Deadbeat at Dawn

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Sam N I had no idea what I was getting myself into with Deadbeat at Dawn. Five seconds in, I had to pause and check that Tommy Wiseau hadn’t somehow played a role—such is the sheer chaos of its opening moments. But unlike The Room, this isn’t incompetence wrapped in cashmere; it’s guerrilla cinema powered by pure, unfiltered passion. Jim Van Bebber writes, directs, edits, stars—and probably did the catering too. It’s scrappy, bloody, and often ridiculous, but it moves—like The Warriors if shot on stolen cameras after a bad trip. Where Wiseau threw money at the problem, Van Bebber used ingenuity and madness to plaster over budgetary holes. The result is violent, anarchic and weirdly beautiful. The acting’s ropey, the plot’s barely there, and yet it works. Not in spite of its flaws but because of them. Deadbeat at Dawn isn’t just a cult film—it’s a punch to the face. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/05/25 Full Review A.L.Jude P Terribly overrated. What kind of a movie is this ? Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/10/23 Full Review Brad P Deadbeat at Dawn is the the best 70's exploitation film made in the mid-80's. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/01/23 Full Review Audience Member Sometimes a review seems pointless. I'm relatively sure that 95% of the people who would have an interest in seeing this have already seen it. I say that because this film is a perfect representation of not just underground/DIY cinema but a particular time and type of it. The grit and sincerity that this film gushes out is unrivaled. Let me hope I'm wrong by saying that if you have any interest in old school indie cinema and or underground/exploitation films, watch this movie. Hell even if you don't, just watch it. Worst case scenario you get a cool story to tell your friends while you're in line for the next Fast and the Furious movie. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/24/21 Full Review adam b This film really blew me away. The over-the-top violence works perfectly in this grungy gang film. You could tell just by watching this film that everyone in this gave it their best and damn, they really made a quite the film. If only this film got as much recognition as it should because this truly is the definition of cult classic Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie feels like the autobiography of a Dog the Bounty Hunter tattoo. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Deadbeat at Dawn

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