So apparently a remake of the '80s cult classic horror movie "Street Trash" was made in South Africa this year. I just watched it and it's got nothing on that original, and still very unique, movie. If you want a b-grade splatter flick, then I guess this remake might wag your tail. But I found it pretty forgettable.
The original movie didn't really have a plot, which is what made it so cool. Well, that and the fluorescent gore effects. It was just a series of riffs on splatter themes mixed with comedy and a sly wink at the audience that let you know the filmmakers were having fun and wanted us to join in. Considering it's well remembered by cult film fans decades later, I think it's fair to say we did.
This remake has more plot, seemingly, though it doesn't really make sense. It's homeless people again, including a Yiddish-spouting guy who looks a lot like Stanley Kubrick, and another one played by that extraordinary South African actor from the director's previous, and superior, "Fried Barry", who looks like a cross between Bad Boy Bubby and a caveman.
The way his eyes are clear but apparently see nothing, and the way he blinks and stands still like he's patiently waiting for somebody to tell him what to do, reminds me of the character creation screen in a CRPG.
He steals every scene he's in, simply by virtue of him being in it. He doesn't have to do anything, he's just such a bizarre specimen you always find yourself looking at him.
The same can't be said for the guy who plays the main character, unfortunately.
The plot, as near as I can tell, is something to do with a rich South African trying to kill the country's homeless population. I didn't really understand it.
They should have had the guts to make a plotless movie, like the original one was. This movie is unhinged and crazy enough- or seems to want to be - to pull it off. But the plot keeps getting in the way, such as it is.
