Dead Beat (1994)

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Blistering performances.

Bruce Ramsay is terrific as Kit, the charming, manipulative, desert playboy, who hides some well hidden skeletons. His enormous ego is padded with beer can lifts in his boots, layers of makeup, and zero tolerance of rejection. Kit's favorite sport is playing his numerous ladies for fools. Eventually he meets his match in Kristen (Natasha Gregson Wagner), who manages to turn the tables on Kit, with disastrous results. The story is told through the eyes of Rudy (Balthazar Getty), who is a friend, and "born follower" of Kit. The soundtrack of 60s music is impressive, and the 50s/60s cars are great. If you enjoy quirky characters who behave irrationally, "Dead Beat" is your movie. - MERK

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.

Dead Beat can't decide whether it's a serious film about disturbed youth and murder or a campy period piece ala Cry Baby. There's too much emphasis on period detail, much of which is inaccurate anyway--always a distraction for me in films of this sort. The film looks good and aspires to profundity but ultimately is another empty Hollywood look at juvenile delinquency.

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.