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Dead End Drive-In

 Dead End Drive-In
type
TVTItem
 Dead End Drive-In
label
Dead End Drive-In
 Dead End Drive-In
page
DeadEndDriveIn
 Dead End Drive-In
comment
Dead End Drive-In is a 1986 Australian B action/sci-fi film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith (who also did BMX Bandits, Leprechaun 4: In Space, The Man from Hong Kong and Turkey Shoot).It is 20 Minutes into the Future in 1995 and Australia has stagnated to a state roughly akin to that in the first Mad Max movie, with dingy slums covered in graffiti and gangs of marauding "car boys" scraping by via stealing car parts. Crabs (Ned Manning) is a teenager who is an avid jogger. He convinces his older brother Frank to lend him his '56 Chevy for a date with his girlfriend Carmen (Natalie McCurry). The two go to a Drive-In Theater where they're playing Brian Trenchard-Smith's own other movies and start to make out... only for the car's wheels to get stolen. The theater's attendant refuses to do anything until morning, so the two are forced to stay at the drive-in overnight. Come said morning, Crabs finds the place alive and resembling a ghetto. He goes to the attendant, only to be informed that he, Carmen and 190 more of society's teen delinquents are to be imprisoned at the drive-in by the government until further notice. Whereas all the other kids, including Carmen herself, seem all too content to remain at the drive-in forever placated by the limitless supply of junk food and violent movies, Crabs ain't, and he starts scheming to escape...
 Dead End Drive-In
fetched
2023-11-11T17:14:20Z
 Dead End Drive-In
parsed
2023-11-11T17:14:20Z
 Dead End Drive-In
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1305f045
type
Vanity License Plate
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1305f045
comment
Vanity License Plate: Frank's Chevy has FRANK 1 and his tow truck FRANK 2. Some of the Carboys' cars also have vanity plates.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1305f045
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_1305f045
 Dead End Drive-In / int_143939c1
type
Trailers Always Spoil
 Dead End Drive-In / int_143939c1
comment
Trailers Always Spoil: The trailer, in its desperation to include every scrap of action footage to make the film look more action-based than it is, reveals Crabs jumping out of the cinema.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_143939c1
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_143939c1
 Dead End Drive-In / int_14ed6ab7
type
Does This Remind You of Anything?
 Dead End Drive-In / int_14ed6ab7
comment
Does This Remind You of Anything?: The prisoners' arguments for opposing the arrival of new Asian prisoners can just as easily pass for any real-world ultra-right wing anti-immigration speech.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_14ed6ab7
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_14ed6ab7
 Dead End Drive-In / int_19ebe383
type
Never Trust a Trailer
 Dead End Drive-In / int_19ebe383
comment
Never Trust a Trailer: The trailer and publicity for the film promoted it as an action movie in the tradition of Mad Max. It's much more of a drama piece with relatively infrequent action scenes, and seems like, if anything, a punk version of The Prisoner (1967).
 Dead End Drive-In / int_19ebe383
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_19ebe383
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1ba8eb64
type
Visual Pun
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1ba8eb64
comment
Visual Pun: The extra who is implied to have been providing sexual services to the cop is wearing a top with lit-up car headlights over her breasts, "headlights" being an Aussie slang term for them.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1ba8eb64
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1ba8eb64
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hasFeature
Dead End Drive-In / int_1ba8eb64
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1dae374
type
POW Camp
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1dae374
comment
POW Camp: The drive-in functions as an internment camp.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_1dae374
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_1dae374
 Dead End Drive-In / int_203b5242
type
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics
 Dead End Drive-In / int_203b5242
comment
Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics: The early part of the film has Crabs listening to a radio broadcast with obviously fake statistics being quoted about how the economy is improving and crime is falling.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_203b5242
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_203b5242
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Dead End Drive-In / int_203b5242
 Dead End Drive-In / int_20860a0e
type
Punch-Clock Villain
 Dead End Drive-In / int_20860a0e
comment
Punch-Clock Villain: "Tommo" Thompson the theater manager is just doing his job and doesn't seem to have any malice toward the prisoners.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_20860a0e
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1.0
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hasFeature
Dead End Drive-In / int_20860a0e
 Dead End Drive-In / int_21d70919
type
Crapsack World
 Dead End Drive-In / int_21d70919
comment
Crapsack World: A worldwide economic crisis has turned Australia into a fascist regime. The rest of the world is probably similar. Not to mention all the roving gangs looking to rob you. Police state or anarchy, take your pick.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_21d70919
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_21d70919
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hasFeature
Dead End Drive-In / int_21d70919
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: Crabs doesn't manage to fit the fuel filler cap back on the police van after he siphons petrol from it. This leads to it catching fire during the climactic chase scene.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22cf536c
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22cf536c
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Dead End Drive-In / int_22cf536c
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22d639e6
type
If It Bleeds, It Leads
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22d639e6
comment
If It Bleeds, It Leads: An early scene has Crabs and his brother attending a road accident as tow-truck drivers. A local news TV crew arrive and are blatantly most interested in shooting gruesome footage of dead and injured people.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22d639e6
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_22d639e6
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Dead End Drive-In / int_22d639e6
 Dead End Drive-In / int_2562da69
type
Great Escape
 Dead End Drive-In / int_2562da69
comment
Great Escape: Crabs repeatedly plans to escape the drive-in, and is frustrated that his fellow prisoners, including his girlfriend, have no interest in joining or helping him.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_2562da69
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_2562da69
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1.0
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hasFeature
Dead End Drive-In / int_2562da69
 Dead End Drive-In / int_3b39c254
type
Dystopia
 Dead End Drive-In / int_3b39c254
comment
Dystopia: Even if most of the prisoners liked their Gilded Cage, it doesn't change the fact that the government is locking up teens and young adults without a trial, indefinitely.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_3b39c254
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_3b39c254
 Dead End Drive-In / int_40cc0c7e
type
Bittersweet Ending
 Dead End Drive-In / int_40cc0c7e
comment
Bittersweet Ending: Crabs manages to escape the prison, but his girlfriend decided to stay, and the outside world is still a hellhole and possibly getting worse. Not to mention that he'll probably be blamed for killing Tommo and the three cops.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_40cc0c7e
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_40cc0c7e
 Dead End Drive-In / int_45ce1de7
type
Drive-In Theater
 Dead End Drive-In / int_45ce1de7
comment
Drive-In Theater: Obviously.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_45ce1de7
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_45ce1de7
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Dead End Drive-In / int_45ce1de7
 Dead End Drive-In / int_4ff6f484
type
Trash the Set
 Dead End Drive-In / int_4ff6f484
comment
Trash the Set: A meta-example - the production was given the use of a real drive-in cinema that had just been closed for demolition, allowing them to fill it with wrecked cars, cover it in graffiti, and trash it in the climactic action sequence.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_4ff6f484
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 Dead End Drive-In / int_4ff6f484
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Dead End Drive-In / int_4ff6f484
 Dead End Drive-In / int_537dd8fe
type
Affably Evil
 Dead End Drive-In / int_537dd8fe
comment
Affably Evil: Tommo the cinema manager, seems to have been forced into the situation as much as the inmates are and tries to see himself as a benevolent father figure to them.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_537dd8fe
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Dead End Drive-In / int_537dd8fe
 Dead End Drive-In / int_74e9a5b1
type
Scavenger World
 Dead End Drive-In / int_74e9a5b1
comment
Scavenger World: The world has just started to become this.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_74e9a5b1
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_74e9a5b1
 Dead End Drive-In / int_77922c8c
type
Batter Up!
 Dead End Drive-In / int_77922c8c
comment
Batter Up!: Crabs and one of the Carboys in the camp fight with cricket bats.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_77922c8c
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_77922c8c
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Dead End Drive-In / int_77922c8c
 Dead End Drive-In / int_85c7446b
type
Collateral Damage
 Dead End Drive-In / int_85c7446b
comment
Collateral Damage: After being shot by Crabs, the cop gets off a shot as he dies, which hits and kills Tommo.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_85c7446b
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Dead End Drive-In / int_85c7446b
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8a295a46
type
Cool Car
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8a295a46
comment
Cool Car: Frank's 1950s Chevrolet convertible as borrowed by Crabs, which becomes increasingly unroadworthy as the film progresses.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8a295a46
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8a295a46
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Dead End Drive-In / int_8a295a46
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8b4f2a4f
type
'80s Hair
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8b4f2a4f
comment
'80s Hair: A wide range, from female "big hair" to mullets.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8b4f2a4f
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_8b4f2a4f
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8bf8adfa
type
Just Before the End
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8bf8adfa
comment
Just Before the End: Australia is starting to become a Scavenger World with both tow truck drivers and gangs fighting over car parts, but the police and government still appear to function.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8bf8adfa
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_8bf8adfa
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Dead End Drive-In / int_8bf8adfa
 Dead End Drive-In / int_94d295c0
type
The Precious, Precious Car
 Dead End Drive-In / int_94d295c0
comment
The Precious, Precious Car: Used as a plot point - Crabs doesn't attempt to escape the drive-in before he realises how bad the situation is, because he's afraid of giving Frank his car back with mismatched wheels.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_94d295c0
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_94d295c0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_95864e13
type
B-Movie
 Dead End Drive-In / int_95864e13
comment
B-Movie
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Dead End Drive-In / int_95864e13
 Dead End Drive-In / int_ac007f3e
type
Lady Not-Appearing-in-This-Game
 Dead End Drive-In / int_ac007f3e
comment
Lady Not-Appearing-in-This-Game: Just about every piece of publicity or retrospective article you see about the film shows a woman who is topless apart from a metal bra with huge cow horns over her breasts. She's an extra who is never the main focus of a shot.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_ac007f3e
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_ac007f3e
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b0fb2427
type
Bread and Circuses
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b0fb2427
comment
Bread and Circuses: Disillusioned, antisocial youth are kept off the streets and pacified with a daily regime of snack food and movies.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b0fb2427
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_b0fb2427
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b51128fa
type
Gilded Cage
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b51128fa
comment
Gilded Cage: Most of the prisoners prefer life at the drive-in, which provides food and entertainment, as opposed to life outside.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b51128fa
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b51128fa
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Dead End Drive-In / int_b51128fa
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b611d947
type
Pleasure Island
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b611d947
comment
Pleasure Island: The prison camp lures youths in by pretending to be an ordinary drive-in cinema, and then tries to keep them peaceful with B-movies, junk food, and unofficially sanctioned drug use.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_b611d947
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Dead End Drive-In / int_b611d947
 Dead End Drive-In / int_be9392d
type
The Quincy Punk
 Dead End Drive-In / int_be9392d
comment
The Quincy Punk: Averted, the inmates vary from extreme punks to just normal-looking youths, and the most violent and unsympathetic ones aren't the most stereotypically punk in dress.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_be9392d
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Dead End Drive-In / int_be9392d
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c2d978fe
type
Car Fu
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c2d978fe
comment
Car Fu: There are two major scenes of this, the first when Crabs is attacked by Carboys in a train yard while driving a food truck, and the second inside the prison camp at the climax of the film.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c2d978fe
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_c2d978fe
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c3c18143
type
Hope Spot
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c3c18143
comment
Hope Spot: Crabs manages to get two new Chevrolet wheels from one of the wrecks brought in to accommodate a new group of detainees, and to syphon petrol from a police van, but then discovers that the whole engine has been removed from his car.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_c3c18143
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Dead End Drive-In / int_c3c18143
 Dead End Drive-In / int_d082b66b
type
The Apunkalypse
 Dead End Drive-In / int_d082b66b
comment
The Apunkalypse: Starting to take hold, but the drive-in prison camps are intended to avert this.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_d082b66b
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1.0
 Dead End Drive-In / int_d082b66b
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Dead End Drive-In / int_d082b66b
 Dead End Drive-In / int_dc9b1fe9
type
Cue the Sun
 Dead End Drive-In / int_dc9b1fe9
comment
Cue the Sun: The sun rises as Crabs escapes.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_dc9b1fe9
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1.0
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Dead End Drive-In / int_dc9b1fe9
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e7bfdba
type
Divide and Conquer
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e7bfdba
comment
Divide and Conquer: The government dumps a large number of Asian immigrants in the camp, trusting correctly that most of the prisoners will take out their resentment on them.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e7bfdba
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Dead End Drive-In / int_e7bfdba
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e96e7845
type
Ramp Jump
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e96e7845
comment
Ramp Jump: At the climax of the film. It's been claimed that the 162 feet achieved was the longest-ever car jump successfully done for a film at the time.
 Dead End Drive-In / int_e96e7845
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Dead End Drive-In / int_e96e7845
 Dead End Drive-In / int_f165cf2c
type
Last-Second Word Swap
 Dead End Drive-In / int_f165cf2c
comment
Last-Second Word Swap:
 Dead End Drive-In / int_f165cf2c
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 Dead End Drive-In / int_f32d85ab
type
20 Minutes into the Future
 Dead End Drive-In / int_f32d85ab
comment
20 Minutes into the Future: The film takes place in 1995.
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Dead End Drive-In

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
B-Movie / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Batter Up! / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Collateral Damage / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Drive-In Theater / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Lady Not-Appearing-in-This-Game / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
Pleasure Island / int_a1afc472
 Dead End Drive-In
hasFeature
The Apunkalypse / int_a1afc472