Street Trash

I genuinely wish I'd discovered "Street Trash" when it was originally released in 1987. Finally watching the film, some 20 years after it hit the big screen, I can't help wonder why I never tracked a VHS copy down in the good old days of the "video nasties".

"Street Trash" is horror on a shoestring budget and its atmosphere and characters could be compared to those of one of the better Troma productions. The film is filled with crude, juvenile humour, is politically incorrect and contains some of the most technicoloured, surrealistic, over-the-top gore spurting scenes you will ever see splashed on the screen.

While none of the characters are particularly likable, the film has a great energy despite its loose plot and it's easy to understand why it has a strong cult following.

8 out of 10. Rubbish but great rubbish. Fans of this film may enjoy the equally strange "Bride of Frank".

Or whatever package it was contained in, when you purchased it. You watched it online/digital/via your implanted eye? Damn that movie is still being seen in a 100 years? Not bad at all (congrats Imdb for also still existing in whatever form that may be). But all jokes aside, this is not a masterpiece, it couldn't be on any scale or measure.

Having said that, the movie has so many merits it's tough to not like it though. If you have a heart for low budget filmmaking or films at all that is. Editing is key here, in combination with guerilla filmmaking at its finest. I can only assume that quite a few shots in the movie were made without permission. A lot of favors cashed in, framing that makes you forget what time of day it is, resources used to its fullest (especially when it comes to location) and quite the special effects ... really well made. The story and characters are paper thin at best ... but this is sleaze, this is trash and so are they. Be aware of what you watch and don't judge it on a different scale. This is not Citizen Kane (that's still a thing people say, right?)

'Street Trash' the most offensive film ever made? Quite possibly. This baby is exceedingly hard to locate, which is unfortunate, because it is an outlandish, unapologetic delight with a wonderful streak of black, black humour. Director Jim Muro has since become one of the most respected Steadicam operators in the business, and has worked his magic upon some pretty big pictures. I believe he was the Steadicam operator on 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day', but I might be wrong.

When an enterprising liquor store owner in New York's Lower East Side(?) finds a dusty crate of something named Tenafly Viper stashed behind a brick wall in a back room of his place of business, he decides to sell it cheaply to the bums in the neighbourhood who are his chief customers. But Tenafly Viper is strong stuff indeed; strong enough to melt one's body! And you thought hangovers were bad.

Pretty soon, the homeless population around the liquor store is dwindling as more and more of these unfortunates consume this deadly drop and promptly disintegrate. The first bum to imbibe the killer stuff does so while seated upon a filthy lavatory. He melts into the commode, pulls the chain, and flushes himself away! Truly tasteless, n'est pas? Two more memorable scenes from 'Street Trash' come to mind: in one, a man has his penis bitten off; in the other, a man is spectacularly decapitated by a flying gas cylinder. I read in Fangoria(?) that this scene required eight special effects crew members to pump blood! 'Street Trash' reminds me of Peter Jackson's wonderful 'Bad Taste' which, while far superior to 'Street Trash', is in the same outrageous vein. I guess it might also be likened to 'The Incredible Melting Man', although the special effects makeup in that picture was provided by the legendary Rick Baker - his first film? - and so is much better than anything in 'Street Trash'.

'Street Trash' is an excellent title, because trash is what this film is all about. Its milieu is grimy and bleak, and everything about the whole affair is inherently unclean. Oh yeah, I just remembered another memorable scene: a cop fights a man in a men's room, and beats him to the ground. Then the cop sticks two digits down his own throat and vomits upon the prone man! Pretty sick (excuse the pun)! This film also makes me think of John Waters in its examination of white trash, something Waters did with films such as 'Desperate Living' and 'Pink Flamingoes'. Like those flicks, 'Street Trash' serves up plenty of gross-out gags so, if that is what floats your boat in a movie, then you will certainly enjoy this. I hope 'Street Trash' has a huge cult following, and I suspect it does. And deservedly so.

When oh when oh WHEN is the DVD Special Edition going to be released?! I for one await it with great anticipation. By the way, if you do find this film, do not miss the song which plays over the end credits - very funny stuff! The last time I watched 'Street Trash' I was laughing because one of the bums reminded me of Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes fame. Sorry, Mr Robinson... no offence intended!

I wasn't expecting much when I watched this, but what I was expecting was a melt movie. An ordinary horror film with a plot centred around the viper drink. What I saw was a badly acted cop versus bums film, and in some parts, there was a bit of melting to justify the video cover. I suspect they couldn't afford much of the gore, so only had a few bits of melting. The part where the man exploded wasn't too bad, and nor was the first melting, on the toilet. I think that scene was probably the most expensive in it. It's the type of film that made me want to take a shower after viewing it. I didn't mind it. I've seen worse, but I was expecting a melt movie, and didn't really get it.

Street Trash is an amazing little surprise of wonderful cinematography, hilarious satire, cheesy performances, fantastic old school special effects and gore, and total entertainment!

This is what the 80's was all about, true independent film making that didn't need to follow rules and still manages to entertain more than most of the Hollywood crap that comes out today.

UK based distributors, Arrow Label, have released such a beautiful DVD and Bluray package that includes reverse sleeves, original artwork, with a host of extras and digitally remastered version of the classic!

I really enjoyed Street Trash. It is exactly what it says on the tin, bright and colourful, loud and nasty, hilarious and gross.

Well worth the watch!