Street Trash

Directed by Michael Muro as part of one of Roy Frumkes' class projects, Street Trash is a tough film to describe as it occupies a special place in cinema, between absolute schlock and student film.  With a low budget and featuring people who had never previously acted or worked on a film set before (including one Bryan Singer!), it is tagged as 'The Ultimate Melt Movie' and revolves around a case of dangerous Tenafly Viper. 
 
The film follows a group of derelicts who either sleep rough on the streets or, for the most part, in the junkyard owned by Frank Schnizer who lusts over Wendy, one of his employees, and tries in vain to get rid of the hobos who take up residence amongst the rusting vehicles and also try their luck with her.  Two of these are brothers Fred and Kevin, one older and more streetwise and the other young (about 14 years old) and dependant on others for food.
 

Fred finds the local liquor store selling Viper for a dollar a bottle and, with this just within his budget, buys one only to have it nicked by another bum.  Furious about having his fix stolen, Fred doesn't realise that the thief has taken a swig and dissolved on a fire escape! With other street trash discovering the cheap hooch, various members of the homeless community meet grizzly deaths,
 
It's not just the Viper they have to worry about as Bronson, a deranged Vietnam vet with a dagger carved from a human femur is very dangerous and protective of his girlfriend, Winette.
 
When a gangster's wife goes missing after drunkenly wandering into the junkyard with Fred, the police become involved and Bill, a tough street cop looking into the dead tramps, finds himself investigating a murder and a case of necrophilia.
 
Street Trash is apparently a cult film with a sizeable following and it's easy to see why as the film is such fun with grungy effects which are far from convincing, bizarre humour and a sense of energy and ambition.  Any movie that features a game of 'catch' with a hobo's severed penis (obviously a dildo) gets a vote from me because it demonstrates everything about the tone and content.
 
Roy Frumkes is probably best known for his terrific Document of the Dead documentary which was made over several years about Dawn of the Dead and I had no idea that he was a teacher (now professor) at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and used his students to help him move house and fulfil his filmmaking ambitions.  After writing Street Trash, the production was undertaken by members of his class with Frumkes as producer.
 
It reminded me a great deal of films like Frank Henenlotter's Basket Case, Peter Jackson's Bad Taste and Braindead and Sam Raimi's The Evil Dead with the audacious effects, puppets and larger-than-life characters.  Street Trash is directed and acted with real wit and energy and the acting is surprisingly accomplished, from Mike Lackey's Fred to R.L. Ryan's grotesque Frank and Tony Darrow's excellent turn as the mobbed up Nick. 

The Disc

 
Extra Features
The second disc of this set contains a documentary by Roy Frumkes and an interview with Jane Arakawa (Wendy).  The retrospective, Meltdown Memoirs, is as good as you'd expect from the guy who made Document of the Dead and is a revealing and enjoyable two hour piece on the genesis of the project, how the film was put together and received with contributions from members of the cast and crew.
 
The interview, which is exclusive in the UK, with Arakawa is much shorter at under ten minutes less interesting as she isn't asked directly about the film.  Maybe it was a case of Meltdown Memoirs spoiling me but this felt like a missed opportunity. 
 
The set will come with a reversible sleeve, poster and booklet but I haven't seen these yet.  Thought it's a shame that the commentaries and original short film available on the R1 Synapse Films set weren't included on this release, what's here is very good.
 
The Picture
For a film with its budget and inexperienced crew, Street Trash should look terrible but it is a tremendously shot film with some real innovation and terrific colours where filters have been used to enhance them.  The effects are particularly gruesome with the filmmakers revelling in the practical effects of making tramps explode or melt.  With an anamorphic picture that is crisp and clear, Arrow Video have done a sterling job.
 
The Sound
A clear Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack which is all you could hope or ask for, with the dialogue presented very well for the most part though a couple of exchanges - particularly in the louder or busier scenes - are a little muddy but the film doesn't really suffer.
 
Final Thoughts
Street Trash is a terrific watch that clunks through various genres: drama, thriller, horror, romance but seems to work and the more violent scenes are seemingly done almost for laughs.  The rape scene, however, is tough to watch though you don't actually see anything after Nick's girlfriend is dragged away.
 
I've watched it twice in a week and liked it more the second time around - I guess it's a film that grows on you.
 
Priced in some shops at only £5.99, much less than the £15.99 RRP, this is a must buy for fans of schlock cinema and even worth serious consideration for those who already own the R1 Synapse version for the booklet and artwork.