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Dead End Drive-In - Karboy Big Collector's Edition
[Blu-ray 4K]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (23rd May 2024). |
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The Film
 "Dead End Drive-In (1986) Taking place in the near future where much of the world has collapsed with economic downfalls, riots, and crime on the rise, Australia is one of the few standing countries left, though its government has been secretly making efforts to reduce gang violence from unruly youths in unconventional ways. Jimmy "Crabs" Rossini (played by Ned Manning) is a young man who is looking to take his girlfriend Carmen (played by Natalie McCurry) on a date by borrowing his older brother Frank’s (played by Ollie Hall) restored vintage Chevy to a drive in theater for the night. Unfortunately things don’t go accordingly, as they find themselves trapped in the establishment, as it has been converted into a makeshift prison for gangs, agitators, and illegal immigrants, with many of them living there for a number of months. As the government is giving food, drugs, and entertainment for the patrons there making it a more ideal environment than the dystopian outside world, Crabs is not buying into the lie, and tries to plot his escape… Based on the story "Crabs" by Peter Carey, the dystopian set story was adapted to screens in 1986 with screenwriter Peter Smalley’s adaptation and director Brian Trenchard-Smith at the helm, who replaced the originally hired director Michael Jenkins during pre-production. With 1979’s “Mad Max” becoming a worldwide cultural phenomenon inspiring countless films and other works, there was a slew of imitators with similar near future settings and insane car stunts not just from Australia but from other countries as well. “Dead End Drive-In” slightly falls into the category with the dystopian future setting, the punk inspired fashion and visuals, as well as lots of cars. Though there is not a lot of driving in “Dead End Drive-In” in comparison to other similar films. It is more of a character piece and taking on themes such as racism and class structure, and critique of government decisions, while still falling into the Ozploitation genre. It’s interesting to see the world that the drive-in has made for itself. In charge is Mr. Thompson (played by Peter Whitford) who is not particularly controlling of the happenings within, but is the only person in contact with the government and the police outside. Within the establishment are cafes which has mostly drive-in junk food, film projectors to show movies at night for the crowd, market stalls, showers, salons, and more that makes it livable, though not up to particularly high standards. It’s dusty, dirty, and in the middle of nowhere, thriving on gang culture, but there is no issue with finding work or money as they are particularly unnecessary to have. While Crabs is not at all content in being trapped at the drive-in, his spark of anti-establishment gives notice to Thompson, who sees Crabs as a possible successor to the place unlike the rest of the people there. On the other hand there is the deteriorating relationship between Crabs and Carmen, as they start off as a young couple in love including a sex scene in the car for their first night, but things start to drift apart once they are trapped. He starts to find hints on how to escape, but she starts to find life in the drive-in to be more ideal. She makes friends with Beth (played by Sandie Lillingston), Shirl (played by Nikki McWaters), Narelle (played by Melissa Davis), Jill (played by Margi di Ferranti) and Tracey (played by Desirée Smith) and likes the freedom that is given. On the other hand, Crabs makes enemies with gang leader Dave (played by Dave Gibson), and his minions Hazza (played by Wilbur Wilde), Mickey (played by Murray Fahey), Jeff (played by Jeremy Shadlow) and Don (played by Brett Climo). While the guys try to initiate Crabs into their gang, Crabs’ determination to stay out of trouble with them inadvertently gets him into more and more trouble. While there aren’t a lot of scenes depicting gang violence, there is a major shift when the government ships in a few truckloads of Asian immigrants, leading to the mostly white group of misfits to side against them immediately. Crabs is the only person to not feel the same way, as he sees them as he is, a prisoner just the same and there is a scene of him interacting with the displaced Asian community (which happens to be a scene cut from the international version). The racial tension between migrants and the whites was a direct response mirroring the Vietnamese “boat people” and rising tensions in Australia in the 1980s, and sadly it is a topic that is relevant all over the world with continued conflicts and political unrest displacing many groups of people as refugees across the world, and the hatred from many that make them feel unwanted and unwelcome to a better place. Visually the film is absolutely solid. The cinematography by Paul Murphy is a visual spectacle, using various filters to give golden hues to the heated desert, bright neon for signs to light the environments, and using the widescreen ratio to full effect for the large environment. The set designs and costume designs are filled with hip hop inspired graffiti artwork as well as punk and new wave inspired costumes and makeup for the characters for a striking look that is of the period yet slightly heightened. In addition, the stuntwork in the finale is one of the most satisfying, and the driving, the destruction is Australian stuntwork at its finest, with the truck jump sequence breaking the record for the biggest truck jump at the time. Interestingly it was not part of the original script, which originally had it where the car just busts through the gates. Thankfully, a much more effective escape was suggested and developed during the film’s production. But “Dead End Drive-In” does have some faults, and that is with the set-up of the world itself. There is some opening text crawl stating how the world has become, but there is little to show for it. There are scenes of Crabs, Frank, and their widowed mother (played by Bernadette Foster) and the family dynamic, and showing that the muscular Frank makes a living with his tow truck and scavenging for car parts which can sometimes lead to confrontations from other tow truck drivers aiming for the same thing. This might be firmly established, but there are people such as news media and the police who are sufficiently (but maybe not efficiently) working in the world, but how about others? How are they living their lives in the dystopian state? As for the idea of having a drive-in where people are in a fenced encampment seems feasible as it shows he electrified fences and being a large area, there are also some questionable things in the logic. As for people setting up gangs, groups, and communities, that is plausible just as any prison environment would be. But for Crabs and Carmen to drive into the location and basically be trapped there as they had no idea that it was a government trap, it seems like an odd happening. Some of the people there arrived there on their own free will so there must be knowledge that the drive-ins are an establishment where gang culture can thrive, yet why didn’t Crabs or Carmen know this? If it is that easy to get in with the gate opening and closing at certain times a day, would it not be easy for still standing cars or makeshift vehicles to make it out somehow? There is no on the clock police force around the establishment, and the only person in charge technically is Thompson who doesn’t have much power to authorize anything. It has its plot holes, though the main issue for the story is not how the establishment is set-up but how to escape it. Shot over a 35 day period in the autumn of 1985 in New South Wales, the film was shopped at the Cannes Film Festival in 1986 for international sales, where it was picked up by New World Pictures (which was founded by Roger Corman though he was no longer part of the company at this point). They suggested a few changes to be made such as a few trims of scenes as well as redubbing the film to American English as was done for “Mad Max” and a few other Australian productions in the past. The contract did not let them redub the audio, though about five minutes were removed for the international distribution, leading to the film opening in America on August 22, 1986. The Australian release would interestingly a few months later on December 18, 1986. The film received some positive notices from American critics, but the reception from Australia was scathingly negative, prompting Australian distributor GSO to give it little promotion and little chance. The film grossed a measly $68,000 in Australia, which was far less than the $2.5 million budget. The final truck jump stunt itself cost $75,000, and was a massive flop in its own country while it became a cult favorite overseas by home video and cable fans over the years. As the film found a larger audience in the DVD era especially with filmmaker Quentin Tarantino championing it as one of his favorite Ozploitation films and his favorite Brian Trenchard-Smith film, it was also rediscovered by Australian audiences as an underseen and underappreciated home grown film with the 2008 documentary “Not Quite Hollywood” also placing it in the spotlight. For many years, the original uncut Australian version was only available on the Australian VHS release. Umbrella Entertainment has now remastered the film in 4K resolution, and given the longer Australian version as well as the shortened international version a new and special home video release on the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray format. Note this is a region ALL 4K UltraHD Blu-ray + Blu-ray set
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents two versions of the film. The uncut Australian version is in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 2160p HEVC with HDR on the 4K UltraHD Blu-ray, and in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 on the standard Blu-ray. The shorter international version is in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4 on the standard Blu-ray. A 35mm interpositive of the uncut version was used for the 4K restoration, and this marks the first time since the Australian VHS that the original longer Australian version has received a release on a home video format. The film is a very colorful one, with uses of filters for gold hues of the hot desert looking environment, lighting with neon signs and lights, as well as having wild costumes and graffiti art throughout, and this new transfer is an exceptional one. Colors look stable and incredibly vibrant in the 4K transfer, detail is exceptional, while the picture looking very clean with little to no instances of damage marks to be found. The image is stable and properly framed in the theatrical aspect ratio, and film grain is intact, keeping the filmic look without any issues of digital sharpening or artificial looking grain. The standard Blu-ray's transfer of the Australian version is also very strong, coming from the same 4K restoration master. The international version is also taken from the same 4K master with an identical look, with just a few sequences being removed. There is no additional footage or differing credits for the international version. An absolutely solid restoration and transfer from Umbrella Entertainment here that looks better than any of the previous home video releases. Note that with Arrow Video's Blu-ray from a few years back it stated that it was restored in 2K from the original negative. With the Umbrella's release being a 4K restoration from the internegative, the new restoration is one generation away from the original elements. This might be a case where the international version was made by physically removing and discarding scenes from the original negative itself, therefore the original negative being "incomplete". The best available element to have the full Australian version seems to be the internegative. The runtime for the uncut Australian version is 92:04 (on both discs) and the international version runs 86:56.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo The film was originally mixed in Dolby Stereo, and the 2.0 stereo track is presented here in lossless form. Music is strong, featuring tracks by the Australian bands Machinations, Kids in the Kitchen, Hunters + Collectors, the theme song by Lisa Edwards, and more, with the stereo separation giving extra space for a number of songs to shine. The synth based score by Frank Strangio is also great with the stereo separation, and the music is always well balanced against the dialogue and effects. Dialogue is always clear and stable, and the effects with the car crashes, machine gun fire, and others sound vibrant and crisp, without any issues of pops, hiss, crackle, or other anomalies for a full and clean audio track for both cuts of the film. There are optional English HoH subtitles for both cuts of the film. They are well timed and free of errors, though interestingly the Australian cut and the international cut have some slight differences in the subtitles. The international version seems to be identical to the Arrow Video Blu-ray release, and has some spelling choices such as "fuck arse", rather than "fuck ass" as spelled on the Australian version. There are also a few differing choices with how some of the sound effects are displayed as captions. In addition, the font is slightly larger on the 4K disc in comparison to the standard Blu-ray. It seems the Australian version's captions were newly made from scratch rather than using the existing English HoH track made for the international version by Arrow Video. The differences are minor, but just interesting to compare the differences.
Extras
This is a 2-disc set with the uncut Australian version on the 4K disc and the standard Blu-ray having both the uncut Australian version and the international theatrical version, with the following extras. DISC ONE (Blu-ray 4K) Audio commentary with co-producer Damien Parer, production designer Larry Eastwood and actor Ned Manning moderated by filmmaker Mark Hartley (2023) (Australian Version) This newly recorded commentary has two members of the production crew - Damien Parer and Larry Eastwood, lead actor Manning, moderated by Mark Hartley recalling their experience with the film. Discussed about was designing the dystopian look of the film, the set designs, the differences from the original story, the casting of Manning and about his slightly older age, differences between the Australian and international versions, the final stunt not being part of the script, and much more. Hartley does an excellent job bringing up topics as well as some information on the production itself, while still giving each participant enough time to discuss their topics. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC TWO (Blu-ray) Audio commentary with co-producer Damien Parer, production designer Larry Eastwood and actor Ned Manning moderated by filmmaker Mark Hartley (2023) (Australian Version) The commentary from the 4K disc is repeated here for the Australian version of the film. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Audio commentary with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (2003) (International Version) This vintage commentary has Trenchard-Smith discussing about all aspects of the film, from the cinematic inspirations, information on the locations used, having his own films play at the Drive-In scenes, his personal youth experience about the drive-in they filmed at, film flubs he wishes he could fix, the filters used, the Super 35 process, about the stuntwork, costumes, make-up, and set designs, as well as the critical bashing the film received on its release. It is packed with information and Trenchard-Smith is always well spoken and packs the runtime with detail. Note this was originally recorded for the US Anchor Bay DVD release and has been featured on a number of other DVD and Blu-ray releases. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Not Quite Hollywood" 2008 interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (17:08) This interview with Trenchard-Smith is an extended clip from his discussion about "Dead End Drive-In" for Mark Hartley's essential documentary on Ozploitation filmmaking. He discusses about the film and its themes, the record breaking truck stunt, the odd inclusion of the chicken under the truck shot, and the film's odd reception. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Bazura Project" 2008 interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (7:55) Here is a clip of the TV series "The Bazura Project", with presenters Shannon Marinko and Lee Zachariah talking to Trenchard-Smith, as he talks about his versatility as a director and his long desired dream to make an unconventional adaptation of "Richard III" to the screen someday. The clip has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Extralucid Films 2023 interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (22:41) This interview has Trenchard-Smith through a remote session as he discusses being hired for "Dead End Drive-In", about the cast, shooting at a real drive in, the lighting process, the negative reception in Australia and the positive reactions the film had from the American press. Note this interview was originally released on the French Extralucid Films Blu-ray release of "Dead End Drive-In" (which is a title our database currently doesn't have specs for.) in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles XCess Entertainment 2022 interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith by Josh Hadley (24:20) This audio interview has Trenchard-Smith discussing his inspirations, his work on "Dead End Drive-In" and its shoot, his career working with low budgets and short schedules, the international release, and more. The audio sounds like it is from a telephone call, and so the quality is not particularly great, though it is listenable. There are clips from the film plus various posters that play as background to the discussion. Note this was originally released on the 2022 German XCess Entertainment Blu-ray for "Dead End Drive-In". in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Retromania 2022 interview with director Brian Trenchard-Smith (28:17) This interview has Trenchard-Smith discussing the film's production, including the quitting of the original director, the noise complaints from a war veteran living nearby, the final truck stunt, and more. The questions are on screen in German and they are not translated into English here. Note this was originally released on the 2022 German XCess Entertainment Blu-ray for "Dead End Drive-In". in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Deleted Scenes (with optional 2023 commentary by director Brian Trenchard-Smith) (6:31) Presented here are a series of scenes that were removed by New World Pictures for international release. First is an extended scene of Thompson and Crabs talking about daily activities like cricket and min-golf. Second is a scene of a discussion about sex performed upside down. Third is a scene of the guys taking Crabs, tying him to a merry-go-round and spinning him while spraying beer on him against his will, plus a scene with Carmen talking to the girls about Crabs. Fourth shows Crabs going through the Asian section of the drive-in. Finally there is an extended scene at the group meeting with the whites, wanting to stir up racial tension between the Asian groups. The optional commentary by Trenchard-Smith talks about why New World removed the scenes, with some being more baffling than others. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo without subtitles "Hospitals Don't Burn Down!" 1978 short film (with optional 2023 commentary by director Brian Trenchard-Smith) (24:10) This 1978 short film was commissioned by Australia’s Department of Veteran Affairs for fire safety at hospitals and was directed by Trenchard-Smith. Rather than a straight instructional film, he made it into a tense panic horror short, with numerous fire stunts and other dangerous situations. It became one of the most successful Australian industrial film as it was seen across the country in training situations and sold overseas for distribution as well. The short is accompanied by a new optional commentary by Trenchard-Smith (plus an introduction) as he discusses its making, the stuntwork, the special effects, the reception, and some interesting trivia. The transfer is an upscale from a standard definition master and is in fairly good shape. Some minor damage marks such as speckles can be seen from time to time, though it is mostly clean through digital cleanup. Colors are fair but not particularly vibrant. Audio is also good but slightly on the flat side, with the original mono track being cleaned so there are no issues of hiss or pops to hear. The short has also been embedded below, courtesy of the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia YouTube channel. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.33:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono without subtitles Introduction to "Hospitals Don't Burn Down!" by director Brian Trenchard-Smith (0:48) This new short introduction by Trenchard-Smith plays automatically when selecting the audio commentary for the short. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Stills and Poster Gallery (3:30) A series of behind the scenes stills, promotional stills, and posters are in an automated slideshow with “My Heart’s on Fire” by Machinations playing as background music. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Trailers with commentary by Brian Trenchard-Smith from Trailers from Hell (3:56) Trenchard-Smith has contributed to many episodes of “Trailers from Hell”, including some for his own film trailers. This is a unique one as it has not one but two trailers for the film, with Trenchard-Smith introducing and commenting on the US trailer first which he praises, followed by the Australian trailer which he is slightly critical of. It has also been embedded below. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Australian Theatrical Trailer (1:32) This trailer showcases little dialogue or plot, focusing more on the music video like quality with the scenes shown and the editing. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 2.35:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles US Theatrical Trailer (1:35) This New World trailer on the other hand, shows the post-apocalyptic setting and includes some dialogue as well as the action packed scenes. The trailer is embedded below, courtesy of Arrow Video. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "Adventures in the B-Movie Trade" teaser trailer (1:30) A trailer for Trenchard-Smith’s book from 2020 is presented here. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles 1980s Post-Apocalyptic Trailer Reel for "The Road Warrior", "Battletruck", "Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared Syn", "The New Barbarians", "Exterminators of the Year 3000", "2019 After the Fall of New York", "The New Gladiators", "Endgame", "The Raiders of Atlantis", "Stryker", "She", "The Dungeonmaster", "Rats: Night of Terror", "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome", "Desert Warrior", "Dead End Drive-In", "Cherry 2000", "Solarbabies", "Atomic Cyborg", "Steel Dawn", "Hell Comes to Frogtown", "Equalizer 2000", "The Sisterhood", "The Salute of the Jugger", "Cyborg" (49:50) Brian Trenchard-Smith Trailer Reel for "The Love Epidemic", "The Man from Hong Kong", "Death Cheaters", "Stunt Rock", "Turkey Shoot", "BMX Bandits", "Frog Dreaming", "Dead End Drive-In", "Day of the Panther", "Strike of the Panther", "Out of the Body", "Danger Freaks", "Night of the Demons 2", "Leprechaun 3", "Leprechaun 4 in Space", "Britannic", "Megiddo", "Operation Wolverine", "Arctic Blast", "The Cabin", "Chemistry", "Absolute Deception", "Drive Hard" (40:55) As the title says, here is a lengthy reel of Trenchard-Smith's film trailers. "The Love Epidemic", "BMX Bandits", "Out of the Body", "Danger Freaks", "Night of the Demons 2", "Leprechaun 3", "Leprechaun 4", and "Britannic" are in the 1.33:1 aspect ratio. “Death Cheaters”, “Stunt Rock” are in the 1.66:1 ratio. "Dead End Drive-In", "Chemistry", "Absolute Deception", and "Drive Hard" are in full 1.78:1 while "Megiddo", "Operation Wolverine", "Arctic Blast", and "The Cabin" are in windowboxed 1.78:1. "Turkey Shoot", "Frog Dreaming", "Day of the Panther", and "Strike of the Panther" are in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, and "The Man from Hong Kong" is in 2.35:1. The image quality of the trailers can range from pristine to muddy, depending on the title. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in various ratios, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles EASTER EGG Conversation between Quentin Tarantino and Brian Trenchard-Smith (2008) (13:10) (Highlight "Play Australian Uncut Version", press left to highlight the film's title, press enter.) Trenchard-Smith dropped by when Tarantino was being interviewed in 2005, and the two discuss about Tarantino’s favorite films by Trenchard-Smith, Australian cinema in general and much more. Tarantino discusses excitingly in depth about “Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair” and the supposed upcoming release, although by the time of this writing it still hasn’t had an official release, sadly. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles DISC THREE (Soundtrack CD) 1. Original Soundtrack Track 1 by Frank Strangio (1:02) 2. Original Soundtrack Track 2 by Frank Strangio (1:40) 3. Original Soundtrack Track 3 by Frank Strangio (2:36) 4. Original Soundtrack Track 4 by Frank Strangio (1:14) 5. Original Soundtrack Track 5 by Frank Strangio (3:02) 6. Original Soundtrack Track 6 by Frank Strangio (3:00) 7. Original Soundtrack Track 7 by Frank Strangio (0:16) 8. Original Soundtrack Track 8 by Frank Strangio (1:12) 9. Original Soundtrack Track 9 by Frank Strangio (2:27) 10. Original Soundtrack Track 10 by Frank Strangio (4:37) 11. "Playing with Fire" by Lisa Edwards (11:21) 12. Unused Track Track 1 by Frank Strangio (0:54) 13. Unused Track Track 2 by Frank Strangio (0:39) 14. Unused Track Track 3 by Frank Strangio (1:59) 15. Unused Track Track 4 by Frank Strangio (0:38) 16. Unused Track Track 5 by Frank Strangio (1:18) 17. Unused Track Track 6 by Frank Strangio (2:58) 18. "Playing with Fire" (version 2) by Lisa Edwards (4:15) Exclusive to the "Karboy Big Collector's Edition" is the soundtrack CD, which marks the first time the soundtrack has been made available on a physical format. Though note that this is not the soundtrack featuring tracks from the bands Machinations, Kids in the Kitchen, Hunters + Collectors and others that were heard in the film, but basically the original score album from composer Frank Strangio. First are ten instrumental soundtrack cues. Then there is the song "Playing with Fire" composed by Strangio and with vocals by Lisa Edwards which plays over the closing credits. In addition, there are six unreleased tracks by Strangio from the original sessions, plus an alternate version of "Playing with Fire", all available here for the first time. The film has been released on DVD and Blu-ray in a number of countries in differing editions over the years, and all of them have only had the shorter international version. Umbrella's release marks the first time for the uncut Australian version to be released on disc and the first time the film is available in 4K, and while it is packed with extras, there are a few exclusive extras on other releases, such as the German Blu-ray having an exclusive German commentary, the French Blu-ray having an exclusive interview, etc. But with the amount of extras found on the Umbrella Entertainment release, it is easy to call this an incredibly well rounded package in the bonus features and presentations. Other notable clips: The music video for "My Heart's on Fire" by Machinations The music video for "Shine" by Kids in the Kitchen The music video for "Talking to a Stranger" by Hunters + Collectors
Packaging
There are a few variants of the film's release by Umbrella Entertainment. The standard is a 2-disc 4K + Blu-ray release. It is also available with a limited slipcase exclusively from the Umbrella Web Shop. There is also the Collector's Edition limited to 500 copies exclusively from Umbrella Web Shop which also includes: - 120-page hardback book including a reprint of the original screenplay by Peter Smalley, writing on the film by director Brian Trenchard-Smith and producer Damian Parer, and archival materials - Custom designed outer rigid slipbox - Custom design slipcase - 8 replica lobby cards - A3 reversible poster As reviewed here is the Karboy Big Collector's Edition which is limited to 500 copies and available exclusively from Umbrella Web Shop, includes: - 120-page hardback book including a reprint of the original screenplay by Peter Smalley, writing on the film by director Brian Trenchard-Smith and producer Damian Parer, and archival materials - Custom designed outer rigid slipbox - Custom design slipcase - 8 replica lobby cards - A3 reversible poster - Retro inspired Star Drive-In t-shirt - Cherry scented air freshener - Custom design metal keychain - 2 x bumper stickers - Soundtrack CD The discs are housed in a standard 4K black keep case with reversible artwork, with the only difference being the Australian M rating logos being removed. The hardback book is a nice one, starting with a reprint of the 95 page final draft screenplay from 1985, which has some differences in the final film, with differing dialogue, differing end for Thompson and of course the finale. Also included are vintage promotional art and magazine articles, an excerpt from Trenchard-Smith's book "Adventures in the B-Movie Trade" on the film, a written statement by co-producer Damien Parer, plus some vintage materials for "Hospitals Don't Burn Down!". There are also eight thick single sided cards with stills from the film. The double sided poster has two poster variations. The poster is housed in the keep case, which has a slipcase with exclusive artwork, this along with the book and lobby cards are housed in a rigid box with its own exclusive new artwork. The additional collectibles for the "Karboy Big Collector's Edition" are not housed in the slipbox. There is the soundtrack CD, which is housed in a separate cardboard slip. Then there are the t-shirt with the film's title and the drive-in theater logo printed, an air freshener for the car, a keychain, and bumper stickers included. 
Overall
"Dead End Drive-In" is a prime Ozploitation romp with colorful characters, impressive visuals, and a rocking soundtrack. Though it may have some logical flaws with the narrative, it's still a highly enjoyable cult work that stands the test of time. Umbrella gives it an excellent release with the 4K restoration of the uncut version and a lengthy amount of great extras. Highly recommended.
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