Dead End: Helping Teenagers Make the Right Choice

"Harsh realism. Curious tenderness. Wailing sirens. Desperate screams." Taken from the video's cover, this bordering-on-haiku jacket copy pretty much sums up the extremely dramatic nature of this program, which is designed to warn teenagers of the often fatal consequences of drinking and driving. Slow motion b&w montages of a happy pre-prom celebration are intercut with violent images of a car crash and onsite trauma response, but, ultimately, the testimonies of people in a rehab center prove to be more effective here than the close-up of a bloody corsage on a lifeless hand. Unfortunately, it's hard to put into narrative context the commentary by victims and family members, since none of the speakers are introduced in the video. Although a sincere effort to tell an important cautionary tale, this program is undermined by its somewhat amateur production values. Optional. Aud: J, H. (E. Gieschen)