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STREET
TRASH
Another eighties-era gorefest that adds up to
very little conceptually but excels in manic inspiration. It’s about
bums who get a hold of flesh-melting hooch--plenty of grue ensues!
The Package
STREET TRASH was the first and only feature directed by
Jim Muro, a former GORE GAZETTE staffer who’s gone on to become a highly
sought-after steadicam operator (on high-profilers like TERMINATOR 2 and
TITANIC) and cinematographer (on Paul Haggis’ CRASH and RUSH HOUR 3,
among others). The writer and producer was Roy Frumkes, who previously
made the well-received DAWN OF THE DEAD behind-the-scenes documentary
DOCUMENT OF THE DEAD, and who was allegedly inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s
1970 Japanese classic DODES’KA-DEN in scripting STREET TRASH.
The Story
In the midst of a skuzzy big city junkyard several
eccentric characters proliferate, including a gaggle of bums, an amoral
mobster and the latter’s equally questionable henchmen, quite a few
clueless yuppies, a crooked cop, the junkyard’s obese owner and a
compassionate Asian woman who works for him. The fun begins when the
manager of a nearby liquor store finds a case filled with ancient
bottles of liquor, which he disseminates to the lowlifes who patronize
his establishment. The first to swill the stuff is a bum who literally
melts into an outdoor toilet. Next a penniless old man turns into a mass
of toxic goo after taking a swig of the vile liquor; he drips onto a
yuppie walking under his balcony, whose entire face is fried.
More insanity follows, not all of it hooch-related. A
woman is raped and murdered in the midst of the junkyard, and a guy gets
his wang chopped off--he ends up running back and forth after the thing
as several guys toss it around. But eventually the toxic liquid does
nearly everyone in, including the liquor store manager who started the
whole mess and the asshole mobster.
The Direction
Jim Muro’s direction is undeniably impressive from a
visual standpoint. He pulls off quite a few eye-pleasing camera moves
that never feel distracting or show-offy (in direct contrast to
something like Scott Spiegel’s
INTRUDER), including a couple
Hollywood-worthy tracking shots (Muro didn’t become one of tinsel town’s
top steadicam operators for nothing). However, without a compelling
story or characters even visuals as impressive as this film’s grow dull
after awhile.
Not only are there too many people to properly keep
track of, but none of the characters has enough screen time to fully
register. That includes the erstwhile heroine, who’s far too upstanding
to be convincing as part of this gallery of lowlifes. It doesn’t
surprise me that none of the actors have gone on to much in the years
since (the only familiar faces are Tony Darrow, seen in GOODFELLAS and
THE SOPRANOS, and FRANKENHOOKER‘S James Lorinz), and the highly
disjointed, episodic narrative does them (and us) no favors.
That leaves the special effects, which are quite impressive given the
low budget, easily on par with those of THE EVIL DEAD or
THE DEADLY SPAWN.
Of course those well made, shrewdly conceived movies provide a good
example of what STREET TRASH, undeniably inspired though it is, woefully
lacks.
Vital Statistics
STREET TRASH
Lightning Pictures Inc./Synapse Films
Director: Jim Muro
Producer: Roy Frumkes
Screenplay: Roy Frumkes
Cinematography: David Sperling
Editing: Dennis Werner
Cast: Mike Lackey, Bill Chepil, Vic Noto, Mark Sferrazza, Jane Arakawa,
Pat Ryan, Clarenze Jarmon, Bernard Perlman, M. D’Jango Krunch, James
Lorinz, Tony Darrow, Morty Storm, Sam Blasco, Bruce Torbet, Gary
Auerback, Roy Frumkes |