Moviecut—Deadbeat at Dawn

While watching Deadbeat @ Dawn I was having a pretty difficult time trying to put a finger on what my feelings were about this film until Keith from the Ravens (I think that's who it was) took a swig of Jack Daniels and chased it w/ a mouth full of Bush beer. I laughed gagging (not the first and definitely not the last time while watching) because that was exactly the taste that this movie was leaving in my mouth : bitter/sour and cheap but a pretty wicked buzz after awhile. Producer/writer/director/actor/editor/stunt choreographer/ special makeup effects artist Jim Van Bebber pulls off some fairly excessive stylized screen violence w/ a minuscule budget but the weakly scripted directionless performances stretches it thin. It's amateur shines through in many scenes containing dialogue and lose editing (especially in the first half) throwing off the pacing; making a fairly short film seem long in the tooth. In the end it feels like Troma w/out any zaniness…Well a little zaniness. Ninja stars and golf club beatings are pretty zany.

Deadbeat at Dawn is an excellent example of what you can do with a little ambition and special effects makeup. In this "drive-in" style gang flick, mindless violence and cheesy gore abounds. The only thing missing was the gratuitous sex, there was a topless *, but that's not enough to make it a classic of the genre. The acting was interesting, not Srassberg, but in accordance with the genre, it's what you want. Obviously Van Bebber had little money, but what little he had was pretty well spent when it came to the action sequences and the gore makeup. The action, in fact, was very entertaining. The script was little more than a means to string the action sequences together so mission accomplished! If you like the "Video Threat" type of flick, then this one is for you.

Goose, the leader of the Ravens is convinced by his girlfriend to leave the gang cause she fears for him life. But quiting isn't that easy as the leader of the rival gang, the Spiders, start smarting from a recent fight between the two gang members decides to take it upon himself and one of his gang members to off the *. This sends Goose into an endless see of drugs and despair in a endlessly downward spiral, but not before disposing of your now deceased girlfriend in a trash compacter (she he DOES care, and doesn't litter, what a environmentalist). Anyways he soon finds himself up against the new combined ultra-gang (the new leader of the Ravens combined forces with The Spiders) and all-out carnage ensues. This little no budget movie goes a long way on sheer manic energy alone even though the acting leaves much to be desired. And overall I did find myself enjoying it very much. My Grade: B- Eye Candy: 2 pairs of breasts, and Jim Bebbers ass for the ladies DVD Extras: Commentary by writer/director/actor Jim Van Bebber, producer/director of photography Michael King, British cult film distributor David Gregory, and actor Marc Pitman; Jim Bebber filmography; soundless Outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage; "Chunkblower" promo film; and"My Sweet Satan" short film Easter Egg: On Side A, highlight a hidden pentagram in the center of the gravestone for a music video of Skinny Puppy's "Spasmolytic"

I wasn't really looking for this movie in the terms of it being a really good independent film. I was looking at a pal's list of movies and I noticed the word "Deadbeat". I don't know what it is but the word Deadbeat just works. So, I told him to make me a copy. He then tells me that it's a pretty sweet independent film with some serious violence. Wahoo! Deadbeat At Dawn is a very gritty picture that tells the tale of Goose and his story of vengeance on his ex-rival gang the Spiders. I could go deeper into the story-line of why he's seeking revenge but that's kinda ruining the story for you. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. At first I was kinda wary, but with the over-the-top acting and violence, I was easily swayed into enjoying it. The film more than anything is very gritty. Filthy feeling. And actually kind of feels like the movie Street Trash in this way. Going back to the acting, I was happy with how most of the characters were portrayed, and you should be too if you're even slightly into exploitation movies of the 70s and 80s. Oh, it was also pretty funny too. Deadbeat At Dawn was a pretty entertaining flick that delivered the goods in terms of a rough and tough gang flick mixed with 80s charm - our lead character is ace with ninja stars and nunchuks. Tie in an awesomely violent ending, you've got yourself 80 minutes of pure exploitation goodness.

My return to the world of movie critique has put me at 10 years of life experience to where I have to be as objective as possible when reviewing things. I state this because I had the dubious honor of personally meeting Jim Van Bebber during a screening of this movie. As much as I hope for more from his particular flavor of cinema, I still didn't get to tell him that I think this movie is downright the best piece he ever made. This is his heart and soul, readers. I've seen just about everything JVB has made, but the perfect storm energies and circumstances that made this movie are still something that's evident to cinephiles and the like. I can't say it's sheer brilliance (this is style, not substance {Oh, the 80's}, and I don't think that JVB is big on messages anyhow), but I'm hard pressed to find anything as endearing by him as this movie. Gutterpunk culture abounds, JVB's love of Dayton's microcosmic abysmal atmosphere of a bankrupt rust-belt town that's falling apart at the mid-line, and you get Deadbeat at Dawn. Very precise scheduling and editing, (it's what ya gotta do if you have no budget for film and man-hours) give this a somewhat frenzied pace, as well a feeling of Goose as kind of a mythological character consecrated to the street life. The soundtrack and dialogue keep the tension to a steady hum until the end sequence. The story is basic, simple chop-socky territory, but you be hard-pressed to find as stylish as this as far martial-arts flicks go. All the character development is beautiful in that is serves to paint a very dismal world where everyone (even the well-off ones we don't see in the movie that often), has that next moment to live for and nothing else. You have drugs everywhere, you have an indifferent and ignorant populace, you have gangs armed with no real direction and all the trappings of a late 80's Midwestern society sharpened to a point. I always liked the martial arts sequences in this one, JVB studied Benny The Jet and it shows. The odd thoughtfulness of Deadbeat At Dawn give it the heart it has, you see scenes of how violence can drive one to insanity at rationalizing indifference to it's nature. You see someone who had to fight for literally everything in his life and how it would just keep him spinning his wheels faster than everyone else until he couldn't stop. You see fleeting glory and permanent indolence. It's gritty to the core and that's why I love it. ****1/2

Even without taking a look at the budget, this is one of the most amazing indies I've ever seen. The sheer energy alone bypasses the overused action plot. Kudos to whomever sat down, wrote this, and got enough time to perfect the choreography. It's more believable than most films nowadays. See this film. Why this film isn't a classic shows that there is no justice in this world. Five stars out of four. A reason to get a DVD player.

Inspired by the drive-in success of The Evil Dead, Deadbeat at Dawn is disturbingly effective film-making. It's violent, gritty, and has shock value that's second to none. Jim Van Bebber is a madman behind the camera. He controlled every aspect of this film: he wrote, edited, acted, choreographed stunts and fights, created make-up effects, and directed. In Deadbeat, Van Bebber stars as Goose (or Goose Lee as he's known to my friends and I), the leader of the Ravens and the greatest anti-hero ever. The leader of the rival gang, the Spiders, orders his best goons to attack Goose at home. Instead of finding Goose, they find his girlfriend...and beat her to death. Goose returns home after a hard day of drug dealing only to find his girlfriend's mangled body. That's when Goose goes ballistic. And you better bring along a strong stomach. It's a standard tale of revenge and redemption but there's something special about it. It taps into the raw and savage power of film. The action and violence are unbelievable, but there are breaks in between to let the viewer slow down and take a deep breath. In these breaks, there are hints at social commentary. One scene sums this up: Goose watching two children shoot each other with toy guns. It's so short and there's no dialogue but it certainly says a lot. There's an unspoken element there that's missing from most action movies. I honestly expected all of the reviews I read to dog the film. To my surprise, it was actually well-received. It seems as though everyone who has experienced Deadbeat appreciates the awkward feelings it inspires. Deadbeat at Dawn is truly an American independent action classic. Note: The Spider's outfits with the underwear on the outside were created as an homage to A Clockwork Orange.

...and it´s a damn shame. DEADBEAT is one of the best action flicks ever, a rare gem. a simple plot, unknown actors, and mind-boggling fight scenes. it´s a pity that we lost jim van bebber to drugs, he would have been the new sam peckinpah.

Goose (Jim Van Bebber), leader of tough Ohio street gang The Ravens, has only just renounced his violent lifestyle when his girlfriend Christy is brutally killed by members of rival gang The Spiders. Goose vows to avenge her murder, but finds himself caught in a self-destructive spiral of hatred and despair that leads him to attempt suicide. However, just as he is about to blow his brains out, Goose is confronted by Keith (Ric Walker), the current leader of The Ravens, who wishes to recruit him for an armoured car heist; the only problem is that The Ravens have since joined forces with The Spiders and Goose isn't about to forgive and forget... Written, edited, directed by and starring Van Bebber, who also provides the film's stunts and make-up effects, Deadbeat at Dawn is a marvel of independent movie-making, one that belies its meagre budget by successfully pulling off several gruelling and very bloody set-pieces and quite a few dangerous looking action scenes, with the final 10 minutes or so going all out to shock with its brutal violence and a gruelling sense of nihilism. Where many an 80s horror/action flick ladled on the cheeze, Van Bebber goes for the full-on, gritty exploitation vibe and for the most part he succeeds, his film feeling suitably grubby and depressing throughout with vivid coloured lighting and retro kaleidoscopic scene transitions really adding to that authentic grind-house feel. While some of the acting is admittedly a bit wobbly (the guy who plays Goose's father wins my award for funniest performance of the film) and the fight scenes aren't always totally convincing, it's easy to forgive these shortcomings when considering the almost negligible budget and Van Bebber's relative inexperience behind the camera (he was only twenty four at the time of the film's release); what he has managed to do for minimal money is most impressive indeed and his enthusiasm for the project shines through on every grimy, filth-ridden frame, especially those where he is putting his life on the line for his art.