Dead Beat (1994)

Sadly Over-hyped

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Absolutely Brilliant!

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Movies like "Dead Beat" stick out for their mediocrity. This is a film which establishes its main character Kit as a truly larger than life legend of sorts. Kit is given a brilliantly colorful world to come alive and is surrounded by highly competent actors to help. However, somewhere after his grand introduction, it starts to increasingly feel as if the movie is falling short of the sheer bigness the story requires.Kit is played by the devilishly handsome Bruce Ramsay, who isn't given the meaty role he should have been able to run with. Instead, the character teeters on the edge of boldness when he should be brimming with life. I did like the idea of the Kit, though. He is a super-cool Elvis fanatic who intoxicates a whole town with his magical confidence and other-wordly charm. His face is so layered with makeup that he resembles something of a walking Ken doll, which is a perfect indication of the hollowness his charisma is compensating for. Ultimately, "Dead Beat" is about the dark side and eventual decay of an almost mystical small-town legend. Like his hero who held American culture in the palm of his hand only to disappear in heartbreaking tragedy, Kit loses himself amongst public adoration and personal despair.This is the first and only movie by Adam Dubov. If only he had the confidence of his leading man! Dubov seems too cautious to harness such a bold story. He misses the mark on many scenes which should have been pushed to their fullest in terms of style and humor. Some scenes are just plain badly directed. Take the introduction of Kristen (played by the sexy Natasha Gregson Wagner) , the girl who ruins Kit, for example. She pulls a malicious prank on a lifeguard at a public pool, a scene which gives exposition to the only girl in town who could lead to Kit's downfall. The scene should have been classic, but is confusing and unfunny due to oblivious direction. Also, the movie builds up to what should have been a heart-wrenching climax. By the time it comes, the audience is too confused to know what to think about (or care about) an event which should have been riveting and extremely sad. A very well-written voice over ends the film, and serves as a reminder that this could have been a poignant and unforgettable film.There are many recommendable values of the movie that also give hint to the fact that it could have been much greater. The production design is a knockout, especially considering the small budget. The world created for Kit is vibrant, appropriately archaic, detailed and original. There is an excellent use of color which gives the movie a romantic comic strip feel and breathes life into the constantly dull scenes. The supporting cast are talented and thankfully watchable. I loved Balthazar Ghetty's understated, grounded interpretation of Kit's somber sidekick Rudy. Natasha Gregson Wagner is pitch perfect as Kristen, using the character's bratty personality for humor instead of irritation."Dead Beat" deserves a bolder director. It is entertaining enough due to its few saving graces, but only amounts to a glimpse at a film that could have been an indie classic.(2 out of 4)

I have always assumed that movies like Dead Beat, Cry Baby, But I'm a Cheerleader, Psycho Beach Party, etc. were part of the teen pulp genre mocking much of the exaggerations of the 1950s rebel without a cause or teenage confidential kind of films. And, usually, the story entails not only probing satire, but also murder. In the case of Dead Beat, it is taken to a point that suddenly, this already-bizarre black comedy becomes even more eerie. There are much fewer moments of true hilarious stupidity like you might find in something like Psycho Beach Party, and so potential viewers should already expect Dead Beat to be much weirder and far more off-beat, especially considering the story and some very eerily annoying characters. Then again, it's based on the story of Charles Shmid (see the film trivia).Set in a small town in the New Mexico desert, Rudy (Balthazar Getty) is new in town after his mother's transfer (for asthmatic reasons). Life is pretty boring there until he befriends the town Casanova, Kit (Bruce Ramsay who eerily resembles Richard Grieco) who seems to have it all: his own place, a hefty allowance, leisurely employment, and any girl he wants. But basically everything about Kit is a facade, and you can never be too sure if you can believe the things he says and does. The shaky charade entertains us for the first half of the movie as Rudy narrates Kit's assorted adventures with the neighborhood girls. And then things become seriously strange when Kirsten Beidermier (Natasha Gregson Wagner) enters the picture. Kit picks up with her, I suppose momentarily he falls in love with her, and little by little, she begins to destroy the perfection of Kit's facade, and that of course, leads to big trouble for all.Dead Beat is an offbeat black comedy for sure, but one that fans of the revivalist pulp genre, and all it's cult favorites therein, may enjoy.

I've always loved this movie. Its the story of a conceited young man who uses beer cans in his shoes to make himself taller, a full face of make-up and hair dye to attract young girls. A very popular guy who we later find out is much more than he seems. In fact, Kit's not a very nice guy at all. I thought this movie to be a very offbeat and interesting film. I think it shows just how young people can be fooled by a slick-talking phoney. I remember being young and having crushes on cheesy guys like this. It also shows how fake someone can actually be. I knew a girl who reminded me a little of Kit. She used fake hair, contacts and a fake tan to be the prettiest girl in school. Everything about her was fake. Boys all fell for it back then. Its amazing the lengths people will go to be liked.There's another side of this I found fascinating. This story seems to be based on the real life killer, Charles Schmid aka Smitty the Pied Piper of Tuscon. If you go to the crime library you can read the story of the real guy. The stories are exactly the same. Its very interesting to read if you are a fan of this movie like I am. It makes the whole movie more intense to know that it was based on a real life murderer.All in all a great film. Its one I will watch again and again.

I am the Queen of Quirk so I was able to appreciate this off beat film.I had never even heard anything about it before. I just found it for $5 in the discount Video Box. Anyway, it looked weird enough and it definitely is just that.It's about a play boy named Kit (Bruce Ramsey) who is a total phony. He dyes his hair, applies powder foundation and wears flattened cans in his cowboy boots to make himself appear taller. Every girl is in love with him because he looks and sings like Elvis. He is seemingly serious about one girl though and that is Martha (Sarah Gilbert). Well, that is, until Kirsten comes on the scene (Natasha Gregson Wagner-the princess of offbeat films). She is a skank (just like him), she's insane and has something complex going on underneath (just like him). They are perfect for each other...for awhile.This isn't just a love story though. Did Kit kill a girl awhile back and bury her out in the desert or is that just one of his lame, made up stories? Murders become a theme in the film towards the end and all the relationship humour is soon forgotten.This film isn't exactly *amazing* but it's not completely awful. It's funny, it's entertaining and it has the campiness of a film from 1965 (that's when the film takes place). I give it 7/10 for quirk/weirdness.