SHANNON’S DRIVE-IN: DEAD END DRIVE-IN

Shannon’s drive-in tour takes her to Australia to visit the Dead End Drive-In.

In post-apocalyptic Australia, delinquent youths are held prisoner at a drive-in theater.

DEAD END DRIVE-IN

Director: Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writer: Peter Smalley, based upon the short story “Crabs” by Peter Carey

Stars: Ned Manning, Natalie McCurry, Peter Whitford

People know I’m a huge fan of drive-in theaters. They always draw me into conversations regarding them and ask me questions. Sometimes I get asked, “Hey, Shannon, would you like to LIVE at the drive-in?”

The answer’s always gonna be, “Yeah, no.” Even though I love drive-ins, there’s always a bit of grime which begins to form if you hang out at one too long. I speak from real life experience of attending drive-in festivals and believe me, after spending three days eating fried food and sweating your ass off, you’re gonna need a chisel to chip away at all the grime you accumulate. I’ve also read Joe Lansdale’s Drive-In trilogy and nobody needs to be stuck on a drive-in lot watching the same movies every night while trying to survive on popcorn and chocolate-covered almonds.

Brian Trenchard-Smith’s 1986 film Dead End Drive-In captures the grime perfectly in a post-apocalyptic Australia. It’s a hot and dirty movie filled with dust and smoke and a hell of a lot of satire.

One night, Crabs (Ned Manning) “borrows” his brother’s Chevy to take his girlfriend Carmen (Natalie McCurry) to the Star Drive-In on a date. The rear tires of the car are stolen by the police and when they complain to the owner of the drive-in, Thompson (Peter Whitford), he tells the two they need to stay until morning. The next day the drive-in is alive with the presence of delinquent youths. It’s like Pleasure Island from Pinocchio out there, with junk food and booze to keep everyone compliant. Plus the fence around the drive-in is electrified so there’s no way out.

The truth is the Star Drive-In is being used as a concentration camp for the troubled youths of Australia, which is a brilliant idea for an exploitation flick, but Dead End Drive-In shows it’s so much more than that.

Crabs becomes determined to escape and keeps up with his fitness routine even though he gets ribbed for it by one of the drive-in gangs. Once a truck comes in filled with Asian immigrants, he realizes just how different the values are between him and Carmen as everyone shows their racism towards the new people.

Trenchard-Smith has a hell of a filmography, including Stunt Rock, Turkey Shoot, BMX Bandits, and the third and fourth Leprechaun movies (after watching Dead End Drive-In, I’m more apt to check out those installments of the series just because his name is attached to them).

The production design of the movie is fantastic. Even during lulls in the movie, there’s always something to look at, like the bright graffiti and amazing-looking skies. Everything is garish eye candy with grit and grime rubbed all over it.

The world of Dead End Drive-In is a fascinating one, and I would’ve loved to have seen more of it. A longer story would have opened it up to more possibilities, but as is, the movie is as lean, fast, and as straight to the point as an Ozploitation flick should be. Even though the theme of immigrants makes up a small part of the movie, it lingers long enough to have an emotional impact.

Rather than living at an actual drive-in, I’m happy to follow Crabs along as an Australian folk hero, dealing with his down and dirty circumstances and never losing his resolve and values. It’s a messy job, and I’m glad there’s a character like him to do it.

Shannon Grant is a writer, performer, adventurer, and horned cryptid living in the wilds of upstate New York. Her work can be found in many small press anthologies such as A Guide to Useless Sidekicks, Catskill Chaos, and The Lizzie Borden House Anthology. She is currently at work on a vampire novella. When not writing, she can be found haunting drive-in movie theaters, karaoke bars, and looking for ghosts in the woods.

PLEASE NOTE: The views and opinions of the staff of Memento Mori Ink do not necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or Crystal Lake Publishing, nor do the views or opinions of Crystal Lake necessarily represent those of Memento Mori Ink or its staff. Thank you for understanding.