. The first bit of the film seems to give us a bit more of his home life and back story than we really need, since it doesn't really go anywhere, but it does serve to build up a sense that he just can't catch a break. It's bad luck that he ends up in the drive-in.

The aesthetics of this film definitely evoke fellow Ozploitation film Mad Max; youth gangs terrorize the streets looking to rob and pillage.



We are treated to a bit of gore, in the form of a car accident; this comes early on in the film, and I'd hoped it would set the tone for more to follow. The rest of the film is decidedly tame in terms of blood and guts. It would be base to say a movie has to have gore to be good, but I felt the overall style of this movie demanded more carnage. There are however some well-executed car chase scenes and explosions, that would rival a higher-budget flick.

Once Crabs and his girlfriend find themselves trapped at the drive-in, we start to learn that most of the others there have no desire to get out; they are plied with all the junk food, movies, and shenanigans they could dream of. Everything is purchased with a weekly allotment of vouchers- not unlike a welfare system. Fast food and cheap entertainment are in abundance, but Crabs is unable to obtain anything very healthy; this is akin to an impoverished class in society, oppressed by the powers that be and given no real opportunities for betterment. Keep them distracted and compliant, and they won't rise up.

The social commentary is glaring in this flick. We have a society that wishes to lock up those it finds unsavory, out of sight and mind; this drive-in concentration camp holds not only the rancorous youth, we see people of Asian and Indian descent being "bussed in", which causes some strong xenophobia and racism among the White punks. The punks would rather marginalize the other ethnicities, than acknowledge their common plight and band together to better their chances. They immediately begin to create fear amongst themselves, scapegoating the Asians and Indians for all sorts of imaginary crimes.

Crabs' desire to persevere and escape the drive-in is met with confusion, anger, and frustration by the others in the encampment; for many, the world outside was worse. In the end, he must decide whether to accept his fate and settle in, or rise above and fight for his freedom. Overall, it's a pretty decent flick; there is a lot to read into, or you can just enjoy the action and over-the-top 80's nostalgia.

I learned Dead End Drive-In was loosely based on a short story by the name of "Crabs", by Peter Carey. I haven't read it yet, but ordered the collection of short stories on Amazon and look forward to checking it out. Another review on this movie, Crabs, Cars, and Peter Carey, was very insightful.