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July 23, 2012

Movie Review: Street Trash (Blu-ray, 1987)







Some of the finest films I've ever had the pleasure of seeing have used New York based locales and are also created by New York filmmakers. Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen come to mind as being two of the more prolific and well... of course there is Spike Lee, but we won't go there. I love the little guys though, and I enjoy horror the most so that leads me to what I think is one of the greatest cult movies of all time, Jim Muro and Roy Frumkes' Street Trash. After receiving a fantastic DVD release that took years to complete Synapse Films have taken it to the next level - and then some - with their Special Meltdown Edition on glorious Blu-ray.

Few movies have portrayed the homeless in such a light as Street Trash has. When a liquor store owner discovers a wooden box full of mysterious hooch called Tenafly Viper in his basement he jumps at the chance of selling the swill to bums for a cheap price. This stuff is brutal though, as bad as Black Velvet Canadian Whiskey is, Tenafly Viper is worse - it doesn't just make you sick, it melts you into colorful puddles of goo. The booze is just part of the story as we do have a couple protagonists in a few homeless brothers who are battling day-to-day by living their life in the junkyard while a menacing, beast named, Bronson (Vic Noto) wreaks havoc on the bums and citizens.


The comedy and gore in Street Trash is at an epic level, especially if you're jaded like myself. Those easily offended will flip it off immediately but if you are the kind of viewer can laugh at necrophilia, castration, bums blowing ass while melting from drinking the hooch, you'll be in heaven. Much of the finest comedy in the film can be attributed to R.L Ryan, the rotund manager of the junkyard and the phenomenal smart ass humor put forth by James Lorinz (Frankenhooker). Lorinz plays a doorman who seems to have a remark for anybody coming through the door to the restaurant he works. His exchanges with a mobster played by veteran actor Tony Darrow are priceless. Be sure to watch the credits of Street Trash to see both of them at their comedic best.

The gore FX, while revolting at times are kind of pretty to look at. FX wizard Jennifer Aspinall (Toxic Avenger) does a superb job at delivering some amazing splatter gags. Frumkes script, is very funny, and thankfully with these stellar performances his work is represented the way he intended. Director Jim Muro's steadi-cam work is another area where the movie shines. Right from the opening shot it sets a tone that you have a professional at the helm navigating this journey through filth.



Synapse's previous Street Trash Special edition was really something hard to top - but the company did just that. The additional extra feature added to the already awesome supplements and stunning high definition make this a big contender for one of the best Blu-ray releases of the year. Get your melt on and buy this - you will not be disappointed.

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