Retro Review: STREET TRASH (1987){0}
Very few films combine horror and slapstick well, but Jim Muro’s body-melt masterpiece ticks all the boxes. The film has been plagued with censorship issues in the UK but finally we can experience the film in its full uncut gory glory, at http://www.TheHorrorShow.TV
A beleaguered liquor store owner stumbles upon a case of a beverage called ‘Viper’, and starts selling it on the cheap to the city’s vagrant population. What he doesn’t know is that Viper is what it does to consumers: it consumes people from the inside out. When pools of dead homeless people start turning up, it’s up to grizzled Vietnam veteran Bronson (Vic Noto) to crack the case – not to mention some skulls.
Street Trash is a must-see movie for any lover of practical special effects make-up, as it features some of the most visceral imagery ever captured on celluloid. Bodies explode and liquefy in a hail of gore and neon spurts – one victim’s whole life (and body) literally goes down the toilet. It’s important to recognise the significance of practical effects in todays CGI-laden climate; it’s an art that, with a few exceptions, has been lost in cinema. But Street Trash is one of the finest examples of what can be created with no budget and a lot of creativity.
The New York sleaze oozes from the screen, showcasing dystopian landscapes of the disenfranchised underbelly of society at the time. The film also encapsulates the intolerance of the homeless during the hedonistic times of the ’80s ‘yuppie’ culture.
The dialogue is clunky and the acting leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s these flaws that add to the films charm and elevate it to cult B-Movie status.
If you’re looking for real laughs and real gross-out body horror, Street Trash delivers by the bucketload.
Brad Hanson (@deadjilldando)
Street Trash is available to rent/stream or buy/download at http://thehorrorshow.tv/movie-display/street-trash
