Dead End

Director: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa, Jean-Bapiste Andrea Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Overview

"A family making their annual Christmas pilgrimage to Grandmother's house finds their journey taking an ominous turn when they attempt to take an unfamiliar shortcut in this low-key chiller from first-time director Jean-Baptiste Andrea. For 20 years, Frank Harrington (Ray Wise) has driven the same, mind-numbingly familiar route to the annual holiday gathering, but the discovery of an unfamiliar shortcut simply proves too enticing for the loving but strained father to resist. As the road grows increasingly dark, the eerie sight of a young woman carrying a small infant sets into motion a horrific series of roadside deaths that finds the family's numbers quickly dwindling. Though there are no other travelers on the long and dark stretch of road, the appearance of a menacing black hearse seems somehow connected to the spectral woman and her child. Could it be that a vengeful entity was the previous victim of a roadside accident, returning to torment any trespasser who happens to wander down her silent stretch of road, or could the answer to the horrific mystery lie deep within the conscience of one of the few remaining family-members?"

Product Details

Release Date:	11/09/2004
UPC:	0031398163176
Original Release:	2003
Rating:	R
Source:	LIONSGATE - 600000-AEC LGE
Region Code:	1
Language:	English
Time:	1:24:00
Sales rank:	22,648

Special Features

Closed Caption; [None specified]

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Ray Wise	Frank Harrington
Mick Cain	Richard Harrington
Alexandra Holden	Marion Harrington
Billy Asher	Brad Miller
Amber Smith	Lady in White
Steve Valentine	Man in Black
Karen S. Gregan	Dr. Helen Marcott
William Rosenfeld	Actor
Ivan Kraljevic	Actor
Greg De Belles	Composer

Technical Credits

Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Fabrice Canepa

Jean-Baptiste Andrea	Director,Screenwriter,Director
Fabrice Canepa	Director,Screenwriter
Gabriella Stollenwerck	Producer
James Huth	Producer,Executive Producer
Cécile Telerman	Producer
Amanda Koblin	Casting
Yves Chevalier	Executive Producer,Producer
Jim Ridgley	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

French newcomer Jean-Baptiste Andrea salvages an overly familiar storyline by imbuing it with the kind of refreshing details and interesting, quirky, and sympathetic characters that will likely win over horror fans tiring from overexposure in his 2003 chiller Dead End. Anyone who has seen such films as The Hills Have Eyes or Wrong Turn knows the basic setup of "vacationing group opts to take unfamiliar shortcut with horrific results" as presented here, and though director/screenwriter Andrea does indeed utilize this well-worn premise as a means of lulling viewers into a clichéd hypnosis during the initial setup, Dead End soon swerves wildly off the beaten path following the all-too-predictable first death. It's at this point that Andrea begins to aspire more toward The Twilight Zone than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, with the hapless family stuck on a seemingly endless stretch of abandoned road that appears to be surrounded by murderous ghosts. In addition to the supernatural slant that the storyline is given, Andrea is aided considerably in his efforts by a talented cast who aren't afraid to let loose with their characters. As Twin Peaks' Ray Wise does his fatherly best to stave off the insanity brought on by such a horrific voyage, Lin Shaye virtually steals the film as the mother whose frail grip on reality cracks early on and whose rapid mental deterioration quickly takes a turn for the worse. If young Alexandra Holden's role as the tough psychiatrist daughter is somewhat overshadowed by Wise's and Shaye's deliciously warped performances, it's certainly not for lack of trying -- and the relative newcomer does a more than adequate job at providing Dead End's mental anchor and voice of reason. The film's clever balance of laughs and chills succeeds in keeping viewers on their toes throughout, with the emphasis on psychological terror over gore only serving to heighten the tension and anticipation of what could lie around the bend ahead. As with Dead End's basic premise, the "surprise" twist ending utilized by Andrea may also be a bit overly familiar to viewers of such fare, but given the film's energy and relatively brief running time, the good eventually outweighs the bad and viewers will likely walk away satisfied -- even if they do feel like they've taken this road before.