dead end drive in

With Arrow Video's release of Dead End Drive-In, we finally have director Brian Trenchard-Smith's most polished, professional film project on home video...only it's not actually Dead End Drive-In. Instead, it's a documentary short produced in 1978 as part of a public service campaign entitled Hospital's Don't Burn Down included as a bonus feature on Arrow's Blu-ray / DVD combo. No disrespect to the main feature, which Quentin Tarantino has anointed his favorite of the director's work, but in this case it's the extras which really make this collector's edition a must-buy.

Set in a dystopian near future, Dead End Drive-In (1986) plays out in a Mad Max-style landscape where crime and unemployment have led to the imprisonment of youthful "undesirables" inside makeshift concentration camps created within a chain of drive-ins across the country. Crabs (Ned Manning) and Carmen (Natalie McCurry) are lured in and locked up with a community of punk rockers and drug addicts who've come to enjoy their government-sponsored existence, living off hamburgers, milkshakes and midnight movies. Can the two lovers manage to escape...and will both of them want to?

With an ambitious concept and impressive production design, Dead End Drive-In is definitely a highlight in Trenchard-Smith's career. The Australian director, who's probably best known to genre fans for gonzo sequels like Night of the Demons and Leprechaun 3 and 4, was usually better than his material. But in this case, the film's failings are his own...and all the more obvious because of its potential.

Right from the get-go, the film fails to make its set-up clear. There are several quick title cards explaining the collapse of the world economy, but the screenplay never establishes any ground rules, jumping straight into an '80s neon jungle of road rage and rampant crime. And Crabs and Carmen's initial imprisonment in the drive-in is cut together in a sloppy, confusing fashion. None of this is a total deal-breaker. Dead End Drive-In goes on to be a slick, interesting and politically-aware bit of sci-fi foolery, cramming in a few shootouts and explosions towards the finale - and one incredibly dangerous looking car jump. But the potential the film leaves on the table is probably its most memorable feature.

The first of two documentary shorts presented as extras is 1973's The Stuntmen, profiling a team of Australian professionals as they attempt some remarkable cliff jumping and motorcycle stunts, presumably just for the fun of it (I didn't notice any cameras capturing the action). It's pretty typical information presented in an atypically amazing fashion. And the same can be said for Hospitals Don't Burn Down, which unfolds like 28-minutes lifted from a full Towering Inferno-style drama. The plot follows a patient whose carelessly discarded cigarette down a laundry shoot causes a flaming catastrophe. Unlike most educational films, this one has a horrific body count, excellent acting and unexpected sub-plots. It's quite honestly the best thing Trenchard-Smith has ever done!

Arrow's new 2K transfer of Dead End Drive-In makes for a pleasant neon facelift of the main feature. It's an obvious upgrade from previous DVD versions and well worth the cash. But it's the aforementioned bonus features, along with a solid audio commentary and liner notes, that earn this one a place on the shelf.