Horror Recommendation: Street Trash (1987)
Posted: by Findlay
Street Trash (1987); Directed by Jim Muro
In One Sentence: Deadly liquor “Viper” is melting the homeless community of lower Manhattan to death.
Why You Should Watch: Jim Muro’s barf-o-rama exploitation melt movie is easily one of the best times you’ll have in front of your television. It’s pure gore and nonsense at its peak.
Bottles of recently discovered, alchemised alcohol are being sold for $1 to a homeless community living in a junkyard and this is their story. The drink, “Viper”, is so corrosive that whoever drinks it, melts from the inside out. Yes. Jim Muro and Roy Frumkes create a strange, dirty world so deftly that you end up missing the message of the film is actually a huge metaphor for post-Vietnam struggles (and yes, alcoholism). Further compounding the weird nature of the film is the absolutely cream-worthy soundtrack. Industrial synths, sometimes subtle, really helping the film dig its way into your psyche. Comedically, the film is on point, with delivery and sheer oddity gelling perfectly, with an especially hilarious turn by James Lorinz (of Frankenhooker fame) as a dickhead doorman. And, of course, the special effects. If the academy cared, the Best Visual Effects award would be called the “Street Trash” award. The melting effects are so fucking disgusting and colourful and hilarious its hard not be in complete awe whilst laughing yourself silly. The way the “melts” are built up and delivered is so satisfying that you actually sit hoping that this guy or that guy gets it next. So yeah, worth a watch if you like pure 80s trash filled with weird humour and beautiful gore. Oh, and they play American Football with a severed penis. So there’s that.
Favourite Line: “Kiss your prick? IT’S DRIPPING DOWN THE STAIRS”
– Findlay-
