Deadbeat at Dawn [Blu-ray]

Director: Jim Van Bebber

Overview

Director Jim Van Bebber doubles as star of Deadbeat at Dawn. The film concerns two rival criminal gangs: The Ravens and The Spiders. The leader of the Ravens is shamed into quitting by his concerned girlfriend. But the head of the Spiders isn't about to let his opposite number off the hook. He orders the girlfriend's murder, and makes certain that the Raven leader knows who's responsible. The Spiders' timing couldn't be worse: the two groups have just called a temporary truce so that they can collaborate on a security-truck robbery.

Product Details

Release Date:	10/23/2018
UPC:	0760137184386
Original Release:	1988
Rating:	NR
Region Code:	A
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:21:00
Sales rank:	2,556

Special Features

Brand new 2k restoration from original film elements, supervised and approved by Jim VanBebber; High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation; Original uncompressed PCM mono audio; Optional English Subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; Brand new free-wheeling Audio Commentary with Jim VanBebber, actor Paul Harper ('Danny Carmodi'), The Spyders' Gang Leader) and guest Cody Lee Hardin, moderated by filmmaker Victor Bonacore (Diary of a Deadbeat: The Story of Jim VanBebber); Deadbeat Forever - a brand new, feature-length retrospective documentary on VanBebber and the Deadbeat legacy by filmmaker Victor Bonacore, featuring first time interviews, super-rare footage, clips from VanBebber's college films ; Archival 1986 behind-the-scenes documentary - Nate Pennington's VHS documentary on a failed Deadbeat shoot; Outtakes, newly transferred in HD; Four newly-restored Jim VanBebber short films with optional Audio Commentary by VanBebber and Victor Bonacore - Into the Black (1983, 34 mins), featuring a brand new, Director-Approved score by Nate Seacourt, My Sweet Satan (1993, 19 mins), Roadkill: The Last Days of John Martin (1994, 14 mins) and Gator Green (2013, 16 mins) ; Jim VanBebber Music Video Collection, featuring never-before-seen Director's Cuts; Chunk Blower - Promotional trailer for an unfinished Gary Blair Smith-produced gore-soaked feature film, with optional Jim VanBebber Audio Commentary; Extensive Image Gallery - Never-Before-Seen Stills! ; Newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jim Van Bebber	Goose
Marc Pitman	Actor
Megan Murphy	Actor
Paul Harper	Actor
Ric Walker	Actor
Barry Landy	Ravens Member
Loretta West	Sandy King

Technical Credits

Jim Van Bebber

Jim Van Bebber	Producer,Screenwriter
Michael King	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A prime example of creativity and enthusiasm picking up where budget and other resources fall short, micro-budget maestro Jim van Bebber's violent and oddly endearing Deadbeat at Dawn is a pleasantly surprising mini-masterpiece of gritty urban nightmares. Viewers may initially chuckle at how many times van Bebber's name appears in the credits, attached to virtually every component of the film's production from editing to special effects, but they will come to appreciate the sometimes subtle (and other times less so) creative touches that he lends to the various aspects of the film. Imaginative touches such as lava-lamp transitions, as well as tight editing and well-staged choreography, make it easy to overlook some of the film's shortcomings, which -- minor as they may be -- threaten to keep the film from gelling as it should. It's unclear at times whether the film is aiming to be completely serious and dramatic, or tongue in cheek and over the top, though the answer likely falls somewhere in between.