Dead End (2003/I)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Directors:

Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Fabrice Canepa

Writers:

Jean-Baptiste Andrea (writer)
Fabrice Canepa (writer)

Release Date:

26 September 2003 (South Korea)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller | Comedy

Tagline:

Read the signs.

Plot:

Christmas Eve. On his way to his in-laws with his family, Frank Harrington decides to try a shortcut, for the first time in 20 years. It turns out to be the biggest mistake of his life.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Woods | Night | Christmas Eve | Surprise After End Credits

Awards:

7 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Ray Wise	...	Frank Harrington
Lin Shaye	...	Laura Harrington
Mick Cain	...	Richard Harrington
Alexandra Holden	...	Marion Harrington
Billy Asher	...	Brad Miller
Amber Smith	...	Lady in White
Karen S. Gregan	...	Doctor
Sharon Madden	...	Nurse
Steve Valentine	...	Men in Black
Jimmie F. Skaggs	...	Worker #1 (as Jimmy Skaggs)
Clement Blake	...	Worker #2

Directed by
Jean-Baptiste Andrea
Fabrice Canepa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Baptiste Andrea		writer
Fabrice Canepa		writer

Produced by
Yves Chevalier	....	executive producer
Guy Courtecuisse	....	co-producer
Albert Hasson	....	line producer
James Huth	....	executive producer
James Huth	....	producer
Sonja Schillito	....	producer (as Sonja Shillito)
Gabriella Stollenwerck	....	producer
Cécile Telerman	....	producer

Original Music by
Greg De Belles

Cinematography by
Alexander Buono

Film Editing by
Antoine Vareille

Casting by
Amanda Koblin

Production Design by
Bryce Holtshousen

Costume Design by
Deborah Waknin

Makeup Department
T.C. Thecla Luisi	....	key hair stylist (as TC Thecla Luisi)
T.C. Thecla Luisi	....	makeup department head (as TC Thecla Luisi)
T.C. Thecla Luisi	....	special makeup effects artist (as TC Thecla Luisi)
Kumura Luly	....	makeup artist (as Kumara Luly)
Staci Witt	....	assistant makeup artist (as Staci J. Wittt)

Production Management
Guy Courtecuisse	....	post-production supervisor
Christelle Didier	....	post-production supervisor
Natalie Rademeyer	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
D. Cole Berry	....	second second assistant director (as Cole Berry)
Kiran Gonsalves	....	first assistant director
Ivan Kraljevic	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Chris Kas	....	property master

Sound Department
Thomas Appel	....	adr supervisor
Steve Arcabascio	....	boom operator
David Bartlett	....	adr editor
Laurent Boudaud	....	foley recording mixer
Germain Boulay	....	sound designer
Germain Boulay	....	sound effects editor
Pascal Dedeye	....	foley artist
Brian DuToit	....	boom operator
Gabriel Hafner	....	sound re-recording mixer
Shirley Leong	....	adr coordinator
Michel Monnier	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby (as Michel Monier)
François Musy	....	sound re-recording mixer
Laurent Quaglio	....	sound designer
Jim Ridgley	....	production sound mixer
Manon Serve	....	recording technician

Special Effects by
Gil Romero	....	special effect appliances

Visual Effects by
Virginie Allal	....	digital effects assistant
Sacha Beliaev	....	matte artist
Olivier Debert	....	digital artist (as Oliver Debert)
Roxane Fechner	....	digital effects coordinator
Malika Mazauric	....	digital artist
Joyce Menger	....	digital effects producer
Melodie Stevens	....	digital artist

Camera and Electrical Department
Jason Andrew	....	grip
Jonathan Bradley	....	gaffer (as Jonathon Bradley)
Susannah Bridges	....	camera loader
Tony Bryan	....	gaffer: second unit
Anthony Cady	....	lighting technician
D.R. Curtis	....	rigging electrician (as Rick Curtis)
Carlos de Varona	....	second assistant camera
Casey Ellison	....	rigging gaffer
Ryan Huston	....	rigging electrician
Jody Hutchins	....	camera operator
Philip J. Jaffe	....	first assistant camera
Joel Langston	....	lighting technician
Brett Lood	....	grip
Patrick Malakian	....	still photographer
W. Ted Mayer	....	key grip
Dave Muskeni	....	electrician (as Dave 'Skinny' Muskemi)
Willis Pipkins Jr.	....	lighting technician (as Willis 'Pickle' Pipkins Jr.)
James Takata	....	camera loader
Fante Zamora	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Michele Short	....	casting associate
Andrew Stone	....	casting reader

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Beth Ann Hoppe	....	costumes
Misty Lawrence	....	wardrobe assistant
Jenni Lee	....	assistant costume designer

Editorial Department
Shirley Leong	....	post-production coordinator: Los Angeles
Yvan Lucas	....	color timer
Edward Oleschak	....	post-production coordinator: Los Angeles
Fabien Pascal	....	color timer
Scott Stevenson	....	assistant editor
Patrick Thauvin	....	negative cutter

Music Department
Greg De Belles	....	music supervisor
Bradford Ellis	....	music consultant (as Brad Ellis)

Transportation Department
Michael Dawes	....	driver (as Mike Dawes)
Dan Duffy	....	driver
P. Gerald Knight	....	transportation coordinator
Phil Knight	....	driver
Jason Rider	....	driver
Steve Shoemaker	....	driver (as Steve ' Shoe' Shoemaker)
Travis Stake	....	driver
Chris Walden	....	driver

Other crew
Edie Allen	....	assistant coordinator
Billy Asher	....	additional dialogue
Celia Cornil	....	legal counsel
Guy Courtecuisse	....	post-production manager
Bianca D'Carpio	....	production assistant (as Bianca C. D'Carpio)
Annie Desgris	....	production assistant
Nathalie Guizol	....	production team
Demille Halliburton	....	insurance
Bob Hebert	....	production coordinator
Darren Hinton	....	runner
Uvon Hunter	....	craft service
Sophie Imbert	....	production assistant
Lynne Kelly	....	script supervisor (as Lynne Tyler Kelly)
Christophe Lebreton	....	cost controller
Heather Mitchell	....	key set production assistant
Aivo Pidim	....	production intern
Heather Roberson	....	key set production assistant
Martine Sanyas	....	cost controller
Brigitte Segal	....	business affairs (as Brigette Segal)
Pierre Selinger	....	legal service
Katherine Shaw	....	legal consultant
Colleen Stewart	....	chef

Thanks
Patrick Malakian	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Sagittaire Films
• Captain Movies

Distributors

• Fox-Pathé (2003) (UK) (theatrical)
• Klock Worx Co. (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Klock Worx Company, The (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Lions Gate Films (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• Pentagon Pictures Sdn Bhd (2003) (Malaysia) (theatrical)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (2005) (Spain) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MRA Entertainment Group (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Millennium Storm (2004) (Italy) (TV)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• SBP (2007) (Argentina) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Éclair Numérique

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  crane
• Hollywood Rental Company  grip and electrical equipment
• J.L. Fisher  dollies

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language, sexual content and some drug use.

Runtime:

85 min

Country:

France | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Malaysia:18PL | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:16 | South Korea:15 | Australia:MA | Canada:14A | Germany:16 | Ireland:15PG | Italy:T | Singapore:NC-16 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Sagittaire Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When the family stops the first time they see the girl in white, we see a large dry spot in the road, and a tree. But when they turn around and head back the opposite direction, we see a shot of them passing the same spot and tree in the original direction they were traveling.

Quotes:

Laura Harrington: Look we have potato Chips!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hellphone (2007)

Soundtrack:

Bring It Back

A cult classic whichever way you look at it!

Just saw it.

On the outset, almost everything about Dead End looked dead crappy. From the dead hammy acting to some thick and heavy dead slasher flick cliches. But if this cinematic maxim of "its so dead bad, its dead good" is to be believed, then Dead End is it.

For some Dead good fun time was had. Serious!

With many quirky "spanners" thrown into its works, Dead End is thus a must watch, if only to see for yourself why on earth a flick like this, one so steeped in slasher movie cliches, could have circumvented its genre constraints and worked so well, and entertained so many?

I have a soft spot for intentional "B" movies, from Pumpkin to Bubble Boy. Which made Dead End one of those hard-to-review films. For the fun part of the viewing experience was much in discovering how it progressed from beginning to end and not in its other nitpickable shortfalls.

This much is guaranteed though, the test audiences enjoyed the flick. We laughed at its many left of center one-liners. We were jolted by its sudden scares and some graphic gorey scenes. And the denouement, however contentional, does not dilute the immediate consensus that the "process" was one helluva ride.

I hence urge all to go buy a ticket and see it for yourself. Let its idiosyncracies hit you on the head. By all means, throw artistic caution to the wind. Embrace it like you would a B'grade cult movie.

And you will have a great time.