From the outset I figured Dead End Drive-In would be another hip post-apocalyptic throwaway and was more than pleasantly surprised at how incisive of a cultural critique it really is. One of the smartest films to get the Arrow Video blu-ray treatment this year, this Ozploitation flick has more on it’s mind than most would be led to believe and couldn’t have been re-released to cinephiles in high-definition at a more pertinent time than now. Like A Clockwork Orange, the film is a dystopian science fiction fable about the bureaucratic dissolution of our freedoms under the guise of being helpful and by making the central character himself a delinquent, it becomes far more relatable by pitting him against a burgeoning fascist police state. It also ponders the other side of the equation by suggesting outcasts finding acceptance in a communist society, showing why people would prefer staking out the world in their own way. When it’s not slamming couch potatoes who don’t dare to question the junk food they’re eating, Dead End Drive-In is fun to look at for the bright neon colors and dilapidated set design. Going in you too will probably fold your arms at how it starts off by copying George Miller but once you reach the drive-in, like the characters, you too won’t be able to leave your seat.