Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Street Trash

Street Trash

Starring: Mike Lackey, Bill Chepil, Marc Sferrazza, Jane Arakawa, and Vic Noto

Directed by: J. Michael Muro

Written by: Roy Frumkes and J. Michael Muro

Produced by: Street Trash Joiny Venture

Release Date: September 16, 1987

Killer hooch...that's the basis of the 1987 B-Movie Street Trash. Bums...ahem...I mean the homeless...are buying $1.00 bottles of Viper and getting...liquified. Meanwhile, Fred is doing everything he can to get some cheap liquer. I mean, even among indigents, Fred leads a hard life. He's chased and beaten by homeless gang leader Bronson. He has a younger brother getting all hot for Wendy who works in the junkyard where they live. And let's not forget that a Mob boss is looking for the person who killed his girlfriend...the same girl so drunk she didn't realize she walked home with homeless Fred who had sex with her. Some with homeless Vietnam vet Bronson on one side, the Maffia on the other, plus Bill the Cop creating a third side, and the threat of turning into vibrantly colored goo if he quenches his thirst, how can Fred survive?

This movie is NOT for the choosey. Levels of incorrectness exist here that are staggering, but if you can watch it for the satire and laugh that someone would film some of this stuff, then you'll love it.

Let's see...in this film we have insisitivity to the plight of the homeless, anti-Vietnamese sentiment, workplace sexual harrassment, gang rape, castration keep away (just think about it), police brutality, and anti-feminist sentiment ("Lady, I ain't so sure you don't have a cock.").

The effects in this melt movie are pretty good. I'll admit I don't see much difference in melt effects, so in the end, one looks as good as the other. SOme of it's pretty gross. The signature melt of the bum on the toilet was cool, and there was the toe on one melting hobo that was gag inducing.

And nudity! Maybe not a lot and certainly gratuitous, but nudity can help get attention for our beloved B-Movies. Just beware of Bronson's girlfriend. Her nude scene...even though brief...ugh. It was grosser than when she drank the Viper and melted.

A lot of people don't like this film. Many were offended. They shouldn't have rented it. Many were grossed out. That was the point. Many even claim to like B-Movies but then complained about things that make a B-Movie a B-Movie. Hell, even the fact that the plot to Street Trash is random and doesn't make much sense...well, welcome to a B-Movie script.

A recommended B-Movie...just watch at your own risk.

This was Mike Lackey, Bill Chepil, Marc Sferrazza, and Jane Arakawa's only film as actors.

Vic Noto last acted in a 2006 episode of "The Sopranos".

Street Trash is Muro's only directorial credit, but he's worked extensively in film as a cinematographer and cameraman. Muro is Director of Photography in the 2008 film Cirque du Freak starring Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, and John C. Reilly. A young boy named Darren Shan meets a mysterious man at a freak show who turns out to be a Vampire. After a series of events Darren must leave his normal life and go on the road with the Cirque Du Freak and become a Vampire. The movie is in post-production but the release date is unknown.

Roy Frumkes also wrote the movie series starring Tom Berenger, The Substitute, but has also done some acting. Most recently he was in The Deed to Hell about four different people, driven by lust, revenge, greed and self importance find an eternity of damnation.

The success story of the Street Trash crew is production assisstant Bryan Singer, director of such hits as The Usual Suspects, X-Men and X2, and Superman Returns.

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