Drive-In Delirium (4): Dead By Dawn Blu-Ray Review
By Paul Rudoff on Apr. 4, 2020 at 10:26 PM in Home Video, Horror

This is one of an ongoing series of reviews that looks at various Blu-ray compilations of movie trailers and TV spots, most notably Umbrella Entertainment's Drive-In Delirium series and Garagehouse Pictures' Trailer Trauma series. Today's review details Drive-In Delirium (4): Dead By Dawn. Read on to find out more...
As the title implies, this release contains trailers from the 1950s through the 1980s, with the main focus being films in the horror, thriller, action, adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, erotica, and western genres. There usually isn't much in the way of comedy on these compilations, though this one has a more than most at the end of Part 2. Also, this compilation contains a bit more mainstream Hollywood motion pictures than usual, though it's still primarily B-movie fare. As with the other releases, there is a great amount of nudity and mature content, which would garner this disc a R rating, if it were rated in the U.S. None of the blue/green/red "bands" are included before the trailers, which is fine with me. I couldn't imagine sitting through them before each and every trailer.
The trailers are not shown alphabetically or chronologically. I'm really not sure what the order is, though some similar-themed films are kept together. For the most part, there is one trailer per chapter. However, some trailers are grouped together under one chapter, and those are noted with forward slashes in the trailer/chapter lists that follow this review. All of the movie years come from the IMDB and are assumed to be correct. Most of the trailer lists included inside the cases of these Blu-ray releases don't list the years, or they may give one that differs from the IMDB. I looked EVERYTHING up in the IMDB and used that.
The image and sound quality is very good, with 95% of the trailers being in great shape. There are only a few that were sourced from film prints with scratches and dirt in them.
All of the vintage TV and theater ads shown in the Pre/Post Show and Intermission segments are framed inside an angled drive-in theater screen, with cuts from various angles. They are not shown fullscreen like the trailers. This makes them useless from a "collector's" perspective. You might as well just look for them on YouTube and download the videos from there and save them for your collection.
At the end of Part 1, Chapter 47 Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) is a faint screen with the text "These Graphics Might Help". I have no idea what this is all about.
-- SPECIFICATIONS --
The total (Play All) trailer runtime is 6:18:46, though they are also available in two themed "parts". The full chapter/trailer list is below, following this review. All content is presented in English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. There are no subtitles, but were you really expecting any?!? All trailers are shown in full 1920x1080 high definition, with various aspect ratios per each film. Although this is an Australian import, the disc is region-free and plays fine on U.S. Blu-ray players.
-- SPECIAL FEATURES --
There's a Bride of VHS Delirium section (1:36:46) (detailed below, after the review) that consists of Australian VHS trailers, presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio, pillarboxed into a 16:9 frame. Although they come from a standard definition VHS source, and the quality is as such, I don't know if they are in SD or have been upscaled to HD. The VHS trailers are each in their own chapter. The volume is about the same as the HD movie trailers, though a lot of tape hiss is present, of course.

(inside case artwork)
-- PACKAGING --
The single disc comes inside a standard 14mm blue Blu-ray case, which is slightly thicker than what's typically used here in America (aside from Criterion and PlayStation 3 games). The reverse/inside of the case artwork is an ad for the previous Drive-In Delirium releases on the left side and on the right, under the disc, is an accurate trailer/chapter list (which includes the film years). There is no chapter list for the VHS trailers.
-- CONCLUSION --
I found this to be a better compilation than "The New Batch", especially with the fair amount of comedies included in the latter quarter of Part 2, most of which are popular Hollywood films. There was even a trailer for Man About the House (chapter 74), a movie based on the British TV series of the same name that was the basis for the sitcom "Three's Company" in the United States. That said, I still wish there were more mainstream Hollywood films and more genres represented. Ideally, I would love it if these releases could replace all of my old self-made trailer compilation VHS tapes. I also have to wonder why there are no trailers for films past 1989 on these compilation Blu-rays. Could copyrights have something to do with it?
- Drive-In Delirium (1): '60s & '70s Savagery
- Drive-In Delirium (2): Maximum '80s Overdrive
- Drive-In Delirium (3): The New Batch
- Drive-In Delirium (4): Dead By Dawn
- Drive-In Delirium (5): With A Vengeance
- Drive-In Delirium (6): The Final Conflict
- Drive-In Delirium: The Ultimate Dusk-Till-Dawn-Till-Dusk Trailer Marathon (contains all six discs in one set)

TRAILER/CHAPTER LIST
PART ONE: THE FINAL CHAPTER (3:04:04) 01. Pre Show - Title / Welcome To Drive-In Theater / Kenner's Six Million Dollar Man Toys / Paul Hogan for Winfield Cigarettes / Hello Young Lovers Anti-PDA PSA / It's Showtime Folks. 02. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) 03. The Monster That Challenged The World (1957) (no on-screen title) 04. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957) 05. The Black Scorpion (1957) 06. Zaat (1971) 07. Night of the Lepus (1972) 08. Willard + Ben (double feature) (1972) 09. The Food of the Gods (1976) 10. King Kong (1976) 11. The Swarm (1978) 12. Jaws 2 (1978) 13. Something Waits in the Dark (aka Screamers) (1979) 14. Spasms (1983) 15. Slugs (1988) 16. Maniac (1963) 17. The Old Dark House (1963) 18. The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964) 19. The Gorgon (1964) 20. The Deadly Bees (1966) 21. The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970) 22. See No Evil (1971) 23. Assault (1971) 24. Asylum (1972) 25. Virgin Witch (1972) 26. Horror of Snape Island (aka Tower of Evil) (1972) 27. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) 28. The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) 29. The Legend of Hell House (1973) 30. The Cars That Ate Paris (1974) 31. And Then There Were None (aka Ten Little Indians) (1974) 32. The Devil Within Her (aka Beyond the Door) (1974) 33. Expose (aka Trauma) (1976) 34. Prey (1977) 35. The Last Wave (1977) 36. The Shout (1978) 37. Killer's Moon (1978) 38. Terror (1978) 39. The Medusa Touch (1978) 40. Next of Kin (1982) 41. Rawhead Rex (1986) 42. Gothic (1986) 43. Lair of the White Worm (1988) 44. Black Sabbath (1963) 45. Death Laid an Egg (1968) 46. The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion (1970) 47. Five Dolls for an August Moon (1970) 48. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) 49. The Fifth Cord (1971) 50. Short Night of Glass Dolls (1971) 51. The Bloodstained Butterfly (1971) 52. Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972) 53. The Case of the Bloody Iris (1972) 54. The Blood Spattered Bride (1972) 55. Death Smiles at Murder (aka Death Smiles on a Murderer) (1973) 56. What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (1974) 57. The Night Train Murders (aka Last Stop on the Night Train) (1975) 58. The Pyjama Girl Case (1978) 59. Watch Me When I Kill (1977) 60. Suspiria (1977) 61. The Bloodstained Shadow (1978) 62. Absurd (1981) 63. Madhouse (1981) 64. Blind Date (1984) 65. StageFright (aka Deliria) (1987) 66. Opera (1987) 67. Nightmare Beach (1989) 68. Beyond the Door (1974) 69. The Night Child (aka Together Forever) (1975) 70. The Other Hell (1981) 71. The Nights of Terror (aka Burial Ground) (1981) 72. The Man from The Deep River (aka Sacrifice!) (1972) 73. Eaten Alive! (1980) 74. Massacre in Dinosaur Valley (1985) 75. Cut and Run (1985) 76. Survive! (1976) 77. SS Experiment Love Camp (1976) 78. Intermission - It's Intermission Time! |
PART TWO: A NEW BEGINNING (3:14:41) 01. Pre Show - Title / Kool-Aid feat. Bugs Bunny & The Monkees (1969) / G.I. Joe Adventure Team Headquarters Playset / Countdown. 02. The Maze (1953) 03. 13 Ghosts (1960) 04. Psycho (1960) 05. Homicidal (1961) 06. The Premature Burial (1962) 07. Strait-Jacket (1964) 08. Wait Until Dark (1967) 09. Games (1967) 10. Night of the Living Dead (1968) 11. Play Misty for Me (1971) 12. Images (1972) 13. Black Christmas (1974) 14. It's Alive (1974) 15. It Lives Again (1978) 16. Drive-In Massacre (1976) 17. The Hex Massacre + Lucifer's Curse (double feature) (1977) 18. Rituals (1977) 19. Scalpel (1977) 20. The Changeling (1980) 21. New Year's Evil (1980) 22. Motel Hell (1980) 23. Night Warning (aka Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker) (1981) 24. Hell Night (1981) 25. One Dark Night (1982) 26. Psycho II (1983) 27. Creepshow (1982) 28. Evil Dead (1981) 29. The Incubus (aka Satan's Mistress) (1982) 30. The Dorm That Dripped Blood (1982) 31. Bloodbeat (1983) 32. Of Unknown Origin (1983) 33. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) 34. Scream for Help (1984) 35. Special Effects (1984) 36. The Stuff (1985) 37. Silver Bullet (1985) 38. Crawlspace (1986) 39. Maximum Overdrive (1986) 40. Neon Maniacs (1986) 41. The Majorettes (1987) 42. From a Whisper to a Scream (1987) 43. The Believers (1987) 44. American Gothic (1987) 45. Scarecrows (1988) 46. Return of the Living Dead: Part II (1988) 47. Nightmare at Noon (1988) 48. Cutting Class (1989) 49. After Midnight (1989) 50. Intruder (1989) 51. Luther the Geek (1989) 52. Wanted Mister Xmas (aka Game Over, aka Deadly Games) (1989) (no on-screen title, title spoken at end) 53. Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990) 54. Blow-Up (1966) 55. Candy (1968) 56. Marquis de Sade's Philosophy in the Boudoir (aka Eugenie) (1970) 57. Deep End (1970) 58. Ciao! Manhattan (1972) 59. Immoral Tales (1973) 60. Pets (1973) 61. The Working Girls (1974) 62. The Kidnap Lover (aka Date with a Kidnapper) (1976) 63. C.B. Hustlers (1976) 64. The Pom Pom Girls (1976) 65. Vampire Hookers (1978) 66. Malibu High (1979) 67. Centrespread (1981) 68. The Devil's Honey (1986) 69. 9 1/2 Weeks (1986) 70. Dr. Strangelove (1964) 71. Casino Royale (1967) 72. Bananas (1971) 73. Love Thy Neighbour (1973) 74. Man About the House (1974) 75. Young Frankenstein (1974) 76. Silent Movie (1976) 77. Jabberwocky (1977) 78. The End (1978) 79. Caddyshack (1980) 80. Airplane! (1980) 81. S.O.B. (1981) 82. Zapped! (1982) 83. Eating Raoul (1982) 84. Strange Brew (1983) 85. Valley Girl (1983) 86. Better Off Dead (1985) 87. Clue (1985) 88. Teen Wolf (1985) 89. My Chauffeur (1986) 90. Back to School (1986) 91. The Princess Bride (1987) 92. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) 93. Post Show - Clean-Up & Replace Speaker / Good Night. 94. Also Available - Drive In-Delirium Volumes 1 and 2 Trailer / Drive In-Delirium Volume 3 Trailer. |

BRIDE OF VHS DELIRIUM
(1:36:46)
(1:36:46)
01. Faux VHS Tape / Title / Australian Palace Explosive Video Logo / Due To Censor Restrictions... 02. The Beyond (1981) 03. Cannibal Apocalypse (aka Cannibals in the Streets) (1980) 04. Creepers (aka Phenomena) (1985) 05. The Dark (1979) 06. Epitaph (1987) 07. The Evictors (1979) 08. The House on Sorority Row (1982) 09. I Spit on Your Grave (1978) 10. L.A. Crackdown (1988) 11. Madman (1981) 12. The Mutilator (1984) 13. Night of the Zombies (1981) 14. Rape Squad (aka Act of Vengeance) (1974) 15. Savage Man... Savage Beast (1975) 16. The Slayer (1982) 17. Splatter University (1984) 18. Squirm (1976) 19. Trapped (1976) 20. Dario Agento's World of Horror (1985) 21. Palace Entertainment Corporation Previews / Bloody New Year (1987) 22. Blood Theatre (1984) 23. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) 24. Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987) 25. The Initiation (1984) 26. Spookies (1986) 27. The Return of Count Yorga (1971) 28. Tenebrae (1982) 29. Demons 2 (aka Demoni 2) (1986) 30. Reborn (1981) |
31. Palace Films / Sole Survivor (1984) 32. Android (1982) 33. The Lost Empire (1984) 34. Prisoners of the Lost Universe (1983) 35. Battle for the Lost Planet (1986) 36. The Brother From Another Planet (1984) 37. Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986) 38. Pinball Summer (aka Pick-Up Summer) (1980) 39. Stitches (1985) 40. Hot Dog: The Movie (1984) 41. Waitress! (1981) 42. Stuck on You! (1982) 43. The First Turn-On!! (1983) 44. Feelin' Up (aka Getting Together) (1976) 45. The Princess and the Call Girl (1986) 46. Palace Films / Blackout (1985) 47. The Guardian (1984) 48. Family and Honour (aka Don't Mess with My Sister!) (1985) 49. The Professor (1986) 50. Golden Needles (1974) 51. Diva (1981) 52. Rape Squad (aka Act of Vengeance) (1974) 53. Pray for Death (1985) 54. Rage of Honor (1987) 55. The Retaliator (aka Programmed to Kill) (1987) 56. Feel the Heat (aka Catch the Heat) (1987) 57. Survival Game (1987) 58. Commando Squad (1987) 59. Double Revenge (1988) 60. Rage To Kill (1988) 61. Snake Eater (1989) 62. Palace Films Compilation |
THE END
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