Dead End City (1988) User Reviews

Direct to video action movie madness.

[killer-robot! · 6/10 · 26 March 2009]

In the year 1988 it would seem that Action International Pictures grew weary of the Italian film industry monopolization of the Escape From New York meets The Warriors genre. Their response to this weariness was to birth Dead End City into the world.

Sadly, when the dust kicked up by Dead End City's furious entrance into our world was settled, all one could see was an audience that had grown tired of the Escape From New York meets The Warriors genre. Indeed, no amount of Robert Z'Dar's terrifying jaw could get people to embrace this film as they had the adventures of Trash and his Italian partners in crime.

It somewhat unfortunate that this film has not been seen by more people. For one should know that Americans are sometimes just as capable of making ludicrous entries into the Escape From New York meets The Warriors genre as the Italians were.

I have grown tired of typing Escape From New York meets The Warriors genre so it is here that I will conclude my review.

If you must see this film humans, do so with beer and friends on hand. It will amplify your enjoyment of it.

Dead Set Silly

[helfeleather · 5/10 · 18 November 2002]

The start is promising, with a gang of violent bikers on a murderous rampage, but it soon deteriorates into a drawn-out showdown between the gang and the heroes: Jack and Brett, two trigger-happy mates who like to wear their jeans extra tight, their friend Nancy, and her brother Malcolm, who for good measure is blind.

So that we don't get bored (It doesn't work.), there's a couple of sub-plots thrown in. A government conspiracy, and a love story between Jack and an ostensibly hard-nosed reporter.

This is just barely worth seeing.

[tarbosh22000 · 4/10 · 11 April 2012]

In the near future (?), criminal gangs have run so wild, normal civilians are relocated to shanty towns called "Evac Cities". The leader of one of the most ruthless gangs, The Ratts, is a guy named Maximum (Z'Dar). In the course of their daily rounds of terrorizing and killing, they run into one man who won't be intimidated: Jack Murphy (Cummins). He's a factory owner who inherited his business from his father. All Jack wants to do is sit in his office, eat his Chinese food and drink his Jolt Cola, but The Ratts have other plans. They stage a siege on Jack's factory, enraged that Jack won't be scared away. Jack and some of the people he's hiding, Nancy (Mekelburg), and her blind brother Malcolm (Wuesthoff), among a few others, break out their guns to defend the factory. Meanwhile, TV news reporter Opal Brand (Lunde) comes to do a story on Jack and ends up getting stuck there, so she and Jack forge a relationship. But what's the cause of all this mayhem? Could it be a conspiracy that goes all the way to the top? Try to imagine a cross between Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) and Chains (1989) - note that it's Chains - not The Warriors (1979) - because Dead End City is what you might call a "cheap and cheerful" tale whose threadbare plot and certain chintziness gives away its low-budget origins. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, especially as Peter Yuval, who also directed Firehead (1991), seems to have some aspirations of lifting this movie above the crowd, but its penury inevitably keeps it down.

It gets off to a funny start, with fan favorite Robert Z'Dar running around town yelling at people and harassing them, all the while wearing a suit jacket with an ascot, while his fellow Ratts wear the classic "80's gang baddies" getups we've all come to know and love. Z'Dar enlivens any role he's put in, and here is no exception. Gregory Scott Cummins, who forever will be in the hall of heroes because of the legendary Action U.S.A., makes yet another bid for being a leading action star. Sure, the market was flooded at this time with tough guys, everyone from Stallone to Van Damme to Edward Albert and Richard Norton and so many others vying for the video store patron's dollars and attention. While Dead End City may have its deficiencies, Cummins certainly isn't one of them, and he can easily stand as a leading man in his own right. For more Cummins, check out Bail Out (1989) and Cartel (1990).

While the whole "futuristic warzone on a budget" may recall you to some of Ron Marchini's classics, the music by Brian Bennett immediately puts you in AIP mode. Remember, this is the amazing musician who composed the killer song for Jungle Assault (1989). But there aren't enough ideas at work to make Dead End City feel like a fully fleshed-out concept. It can barely sustain its 80 minute running time (not 88 as the VHS box states). For this reason, it gets very repetitive and dumb.

If you're looking for action for pennies on the dollar, Dead End City certainly won't tax your brain. Thanks to the presence of Cummins and Z'Dar, this is just barely worth seeing.

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"It's Not My Fault That Idiot Blew Himself Up!"...

[azathothpwiggins · 18 May 2021]

DEAD END CITY is set in a time when lawlessness rules the streets. Gangs roam freely, wantonly killing and causing mayhem. Led by the monstrous Maximus (Robert Z'Dar), there seems to be no end to his gang's sadism! The police are useless, forcing civilians to either fend for themselves, or be assigned to "relocation camps".

It all ends up with a group of citizens under siege in a warehouse, led by a man named Jack Murphy (Greg Cummins). A nearly non-stop battle against a seemingly inexhaustible number of bikers ensues. Not-so shockingly, there's a big twist near the end.

It must be said that Maximus is a fantastic role for Mr. Z'Dar. His unique facial attributes are perfectly suited for this larger-than-life criminal. He also gets to spout far more dialogue than he usually does.

A decent effort with a little suspense in between the shootouts...

DOA

[saint_brett · 1/10 · 13 April 2023]

Would someone be so kind as to remind me how many Oscars Robert Z'Dar was nominated for, please? And it's slipped my mind how many he's won.

A motorcycle gang from Philadelphia strayed too far from their comfort zone and wound up in some part of "The Warriors" territory and caused all sorts of mayhem.

In under a minute, the first street hooker is blasted away without reason. Then Mr. Sweetchuck, working security, is the second to bite the dust.

Robert Z'Dar is the leader of the Philly bike gang, which has killed four people in under five minutes. It's strange that he's dressed like the principal of a school.

They kill indiscriminately, as Z'Dar just used a "Predator" launcher to blow some pretty little thing to Hades.

A factory in Utah that churns out Giedion bibles, gets shut down, and all the staff are sent to LA to some Sixth Street Bridge summer camp in the smoggy suburb.

Two unorthodox Mormons break away from protocol and run an arms dealership in Mr. Miyagi's Light Delivery. The Mormons return to the bible factory and swear on the Necronomicon to defend it and make a fortress out of the building.

The movie started off okay-it was a cross between "The Warriors," "Tuff Turf," and "Savage Streets," but it veered off into this apocalyptic wasteland story about a bunch of Lutheran arms dealers defending a condemned factory that's of little value.

Not much happens that's noteworthy other than the boom mic appearing at one point in the fax room. (Remember those?) This movie's dancing a fine line to a below par rating as it's not holding my interest anymore.

A lot of the acting, from all parties, is embarrassing. The only one I can give any credit to is the pretty Sunday school teacher in purple who's toting an automatic and has a blind boyfriend.

This crap's going nowhere. And the main actor just summed it up perfectly when he said, "It's like a bad dream, isn't it?" You said it, guy.

I checked out thirty minutes ago, but there are still twenty more minutes to go!

I don't even know what any of the people are fighting over or defending. It's just a deserted factory filled with pipes and no bibles.

What's the teflon-coated score in this at times, too?

What did the Zodiac say in one of his postcards again - this movie's still dragon?

The lead actor's acting gets worse the longer this runs. He shoots the chief of police at the end because he shot Maniac Cop, and why any of these people are killing each other, I have no idea.

The movie ends on a witty one-liner that's not even funny; cue the unusual sixth-grade music that makes me want to sit on a toilet seat and make my peace with the toilet gods; then The Blues Brothers show up and speak Spanish, and it just ends.

This movie should be ashamed of itself.

Action-packed B-movie gem from the Golden Days of the Video Store!!!

[lukem-52760 · 7/10 · 5 September 2018]

This is one hell of a fun Action packed survival siege thriller!!! Similar to Carpenters classic 1976 film Assault on precinct 13 as a small group of ordinary people are hiding out in & boarding up a big old factory, like carpenters team did the same but in an old police building, to keep out marauding street gangs & a government that wants to move everyone to a relocation zone. So i love that seige/survival aspect of this movie as i love the survive the night in single place style also used in Trespass (1992),From Dusk Till Dawn (1996),Enemy Territory (1987),Critters (1986),The Green Room (2015) & Prince of Darkness (1987) another Carpenter classic & probably lots more films use that scenario.

Yes there's plenty of cheesiness to go around with some ridiculous dialogue & stupid people but hey, it's all B-movie goodness from the video store days!!!

Dead End City is a great 80's b movie fun with suspense scenes & lots of shootout scenes & an over all exciting feel. Two good B-movie stars in the lead, we have in the leader of the good guys & factory owner Greg Cummins (a character actor given a rare lead part) as Jack Murphy, a cool blue collar character who owns his father's factory & won't be pushed out of his property by the gangs or government. He's basically a vigilante or Outlaw & is actually a well done b flick character. Also we have the evil boss of the Ratts gang played by B-movie great Robert Z'dar (Maniac Cop,1988) Who is a great 80's villain character actor!!! Another great part that stands out is the excellent pure 80's synthesized elecro musical score it's one of the best I've heard for a low budget flick like this!!! Our small band of fighters that decided to stay & ignore the government's relocation camps & stand up to the ruthless biker gangs that are destroying the town. There's some mystery as the story unfolds & we get some sinister Corporations stuff, a corrupted government & a cool apocalyptic-like setting. The look is done well for a low-budget flick, the destroyed urban look is there like the punks of the Death Wish films have taken over. I love this type of film, gritty, scrappy & trashy action violence that the 80's did beautifully. The Ratts gang are the main killers on the streets & they've taken over completely with all civilians of the town relocated to crappy shanty towns for refugees. Jack Murphy won't leave & that causes everything to reach boiling point for the Ratts Gang & the corrupted government. The local news send a reporter to check it out as Murphy has caused some waves as a local hero or vigilante. Christine Lunde plays Opal Brand, a sexy bra-less reporter that ends stranded at Murphy's work building (warehouse type place) & ends up liking Murphy in a cheesy romantic way. I dig the type of fun genre flick that Dead End City is & in its simplicity it's so much fun. You get exactly what the film was made for, explosive action-packed vigilante urban entertainment.

I can also see where the whole PURGE idea came from in this movie with it's urban renewal & corrupted government undertone at the heart of this story all about getting rid of the poor or "bad" people & destroying their homes & building again to exactly how the government wants it, yep it's all in this excellent Thriller so many layered bits it's not a typical mad max gangs take over style flick it's so much more & very relevant even more so today just like the recent Purge Franchise!!!

Dead End City is an excellent b-grade thriller & one of the best from the 80's vault of straight-to-video flicks,i know there's lots like this, but not many as well made or as layered as this!!!

This is an absolute Gem of a film ,it's very exciting & action packed & has one of the best 80's music scores in my opinion. What the film lacks in originality it makes up for in atmosphere. There's almost a Carpenter style atmosphere to film that makes it feel like there's danger around every corner or that explosive action is about to kick-off. There's loads of gun fire & lots of bullet ridden action scenes that yes are often cheesy but always enjoyable in a cheap & fun way.

This also makes for great late-night entertainment, definitely a fun little 80's DTV trashy action thriller.

Unexceptional action movie

[lor_ · 1 April 2023]

My review was written in March 1989 after watching the movie on AIP video cassette.

Los Angeles' trouble with gang warfare takes on a sci-fi slang in "Dead End CIty", an okay direct-to-video actioner.

Greg Cummins plays a rugged individualist who decides to stay and fight to protect his family factory when the government orders an evacuation of the area. He teams up with various friends and an uppity tv newshen (beautiful Christine Lunde) to battle against he Ratts gang, led by burly Robert Zdar.

Predictably, the government (personified by police chief Dennis Cole) is behind everyone's problems, with a scheme to use gangs to level sections of the city as part of a warped urban renewal project.

Helme Peter Yuval handles the action well, Cummins is an effective hero defending his turf and Lunde provides visual appeal.