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168 comments in total

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81 out of 114 people found the following comment useful :-
A fun as hell genre flick that never pretends to climb Mt. Everest and thus leaves the viewer with more than just a feeling of simple satisfaction, but one of raw enjoyment., 27 March 2005

Author: peter-945 from United States

Further proof that Hollywood just doesn't get it right anymore.

When it comes to the horror genre, simplicity is beyond best. It's the one genre where frequently the more feeble the material, the better it can be.

Dead End is an avatar of this principle. The plot is essentially just a concept film; family driving in a car, lost on a road that seems to not end, encountering things beyond explanation along the way. There isn't anything complicated about that and there shouldn't be anything complicated about that. It's a script that builds in on itself, instead of expanding outwards into new territory - yah, I said territory. It doesn't continue to introduce new elements to the fold, in the first 7 minutes it throws it's hands up and says, "this is what you're gonna get, so take it." And I applaud the filmmakers for this. It's something seldom done in the genre these days. All too often do horror scripts follow a formulaic plot that spirals outwards instead of simply just constructing a boxed in realm of the film's reality and then letting the character's react realistically within it. Dare I say it is actually rather Shakespearean in this way? Oh, I dare. Shakespeare was known for creating a story, believable characters and then letting the play unfold as if the characters were realistically responding to the world created around them. This is exactly the scenario with Dead End. It avoids the most common pitfall of the genre; characters that act without logic, without interest and without motivation. It's something scriptwriters should pay considerably more attention to. Characters like these possess some kind of magical power that gives a +20 to any cinematic enjoyment. I cast magic characters! And speaking of those characters, their actions may be realistically responsive, but if it weren't for the remarkably energetic performances of all the cast then all would be for naught. Ray Wise is the man in this movie. He is just badass without being over the top. He has created out of the father a man who is just trapped in an obviously humdrum life and transformed him into someone you just can't help but smile at every time he curses at his family. He is just great. Great, great, great. If I had to recommend the movie for any one single reason, it would be to just enjoy Ray Wise.

The rest of the cast is fantastic as well, Wise doesn't eclipse the few other actors there are, but they all compliment each other like they really were a family. It is the definition of on screen chemistry.

Now, the question you're asking, is it scary? Yes and No. No, it isn't balls-to-the-wall horror. It does fall prey to the optimism of the genre, but it's excusable and I'll get to that in a minute. The script is kinetic, always driving ahead and only pausing as long as necessary to make a point or get in a scare. It's because of this that the film will never scare the **** out of you, but when it wants to it'll keep your heart rate elevated to the point that you're aware of it enough to say to yourself, "hey, this movie is kinda freaking me out." I respect that. It knows it isn't hardcore, so it does exactly what it should and keeps your blood pumping a little faster than normal throughout. I love that feeling. But I also have a wild imagination and so was consistently prepped for an entry into the negative space of the car windows or emerging ever so slightly from the edge of the woods. And that'll freak my junk out more effectively than what you do see.

As for the film falling victim to the optimism of the genre. This is true, but it is appropriately so. It doesn't establish throughout the rest of the movie that it should be taken as the hardest of horror, so no pretending means no disappointment in the end. Oh, and worth an important note for most viewers, there isn't a whole lot of gore, it really does leave a lot up to the imagination (as it should), but what blood there is isn't over the top and there are no CGI scares. Take that for what it's worth, but it's worth a lot to me.

That said, I would have preferred a different ending. Not solely because I would have preferred a darker ending, but simply because the ending has an air of unreliability to it. It attempts to mollify the question that the movie never asks, but obviously the viewer will ("what exactly is happening here?") and I felt that wasn't really necessary. I liked that the movie wasn't raising question after question. I liked that it turned its back to the whole issue, so when the events of the last two or three minutes of the film hit the viewer, or me at least, they feel out of place.

All in all, this is movie that strips away the gloss and glamour prevalent to the genre as of late, establishes the concept and then happily throws what it's got left at the wall. Yes, it doesn't all stick, but the little things that don't are more than shadowed by the much larger portions that do. Dead End is worth your time and money. Rent it and watch it by yourself or with a date, but not in a group. A group would kill the pleasant intimacy that makes the film work beyond its bounds.

I'm hesitant to say instant classic, because obviously it won't be universally so, but it deserves that accolade in my book. Check it out.

The one sentence review: Dead End is a fun ass genre flick that never pretends to climb Mt. Everest and thus leaves the viewer with more than just a feeling of simple satisfaction, but one of raw enjoyment.

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59 out of 79 people found the following comment useful :-
This is a heck of a good little movie!, 12 December 2004
Author: mrush from Danny Bonaduce's kitchen table

This movie was a nice surprise.I had never heard of it but it was one of those DVD boxes that catches your eye when you go to rent something.It turned out to be a great little movie.I call it "little" because it doesn't have a cast of thousands or ten bazillion special effects.But the cast is excellent and the effects simple but very effectively done.

This is a road trip from hell movie.5 people set out on Xmas eve for their relatives house and spend the night caught up in a nightmare that wont end.This movie gets right to it,no 20 minutes wasted on the setup.The family is in the car and on the road as the movie begins and it doesn't look back.I can't speak too much of the plot or it will give the whole movie away.Suffice to say the plot is sort of mind bending once it becomes clear to you.

This movie proves you don't need a computer to generate your movie and 100 million dollars to make a good one.See this movie.Its a keeper!

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47 out of 58 people found the following comment useful :-
Horror with style, wit and charm, 24 March 2005

Author: Rogthepost from Birmingham, England

When this movie started my heart sank a little. It's going to be another of those, "People in car take a wrong turn, encounter one sort of slasher or other." How wrong I was, and what a little gem this film is. True, the occupants of the car do take a wrong turn, Frank Harrington is taking his family and his daughter's boyfriend to spend Christmas with his in-laws, but there this movie parts company with your average gore-fest. This, I believe, is for three reasons. The writers gave the cast great lines to read; the blood content is actually very low for such a film, and finally, it was inspired not to fill the car with swinging teens, but use a mixture of youngsters and, shall we say, more mature citizens. I'll not go into plot lines, but if you're like me, this movie will leave you with a satisfied grin on your face.

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43 out of 59 people found the following comment useful :-
Finely crafted, intelligent horror with excellent cast, 20 November 2004

Author: Logan-22 from United States

Dead End is an excellent example of what you can do on a low budget with a small cast and just a few locations. Mystery and horror are perfect genres to excel under these conditions, and the filmmakers here take full advantage, crafting a wonderfully paranoid, claustrophobic and eerie dream-like atmosphere. The movie is totally character driven, and we spend a lot of time getting to know and care about the main characters. The gore was minimal, but effective, and there is one truly horrifying gore effect (you will know it when you see it).

The plot involves a family of four (plus the daughter's boyfriend) on their way to the mom's relatives for Christmas Eve. The father (Ray Wise) decides to take the "scenic route" and after a near head-on collision with another vehicle in the first few minutes, they pick up a ghostly hitchhiker, and soon after, the horror begins. The family is seemingly trapped on a deserted, heavily forested country road, unable to find their way out... Saying anything more will spoil your enjoyment of the film. Watching the characters react to their steadily worsening situation is a true pleasure, as they convey the film's sense of horror, shock and panic far better than any cheap gore effects or man in a rubber monster suit ever could. As the story progresses, the characters reveal dark secrets about themselves that really add to the fun... things they would not have said were things not looking so grim!

I really loved this movie, up to a point. The ending was predictable, clichéd and a big letdown after spending so much time invested in the characters trying to escape their fate. However, almost everything up to that point was a lot of fun, especially the dialogue, which was FANTASTIC. The main cast was GREAT, especially Ray Wise and the actress who played his daughter. Everyone was great except Steve Valentine, who apparently cannot act any different (or better) than his character on TV's Crossing Jordan. The female doctor at the end wasn't very good, either (I thought it was Shannon Tweed until I read the end credits!). Thankfully, these two don't appear until the end, which kind of sucked anyway (though their rather poor acting didn't help matters, it was ultimately the script's fault).

The minimalist instrumental music is really creepy and worth mentioning.

I give Dead End an "8" out of 10. With a revised ending, it could have easily garnered a "9" or "10." In a sea of brain-dead garbage "B" and grade "Z" horror movies, Dead End stands out at the front of the pack. I wish more low budget horror movies could be this finely crafted and intelligent. This movie is definitely highly recommended viewing for aspiring low budget filmmakers and horror fans.

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34 out of 46 people found the following comment useful :-
A Great Low Budget Horror Movie, 1 July 2004

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

On the Christmas Eve, Frank (Ray Wise) is driving with his family, composed by his wife Laura (Lin Shaye), his son Richard (Mick Cain) and his daughter Marion (Alexandra Holden) and her boyfriend Brad (Billy Asher), to have the Christmas dinner at the home of Frank's mother-in-law. Frank, asleep, decides to drive through an unknown shortcut using a secondary road, where the weirdest things happen with his family and him. This low budget movie is terrific: although the story passes basically in a car and on an empty road, it is tense, scary, having a dreadful atmosphere, being certainly on of the best in the genre. The screenplay is excellent, having many ironic lines, the direction is tight and the cast is very sharp, alternating funny and frightening situations. This film is highly indicated for fans of `The Twilight Zone', `The Others', `Abra los Ojos', `El Espinazo del Diablo' and `X-Files'. The situation of Frank's family on the road without finding their destination or even an exit recalls Paul Hackett unsuccessfully trying to get home in `After Hours'. I saw on the cover of the DVD that this movie was awarded with many prizes in minor Festivals. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): `Rota da Morte' (`Route of the Death')

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35 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
A cult classic whichever way you look at it!, 13 October 2003

Author: Sinnerman from Singapore

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.

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27 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
scary ass movie, 18 February 2005

Author: vane_yamileth from Canada

i don't know what it was about this movie but it scared the living crap out of me. i was thinking about it for weeks. it's weird because this movie has NO GORE and it NEVER SHOWS you anything really abnormal. just small stuff like abandoned baby carriages in the middle of the road. you don't even get to see any dead bodies. but you do see the expression of the people that find the bodies. so if you have a kick ass imagination, watch this movie. i think it's your own imagination and not anything from the movie that will really scare you. but if you'd rather turn your brain off and let the movie do the work for you, don't bother with this one.

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25 out of 43 people found the following comment useful :-
Great horror film., 6 December 2004

Author: HumanoidOfFlesh from Chyby, Poland

"Dead End" is actually one of the best horror movies of 2003.It's Christmas Eve and Frank Harrington and his family are heading to the in-laws,when for the first time in twenty years he decides to take a short-cut through the woods.What a mistake this turns out to be,as he drives onto a seemingly endless road,and into a creepy land where nothing is what it appears to be."Dead End" is a truly intelligent and downright horrifying horror film.It offers some incredibly unnerving moments,unfortunately there is too much humour for my liking.There is also a fair amount of blood and gore,so I was satisfied.Anyway,if you are a fan of creepy low-budget horror films give this little gem a look.8 out of 10.

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30 out of 53 people found the following comment useful :-
You need to give it a chance, 10 November 2004
Author: bernie1-1 from Sydney, Australia

I don't understand how people can embarass themselves by writing a review when they obviously either completely missed the point or must have been not paying attention. Or are just plain dim. There are lots of them here, apparently. This movie wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good and it should be a textbook example of how to make a low-budget film. I am just amazed at how much misinterpretation can be applied to something that's so easy to follow. There's not exactly tons of surprises, other than the note at the end, which I think was put ther just to ruin your smugness when you're thinking you've got it all figured out. Well done to all cast and crew, I say. 7.5/10

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11 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
It's new, clever and well made. Give it a chance!, 5 December 2004

Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Dead End is a good film to prove that the horror genre is NOT dead and that there are still young directors who approach the genre with the right attitude. The plot is nowhere near groundbreaking or astonishing, but yet you couldn't care less about that. The directors-duo (Andrea and Canepa – French guys) put their energy in creating tension and socializing with the characters, rather than to gross out their audience with uninspired gore sequences. For these efforts, I think this film is a zillion times better than other over-hyped new horror titles like 'Cabin Fever' or 'House of a 1.000 Corpses'. When you withdraw the gore from those films, there's nothing left but an empty package whereas 'Dead End' at least has some depth and intelligence. This film has a good tempo, a fair amount of suspense and it makes good use of the dark and unsettling woods where it is shot. Like I mentioned before, it's not very original. Especially for viewers familiar with some early 60's expressionism highlights, this plot (and more particularly, the end-twist) won't come as a big shock. I can't really mention the titles 'Dead End' resemblances with, as that would be the biggest spoiler one can give. There also are good performances to enjoy! Ray Wise seems to be boosting up his career by appearing in slick horror films lately. After his remarkable role in 'Jeepers Creepers 2', he now stars as the lead actor in 'Dead End'. The cute Alexandra Holden is good too and, with a little luck, I think she's might even become a big star over the next few years. The rest of the cast is rather unknown, but they all deliver above average performances. Next time you're in the videostore, ignore all the loudly announced new horror turkeys and pick this one. Dead End is the first film of Andrea and Canepa and I really hope to see their names mentioned again in future horror projects.

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