Deadbeat at Dawn (America, 1996)

NOTE: Another lazy post by yours truly. I stole this from Only Foreign Film, a website I wrote for in 2003.

When the time comes you never know how a something is going to sucker punch you. If it dosen't, then you’re usually disappointed. But when it happens, coming out of left field, it hurts. Because what else is entertainment other than being caught with your pants down?
Jim Van Beeber stars direct, writes, produces, and edits one the strongest indie/action film I’ve seen in a while. (Editors Note: Let’s not forget Lethal Force!). In this picture he stars as the ironically named “Goose”, the leader of the ravens. Young troubled drugs addict who decides to qui the gang 20 minutes into the film to appease to his girlfriends wishes. But just like any vivid movie-creep knows, revenge is the name of the game.

A few complaints to ease my troubled mind: The print used when filming was a cheap one (A newsreel stock). There’s grain, hair, and speckles of dirt which make for some headache induced cutting. Some of the actors are as annoying as hell and the middle part of the film is pretty useless…But enough of that, the good always prevails. When watching films you should already be ready to lock common sense in a cage, and torture it. The action is awesome. Every actor here performed there own stunts, most of them resulting in painful looking consequences. With Beeber doing all the good stuff:

- Jumping off a bridge into a canal

- Being dragged on the side of a car against a cement wall.

- Dangling by a measly linen thread 30 feet off the ground.

- Throwing a shuriken at his cast members who have to move out of the way in time.

Combat isn’t omnipotent, but when it appears it’s nicely done. I wouldn’t go as far as calling this kung-fu…but what comes out is a strange mixture of street fighting and carefully choreographed moves. There’s a knife fight, fistfights galore, gunplay, and the climatic duel which involves two knumchucks (Pardon my phrasing) to their skull crushing power.

Is it worth your hard earned money? That depends on how you tend to view your entertainment. If you hated Evil Dead for the sole reason that you found it looked cheap, then stay away. On the other hand if you like to watch films that encompassed four years of the creators lives, and are the kind of thing you can show to your friends over a can of beer…Here is your relic.

Sometimes all you need are CHEAP THRILLS!

DVD:

The DVD itself is a great package, including a commentary track, outtakes, a short film by Beeber, a trailer for an un-produced film, and a hidden music video. These are all amplified by having the privilege of containing Audio Commentary tracks (Usually by Jim, which are sometimes edited in with other participants.) At a cheap price (19.99 US) buy this one as soon as you can get your hands on a copy.