Street Trash (1987)
Theatrical Release: September 16, 1987
Blu Ray Release: July 9, 2013
Director: J. Michael Muro
Review by Travis North
My first exposure to Street Trash was on an old Comedy Central show “Drive-In Reviews” (if Google and my memory are correct). It included the infamous clip of "cock keepaway" as well as some of the hobo meltdowns, which of course had me desperate to see it. The effects, not the cock. When I finally was able to rent it, I was disappointed. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I remembered the effects scenes and being underwhelmed since they were not very blood-red gory; more the colors of a spilled crate of Crayola grade school paint. This did not bode well for someone who had to sneak peaks at Fangoria and Gorezone for the latest horror movie money shots like they were Hustler spreads. With the release of Street Trash on Synapse blu ray, it was time for a re-appraisal. Will the passage of time and scores of horrible CGI-filled horror movies retroactively change my opinion?
Street Trash starts with a young wino Fred (Mike Lackey) desperate for some booze to get loaded. The tone is set in the first minute with Fred being eyelevel with the liquor store owner’s fat ass, getting a face full of flatulence. So you know you’re roughly in Troma-like territory. He grabs a bottle of some recently unearthed cheap rotgut called Viper and takes off. The ensuing chase involves a classic 80’s coitus interruptus, complete with full male and female nudity. What he doesn’t know is that even a small sip of Viper will reduce you to a bubbling, gooey pile of slime. This was the extent of the plot that I could recall, with scenes of bums taking a sip and melting down. What I forgot was the rest of the vagabonds that live in the same junkyard as Fred.
This includes the severely shell shocked Bronson (Vic Noto) who has established himself as the leader through a dangerous mix of bullying, mental disorder, and scenery chewing. Fred lives with his younger brother in a makeshift house made out of car frames and a pile of tires, which is a nice artistic touch. There is the obese owner who enjoys some old fashioned sexual harassment and necrophilia. Bill the Cop (Bill Chepil) shows up to try to get the bottom of the rash of melted human trash. You do not want to lose a fight to this officer, because if you do he’ll vomit on you. Somehow a mafia boss (Tony Darrow – Martin Scorsese no doubt just HAD to cast him in Goodfellas after this) gets involved in the fun when his girlfriend is gang raped by the bums.
If this all sounds very random, it is. Once the plot leaves Viper and its effects on anyone who imbibes it, the rest of the movies seems like vignettes to pad this out to feature length. While some of it is interesting or funny, it is really unnecessary and unfocused. That may be some of the reason that I can’t fully change my opinion of Street Trash. Seeing Bronson having nightmares about vampire Viet Cong who bite his nipples is different, it still ultimately doesn’t add too much.
I shouldn’t be too hard on the movie though. It is vintage low budget horror, and it at least is original if not quite enough there to hold it all together. And unlike the previously mentioned Troma, this actually showed some talent behind the camera, art direction, and effects. This may be low budget, but it is not inept. I certainly appreciate the film more and wish even 10% of the horror dreck releases these days could show as much passion as this did.
Technically, the disc provides a great looking picture considering the source. The soundtrack is still a bit muffled at points, but that certainly isn’t a fault of this release. Synapse has not skimped on the extras either. This is jam packed with a full length documentary of the making of, which includes rare footage as well as actual interesting interviews instead of the typical industry circle jerk. The original Street Trash short film is included with trailers and deleted scenes.
Street Trash fans should be completely satisfied with this Special Meltdown Edition and not feel any hesitation to purchase this. Any horror fan who hasn’t seen this before should check it out and witness the type of insanity late-80s non-CGI horror was still capable of before the dreaded 1990's occurred.
Movie: [Rating: 3.5]
Blu Ray [Rating: 5]
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