Episode 23 - "My Uncle" the Alien (1996)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Episode 09 - Lunch Meat/The Sacrament

Download this episode (right click and save)

No trailer exists for Lunch Meat. You're welcome.

Episode 08 - Warrior of the Lost World (1983)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Episode 07 - Mcpherson Tape/WNUF Halloween Special

Download this episode (right click and save)

Episode 06 - Demons/Demons 2

        Episode 06 - Demons/Demons 2








Download this episode (right click and save)







Scare-A-Con

Coolidge Corner Theater

Episode 02 - Long Weekend (1978)

Download this episode (right click and save)

Trash Pile Love Notes: Cannibal Holocaust

There are some films that people choose to never see. Whether it's because of the violence, content or creative teams behind the films, many audiences avoid certain movies like the plague. Recently, we've seen this with films like the expanding 'Human Centipede' franchise, and the controversial 'A Serbian Film.' We hear these rumors of films so foul that they not only disgust you, but really make you hate yourself after. Sounds like exploitation to me.

When I was 13, I used to visit comic conventions around the Boston area. Back in the early 2000's, it was really the only place to find unreleased workprints and other hard to find movies. Soon I began going to conventions to find new movies, as opposed to rounding out my comic collection. Every type of movie was at a young gorehound's disposal for the "low" price of $10 for a bootlegged VHS. I was ecstatic at finding a new film that I had not seen before, but one film changed the way I would look at movies forever: Ruggero Deodato's 'Cannibal Holocaust'.

Sitting in my friend's basement, way too cracked out on caffeine and pot, we watched about 4 of the 8 films we picked up that weekend. It was the first time I saw the bat-shit crazy 'Meet the Feebles', the X-Rated 'Robocop', and, if memory serves correctly, the version of 'Little Shop of Horrors' with the alternate EVERYONE DIES ending. I enjoy all of these films for different reasons, but I had never seen anything like 'Cannibal Holocaust'. Nothing really prepares you for the carnage of a group of filmmakers destroying, raping and killing natives to beef up their documentary. It's baffling that a film with so few likable characters resonates so heavily, but it's in the way the film is constructed that makes it so memorable.

The very first piece to cover on 'Cannibal Holocaust' is how amazing the cinematography of Sergio D'Offinzi is. His work captures a beauty that the plot of the film cannot. The amazonian landscape is shot in a way that feels like a nature documentary, but when matched with the gut-wrenching visuals involving the cast, compliments it rather nicely. There are very few moments that feel like the found footage of the lost documentary crew is fake. Everything looks so genuine that I can understand why Deodato was sequestered to court on the allegations that he killed his cast. If you've convinced the Italian government that you've committed atrocities towards humans, then you must have made an impactful film.

With that comes the conversation of animal violence, which is very real. I do not endorse animal cruelty in the slightest, although I'm going to throw my cat out the window if she's scratches my VHS again. The animals that were sacrificed to the movie gods were also consumed afterwords by the cast and local tribes people. No animal, except maybe the spider (which I'm fine with. I hate those things) was put to waste. I'm sure if you're trekking through the jungle, some barbecued turtle would sound mighty tempting. Condemn it all you want, but it's there for a purpose. If the animal cruelty is something that you don't think you can stomach? Fine. Either don't watch the movie, or look away at those parts. Remember 'It's just a movie'.

The score is another phenomenal piece of what makes 'Cannibal Holocaust' such an amazing film. Riz Ortolani composes such a hauntingly uplifting score that it battles against the gruesome images that Deodato orchestrates. The main theme is one that really stays with you after your initial viewing, with its cheery synth and acoustic guitar. It's one of the scores that when you first see the film might seem out of place, but it really heightens the horror of the action.

Another thing that really makes 'Cannibal Holocaust' stand above most other exploitation films is the message that the film is trying to press. It may seem heavy handed that the real monsters are the ones behind the camera, but it has become more true since the film was originally released. The documentary crew who ventures in the Amazon had always beefed up their previous efforts by faking the events that were happening, or paying armies to execute civilians. Deodato used this as an allegory for the way news outlets world wide would sell violence if it meant ratings. The message rings truer today with the advent of reality television. Violence of all types equals more money for sponsors and TV stations. How long until 'The Running Man' becomes an actual show?

After a recent screening at The Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline Massachusetts, I was brought back to when a I first saw 'Cannibal Holocaust' almost 15 years ago. Seeing it in 35mm was like seeing it for the first time, and I was also able to bring some new viewers along for the ride. They had heard of the film, but for whatever reasons had decided to not see it. Afterwords they both remarked at how much they really liked the movie. There is a preconception with exploitation and grindhouse films that there is some inherit camp value to the productions, and most of the time that's right. 'Cannibal Holocaust' is not a campy film, nor is it one that is for mainstream audiences. Every found footage film owes a little piece of their creation to this groundbreaking film, and while no academy will ever declare 'Cannibal Holocaust' a Best Picture candidate, the impact of this little exploitation film will be forever imbedded in cinema history.

**No animals were harmed in the writing of this article.**

Cannibal Holocaust from Amazon

The Beyond (1981)

While 'Cannibal Holocaust' might have been one of the first movies to get me interested in Gore, Lucio Fulci was the one who showed me the beauty in the carnage. The Italian director is known for his surrealistic films, and brutal violence. The first film I saw by Fulci was 'Gates of Hell' which was when I was searching out any zombie related film. From there I saw 'Zombi 2', and then I found what many consider to be his masterpiece, 'The Beyond'.

One of the best things about 'The Beyond' is that it combines elements from so many different genres. Part haunted house flick, half zombie gore; 'The Beyond' offers something for almost any horror fan. For this viewing of Fulci's 'The Beyond' Jason and I were able to catch a 35mm print at The Coolidge Corner Theater. This was a film that I was very excited to cross off my list of movies to see on the big screen.

In 1927 Louisiana a lynch mob descends on the Seven Doors Hotel. A painter by the name of Schweik works on his macabre creation, inspired by the mystic book Eibon, in his hotel room, number 36. The mob enters the building, and breaks into Schweik's room; assaulting him in the face with a metal chain, and accusing him of being a warlock. The mob then drags him down into the basement where they nail his wrists to the wall, and pour quicklime on his face.

Present Day (1981) a woman by the name of Liza (Catrina MacColl) has inherited the hotel, and is fixing it up to re-open. Unfortunately, the house was built on one of the Seven Doors to Hell, and her renovations have awoken Satan himself. When construction workers start dying horrible deaths, a mysterious blind woman named Emily (Cinzia Monreale) warns Liza to abandon the hotel. Doctor John McCabe (David Warbeck)tells Liza that there's nothing to worry about, and to continue renovations. However when the body of Schweik shows up in the basement, John starts seeing the symbols of Eibon. Soon the forces of Hell spew forth the dead, and John and Liza must fight to stay alive.

The first thing that I enjoyed about the film was of course the special effects. Italian genre films from the late '70s and '80s have some of the best gore effects in cinema history. Germano Natali has done some great effects for films like 'Suspiria', and 'Deep Red' but 'The Beyond' has some of the best violence of all time. We see heads exploding, spiders devouring a face, eyes gouges, and the aforementioned death of Schweik. For those gore-hounds looking to wet their appetite look no further than 'The Beyond'.

The score by Fabio Frizzi is one of my favorites of all time. The choir and piano main theme is very atmospheric, and the score helps elevate the direction of cinematographer Sergio Salvati. Salvati has done all of Fulci's big horror titles, but I really think that his best work is with 'The Beyond'. The scenes down the flooded basement ooze with dread, and with the score by Frizzi, the direction of Lucio Fulci really shines through. Though, while able to raise your fears through the use of camera trickery and brilliant composers, he orchestrates the violence to shock and gross you out. This technique allows for you never to get settled in what you're watching, and should keep you glued to what's happening.

The only negative criticism I could give this Horror Classic is that the English dubbing is just awful. I would love to see a subtitled release at some point, but that is more than likely on any of the DVD releases by Anchor Bay. By all means 'The Beyond' is not a film for everyone. While enjoyable by a Horror fan for the effects, and atmosphere it is pretty damned out there. A lot of the happenings you just have to accept as going on, as we're never really clued into what exactly the powers of Eibon can be. The best bet is to turn off your mind, and enjoy the surrealistic elements of the story and the fantastic gore effects on the screen.

'The Beyond' has a few releases with Anchor Bay, and the rights are currently held with Grindhouse Releasing.

A random trivia fact you probably don't care about!

Did you know that 'The Beyond' is one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite movies? So much in fact that he was one of the primary reasons for an unrated release of the film, and the 35mm print that tours the country!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

IMDB Page

Wikipedia Page

Amazon Page

Critters (1986)

Some say that imitation is the best form of flattery; others call it plagiarism. Either way, imitation has led to some horrendous rip-offs and inspired variations. For every 'Friday the 13th' there's 'House of Death'. 'Godzilla' and 'Gorgo'. George Romero's 'Dawn of the Dead' is responsible for almost 80% of zombie films from 1978 to 1983.

Then there are the films that claim they were written prior to those films. The film 'Critters' is one of them. I mean sure, you can try to cover your ass but I mean come on. If Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante's 'Gremlins' wasn't a hit at the box office I'm pretty sure New Line wouldn't have financed the film. That's the Hollywood machine sadly. What film is your film like, and how much money did that film make? With 'Gremlins' doing $148 million, that is more than enough convincing for studios to finance cheap films about dangerous little creatures. 'Hobgoblins' , 'Troll', and 'Munchies' are just some of the bastardized offspring of 'Gremlins'. 'Critters' on the other hand, was a well done variation.

An asteroid flies aimlessly through space, but this is no ordinary asteroid. It is a prison designed to hold the most vicious aliens in the solar system. Apparently the most notorious, the Crites, have been captured. Of course, as this is mere minutes into the movie the Crites break loose and escape the prison with a stolen space ship. This floating mass (similar to Mojo from the X-Men comics) hires two faceless bounty hunters, whose assignment is to track down the Crites at all cost.

Meanwhile, in a rural Kansas town on Earth, a family by the name of Brown works on their farm to make a living. Daughter April (Nadine Van der Velde) is trying to get in the bathroom before school, but her brother Brad (Scott 'Grimey' Grimes) is taking his time. The typical family bickering continues until a phone call for April comes in, and it's Steve from school. Jay (Billy Green Bush), the patriarch of the family, is concerned that his daughter might not be aware of how everything, you know, works down there. His wife Helen (Dee Wallace Stone) informs him that she's known for years.

Farm handyman Charlie (Don Keith Opper) is the town drunk. It's so bad that he's even got a room setup in one of the jail cells. Harv (M. Emmet Walsh) the town sheriff tells Charlie he better get his ass in motion if he wants to keep his job. Charlie keeps on his story about how he can hear alien transmissions through is teeth, and that it ruined his chances at the pros. Charlie shows up for work, but is distracted by Brad and his homemade fireworks. When Brad's slingshot breaks and Charlie attempts to fix it. April comes home in Steve's (Billy Zane) car, and Jay tries his best to introduce himself. In testing the slingshot, Charlie misses a tin can and hits April in the ass. Brad takes the fall for Charlie, and is sent to his room without dinner. He learned his lesson; never take the blame for a drunk.

Meanwhile, in space, the bounty hunters have traced the Crites to Earth and begin finding a way to transform their play-doh faces into human bodies. The first, by the name of Ugg (Terrence Mann) searches through history for a body to duplicate, and comes across '80s rocker Johnny Steele (also played by Mann). Taking the look of a flammable rock god, in spandex, Ugg waits for his partner to transform. He's being picky, and can't find any one person over a thousand years to look like.

Night falls on the Brown farm as the family, subtract Brad/add Steve, gather for dinner. April is obviously hot to trot as she's all up on Steve's crotch under the table. She grabs Steve to go for a "drive", which is code to go fuck in the barn. Jay brings his punished son some food, and confiscates Brad's slingshot. All of the sudden the Crites ship lands on their yard, and start on the prowl for food. After devouring a cow the Crites aim towards the town, and the Brown family home. Will the bounty hunters be able to save the family in time, or will they have to defend the planet themselves?

For this viewing of 'Critters' I was able to view one of the few remaining 35mm prints at The Coolidge Corner Theater. This film was another staple for many young horror viewers as it was PG-13, and could be seen by a studio's biggest demographic; teens. Then with that, video rental and cable brought the film to a whole new generation. One of my favorite things about 'Critters' is how the film finds great moments to add humor into the script. Whether it be from the Crites themselves, or from the town folks there are many moments to lighten to mood.

The main attraction in films like 'Critters' and 'Gremlins' are the special effects. How the creatures interact with the human players is clutch. If the movements are too jerky the effect looses credibility with the audience. The effects in 'Critters' are pretty fun, but not really packing the WOW factor you had from the effects of 'Gremlins'. The Crites are about ankle high, but are like piranha on crack. A pack of four can devour a cow in under ten minutes, and strip a human clean in under five. I enjoy the effects of the Chiodo Brothers (they also directed, and did the effects for 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'), but I'm not really scared of the Crites. I feel like I can kick them pretty easily, or at the very least burn them with a cigarette and hairspray.

The script contains the typical family pitfalls. Brother and sister rivalry. The father trying to accept his son. The mother trying to hold on to everything. It's all pretty run of the mill, and the acting does help with the cliches. Dee Wallace Stone is in my opinion just as likable here as she was in 'E.T.', and I'm always a fan of M. Emmet Walsh. Billy Zane in one of his first rolls is just there to be Critter bait, and his death is only slightly memorable for some chomped fingers and munched guts.

'Critters' may be a product of the '80s, but there are elements that hold up well for today. It's campy, and fun. A time capsule into when special effects involved material and hand, not a computer. I do recommend 'Critters', but it's more of a last on the list type of movie. While entertaining, the film doesn't really pack too big of a punch action wise. There are a few parts where the threat of eight Crites isn't as menacing as it should have been. 'Critters' spawned a slew of sequels. The second film, 'The Main Course', is my favorite of the series. The body count is higher, and more time to showcase the Crites in action. The third features Leonardo DiCaprio, and it's pretty shitty. However, it's not as shitty as 'Critters 4'. The Crites attacking a spaceship, and there is a marine with a huge drug problem trying to fight them. It's pretty bad.

'Critters' is available on DVD from New Line Cinema, and is also available in a box set with all four films.

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 Trash Bags

Original Trailer on YouTube

IMDB Page

Wikipedia Page

Amazon Page

Interview: Coolidge Corner's Mark Anastasio

Despite the comforts of home, there's nothing like watching a cult movie in the theater. The crowd is supportive of the absurd plot lines, and thin acting. They cheer, laugh and in some instances throw things. Slowly, this is becoming a lost experience as most theaters will a) not show cult movies, and b) not show 35mm. I understand the want to go digital. It's cheaper, allowing for more copies to be released for a fraction of the cost. All the while providing audiences with the most advanced picture and audio. That's a bunch of horse-shit.

Thankfully, there are places like The Coolidge Corner Theater in Brookline, MA. From foreign films to current art-house the Coolidge caters to a diverse crowd of viewers. Before a viewing of the cult classic 'Street Trash' (read the review here), Trash Pile contributor Jason and I were able to get some time to talk with assistant program manger Mark Anastasio.

Chris: Describe what you do on a daily basis to find these films.

Mark: Well, the programing process happens between me and a couple of other guys in this office. Program Manager Jessie Hassinger and the Operations Director Andrew Thompson and I sort of sit here and fire ideas back and forth. It works really well to have checks and balances, so if I yell out something stupid those guys are quick to tell me that it's a great film, but might not draw a crowd. We have to strike that balance between playing something awesome, but also play something that keeps the series going as far as our audience is concerned.

Then it's a little bit of investigative work to actually track down prints. A lot of these old cult movies that we love so much don't exist anymore on film. A lot of them have been junked, or no one thought to preserve them because they were considered "crap" movies by a mainstream sense. It can be tough. We work with a network of private collectors that have their own 35mm archives, and those guys are really instrumental in bringing these films to us on film. Sometimes I know right where to go. I know this person has a print of 'Hellraiser', or this person has 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. We call them up, and ask if we can borrow it. Then we go about about getting the rights, if there are rights. So it's two different things; you have to spend a lot of time tracking down who owns the rights, and who owns a copy of the print.

In this case for 'Street Trash' I didn't see any copies of a print available with any of our collectors that we knew of. Then I saw that Synapse films, they put out a lot of cool cult DVDs, they had done a double-disc edition that they had struck from the original negative. I called up the president of Synapse and asked him straight up where he got the print to do that, or if he knew of a print holder. He said that the writer/producer Roy Frumkes has the rights, and has one of the only existing prints. He gave me that contact info, and it took awhile to hear back from him because he was in Germany touring 'Document of the Dead', so he wasn't there to get emails or check his home phone. I didn't think I'd hear back form him, but when he got back he called me and said he was stoked that Boston would be interested in the print. He wanted to know about the venue in general. How many kids we get coming out to make sure it was a worth while thing, and that we were a reputable house that would take care of his film. We do run reel to reel here, and our projectionists are highly skilled, some of the best in the business. Roy was cool with loaning us the print, and that's how we tracked down 'Street Trash'. When it arrived the print was actually kind of shoddy condition. Whoever had shown it last did not give it any kind of love, which is surprising. It came in, our head projectionist graded it at maybe a C, and by the time it leaves here it's gonna be in better shape than it came in.

Chris: Does that happen often?

Mark: No, it's not a normal thing but it's also not unusual for something to come in sort of messed up. A lot of places are going to digital, 2k and 4k projection, so the art of 35mm projection is unfortunately a dying one.

Chris: And it's only places like this, the Brattle, small indie theaters that will really do it anymore.

Mark: Lowe's, Boston Common we just heard this week...

Chris: Yeah they're all digital.

Mark: Yeah they phased out 35mm completely, and that's going be coming more and more the norm over the next couple of years. That's how we tracked down that particular print. That's pretty much average. Investigative...

Chris: All the legal work.

Mark: Yeah, the toughest one we came across this year was, I really wanted to do 'Sleepaway Camp' on film. We spent six months trying to get a print of 'Sleepaway Camp', and it just didn't work out. Once we found the rights holder, it's with the director.

Chris: Robert Hiltzik, right?

Mark: Yeah, we got in touch with Hiltzik. At first we tried his old law firms. Just googling the guy, finding his linked in. Calling places where he used to be a lawyer, getting forwarding numbers. Someone suggested that we try, I think his name is Jeff, that runs the Sleepaway Camp fansite. That's where most of the screenings, if you don't have the backing of that website your screening really can't happen. So we had to reach out to that guy, and when we finally got a hold of everything we were gonna play it the some month that we did 'The Burning'. We were told the film was booked in Cleavland for the the entire summer. That was a disappointing one, so it can be tough.

Chris: What is the personal favorite film you've been able to get?

Mark: Tonight ('Street Trash') is one of them. This is one that everyone was immediately behind. It was one of those where in talking about what to book we were all excited, but we didn't think the audience would be there. We've been in a place where we're getting good numbers every weekend for the last few months, and we've been sort of building a following, so we were able to say let's take a hit in order to play 'Street Trash'. I was actually surprised by the turn out last night. It was well over one hundred, and that really excited me and I stayed to watch the film, and I'm going to stay and watch it again tonight. It's really great on the big screen.

Let's see, what's another one. 'Night of the Creeps' was one I was really stoked to get for the Halloween marathon in 2009. That's probably one of my proudest programming moments. The sign is back there.

Chris: I see 'The Blob' on there too. The Chuck Russell version is so underrated.

Mark: Yeah, that's the one we did, and I got resistance!

Chris: That's bullshit! That's some of the best special effects next to 'The Thing', in terms of practical effects.

Mark: Dude gets pulled down a drain.

Chris: The fucking kid getting killed, you never see that.

Jason: That VHS cover was terrifying.

Mark: Oh, with the guy just getting pulled back surrounded by...

Jason: The pink ooze around him. Terrifying.

Mark: The best experience I've seen an audience have with one of the titles we've programmed, and I always talk about this as now it's rule in our programming. I forget what year it was, might have been the year before 'Night of the Creeps' and 'The Blob'. We did a double feature of 'Pumpkinhead' and 'Prom Night', and one of the secret films, I mean, for the remainder of the marathon we don't tell people what we're playing, so we don't have to get rights to show those films. Cause no one has bought a ticket thinking they're seeing that, so no one can get upset at us for cheating them.

Chris: Loopholes are fucking awesome.

Mark: Right, so we book rights for two and do the double feature, and the rest are all secrets. The best secret title we ever did was Lamberto Bava's 'Demons'. We got 'Demons' on film, and I was unfamiliar with it. All I knew was that I wanted to play it, and I love the trailer and I've never seen it. Watching it in an audience, I mean you're familiar with it, the demons breakout in a movie theater. Watching that, in a movie theater while people were delirious and in a marathon setting, the crowd was just so wild, and throwing shit and freaking out. From then on out we instituted something called 'Demons' rule. Whereas that was the high water mark. That's where the bar got set for how to give an audience a good time. You give them gore, actual scares and shit to laugh at. Trying to give them the perfect...

Chris: The perfect cult experience.

Mark: The perfect cult film experience, yeah. We do hard horror sometimes...

Chris: We came for 'Dream Home'.

Jason: That was really cool.

Mark: We try to do new stuff. We're branching out into different little sub-tags for our series. 'Dream Home' was under our Fresh Blood banner. Coolidge Cult Cuts is a series that we do for things like 'Street Trash' where it was a hard to find print, and it's something that is on film that is kinda rare that people should come out for. Those are some of my favorites.

Chris: Besides 'Sleepaway Camp' what are some other titles you've had a real hard time getting?

Mark: I mean 'Sleepaway Camp' was the toughest. There's always rights issues up in the air for things like 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre'.

Chris: Yeah, that's passed through so many different companies.

Mark: Yeah

Chris: Isn't it at Lionsgate now?

Mark: No one really has it now. A company called MCI I thought had it, but they actually don't know where the rights are at. It's owned by a lawyer at this point, and when that happens you don't play it. Another print that's been hard to find has been Argento's 'Suspiria'.

Chris: We caught the print last year at the Brattle.

Mark: Was that just last year?

(Hindsight: it was actually two years ago.)

Chris: Yeah, we went out for my birthday. It was a print by some U.K. collector.

Mark: Yeah they got it from the U.K., so I called that guy who said the print was booked for Halloween. He was really nice, and said any other time. That's one where it seems to me that are probably only two to three prints of that film left in existence. That print was no dice, found a collector who wasn't willing to lend, and then we tracked a print to Criterion in the US.

Chris: Oh wow, they have a print?

Mark: Yeah, but they had decommissioned it and it can't run. Then I tracked a print to Fox Canada, which normally we don't do because we deal with American distributors. We called them, and there initial response was no. We wrote back, and they said no. This week we tried again asking why, and they said we can have it. So the headliner for this year's marathon is Argento's 'Suspiria', and a new print of 'Return of the Living Dead'.

Chris: That's awesome.

Mark: Usually we do six films, but this year we're going to try to do seven because everything is about ninety minutes.

Chris: What are some titles that you have no interest in going after.

Mark: Well, I had a conversation last night with our projectionist Thomas, and Thomas is always on me to show 'Leprechaun', Leprechaun in Da Hood', and things like 'Killer Klowns from Outer Space'.

Chris: You don't like 'Killer Klowns'.

Mark: I got something against 'Killer Klowns'. I don't know what it is. I've only seen it once or twice.

Jason: I feel like people would come out to see that.

Mark: People probably would, but for some reason those types of movies turn me off.

Jason: No 'Rumpelstiltskin'?

Mark: Yeah, shit like 'Rumpelstiltskin'. I guess it's little humanoid creatures that smile real big just don't scare me, so I'm not interested in playing it. 'Critters' on the other hand we're doing this weekend. I'd do 'Critters', I'd do stuff like 'Child's Play' but yeah, 'Killer Klowns' I would stay away from. 'Leprechaun' I'm resistant to. I don't know, I think that stuff is kinda easy. There are lots of theaters when March roles around, and gets to be St. Patty's Day and someone is doing a midnight screening of 'Leprechaun'. It just seems kinda uninspired.

Jason: That movie also isn't even that old.

Mark: It's few and far between that we play shit from the '90s in this series, so yeah the goofier shit I stay away from.

Chris: What movie started your interest in the genre?

Mark: My interest was sparked by my cousin Joan, who passed away young. She was my babysitter when I was kid, and we weren't too far apart I was probably twelve to her sixteen. While babysitting us, and I can't fucking remember specifics, and even when I was younger I must have been like seven or eight, she was probably too young to be watching us. I remember a horror show hosted by Gilbert Godfrey.

Chris: Yeah, one of the USA ones.

Mark: Yeah! Is that what it was?

Chris: Yeah, it was USA Up All Night.

Mark: Yes!

Jason: Yeah they used to play Troma.

Mark: Right, and that's exactly where I was going with it. It was USA Up All Night hosted by Gilbert Godfrey, and it was 'Class of Nuke 'Em High'. That's what I trace it all back to.

Chris: Yeah, we're big Troma enthusiasts.

Jason: I remember seeing Toxie, and getting a copy of Toxie II on tape that I got at Ames.

Mark: She used to let me watch that, and it would scar me for life. And I remember when I used to go to her house she had an original 'Nightmare on Elm St.' poster on her wall. Also, there was this video store called Video Express in my hometown, and it's not there anymore, of course. But they had an iguana in the display case, and it was real gross and I used to get my comic books there. Anyways it must have been when 'Texas Chainsaw II' came out they had a stand-up that was 6' tall, and in the doorway. I remember when my dad would return tapes I would stand there looking up at this thing peeing my pants, and I just had to see it. So the images of Leatherface, and Freddy, and sitting there watching 'Class of Nuke 'em High' and having fun with a fucking disgusting film like that is what got me into this, and it stuck.

Chris: What recent film do you feel captured the essence of the video boom?

Mark: Not so much 'Machete', not even 'Grindhouse'. I think the best of these recent exploitation, neo-grindhouse films is 'Hobo With a Shotgun', I think it's the better of the three.

Chris: I fucking love that movie.

Mark: It doesn't ever wink at you. It's fucking balls to the walls.

Chris: It is an exploitation movie.

Mark: It's got something to say, and I think it right on par with the old shit. that movies right on my shelf next to some of those perfect video titles next to 'Class of Nuke 'em High' and 'Toxic Avenger'.

Chris: I wish someone like Gorgon, who released 'House of the Devil' on VHS. I wish they'd do one for 'Hobo'. It's screaming for a VHS release.

Mark: That would be really sweet. Some places have be re-releasing them.

Chris: Yeah, Mondo just did 'Things' and 'Sledgehammer'. They're always on sale mid pay-week, and then...

Mark: They're gone. There's been talk of us getting a VHS series off the ground.

Chris: If you need any help I have hundreds of VHS tapes.

Mark: Do you really? Oh Chris, you're going to help us curate a series.

Chris: I'd love to help! There's one film I'd love to have people see on the big screen which is 'TerrorVision' (read the review here).

Mark: 'TerrorVision' rules, my projectionist, he wanted me to find a print of it.

Chris: It's hard as hell to find one apparently.

Mark: Yeah, I couldn't do it. I don't get stumped that often. I didn't give up on 'Suspiria', I didn't give up on fucking 'Sleepaway Camp', but 'TerrorVision' is proving to be too elusive. But that would be a perfect screening. We're gonna host a series, set up a VCR and do video on the big screen and see if kids will come out.

Chris: I think they will. There's a big market for video collectors; being one myself I have to put up with a lot of assholes on eBay. Only got a couple more questions here. What is the rarest 35mm film you've shown?

Mark: (pause) I don't know. I never really know how few prints are left of any given thing. I was talking to guys last night who seem to think that multiple prints of 'Street Trash' are available. I'm not so sure that's the case. I think that Roy has one, and director Jim Muro might have one but that's it. That's two prints. There are none on a collector's level at all. I can tell you for a fact that 'Sleepaway Camp' only has the one print available.

Jason: Now do you think you'd be able to acquire it at some time down the line?

Mark: I'll probably do it next summer. I wanna do it on film, and I want to do it when it's appropriate. We've been doing this summer camp series in June for few years. But that's probably the rarest. I know that certain shit is gone. I know that there's no 35mm copies of 'Predator'.

Chris: Such a waste. Last two, pretty quick. Favorite directors?

Mark: Carpenter. Definitely John Carpenter. I mean, I don't know where else to go from there.

Chris: He's one of my favorites too.

Mark: 'The Thing' is probably my favorite film, and that's one that I've played before.

Chris: I was here one of the last times you did it. Looked awesome.

Mark: Yeah, in my five years here I think I've played it three times. Between 'The Thing' and 'Halloween' those two are such milestone films. I'm pretty big on Cronenberg too.

Chris: Besides 'The Thing' any other favorite movies?

Mark: 'The Thing' is my favorite. I just love everything so much I never know where to go with this question. I love zombie films. You look at my horror shelves, and there's like two full shelves of just zombies films. 'Day of the Dead'.

Chris: Such an underrated movie. My favorite of the series.

Mark: 'The Thing' is my all time favorite film in any genre.

Jason: What did you think of the remake/prequel trailer?

Mark: I'm not too pissed yet.

Jason: Trailer looks all right.

Chris: From what I hear it's 70% practical effects.

Mark: As long as that's true, I'm fine. I've said that the first scene of shitty CGI will kill it for me, being such a fan of 'The Thing' I always wanted to know what happened at that Norwegian camp.

Chris: I'm a big fan of the Howard Hawks version as well.

Mark: And 'The Thing' itself is a remake, so we can't be too upset about doing a prequel to a remake. I'm pretty easy. I don't get too pissed over these sorts of things.

I want to thank Mark for taking time out of his schedule to give us the background on how much work goes into tracking down these prints. Please visit The Coolidge Corner Theater, and any local theater that is willing to show films that are a little outside the norm.

Coolidge Corner Theater

Street Trash (1987)

"To alcohol; the cause of AND solution to all of life's problems" - Homer J. Simpson

The above quote couldn't be more accurate of the film 'Street Trash'. A vile beverage that causes those who partake to melt, and parts of your body just fall off. Well normally that would equal a pretty grotesque movie, but here we have people melting into neon reds, blues, greens, and yellows.

This review will be a little bit different as this viewing of 'Street Trash' was at the wonderful Coolidge Corner Theater, and they have the fantastic local metal band Sexcrement kicking off the evening.

Sexcrement started the evening off right at midnight with an awesome set. I've seen these guys a few times in the past, and they were just as enjoyable as ever. A little weird seeing them in a seated arrangement. Kind of like sitting during Slayer at Ozzfest. I'd imagine most of the people who watch films like 'Street Trash' like extreme metal, but I'd also think there were some people who were appalled at the music. Those are the people who classify Disturbed, and Godsmack as metal. Ugh.

After they finished up their set, assistant program manager Mark Anastasio introduced the film with a contest for a DVD of 'Street Trash' and some original lobby cards provided by the writer/producer, Roy Frumkes. Three (un)lucky contestants volunteered for a contest to drink some homemade Tenafly Viper, the drink causing people to melt. The goal between the three contestants was to see who could finish their respective drinks the fastest. In a 1, 2, 3 order they all finished their drinks, and walked away with prizes from The Coolidge. Not only can you see rare, and great films you can also get free shit.

With that the lights dimmed, and a few trailers for some coming attractions. Next weekend the classic 'Critters' will be eating its way to the cinema, and the trailer for the bat-shit crazy looking 'The Last Circus'. All I know about 'Last Circus' is that it's about clowns who murder. Sounds good to me.

The film begins in the desolate wastelands of suburban New York. Hobos rule the streets, and will do most anything to stay drunk and alive. Local liquor store owner Ed finds a sealed crate in the bottom of his basement, and notices that it's been a liquor that hasn't been sold for almost 60 years, Tenafly Viper. All sorts of characters run into Ed's liquor store, and one is Fred who is the antagonist of the film. Fred and his younger brother Kevin have been runaways for a few years, and it's been especially hard on Kevin. The boys live in a junkyard in a makeshift tire house. Very time consuming, but they probably paid other hobos in booze to help.

The junkyard is not a free place though, and is ruled by Bronson, a Vietnam vet who had some pretty fucked experiences as a hitman. All booze, and cash are brought to him by the dozens of homeless troops. With Ed selling the Viper for only $1 it's an easy sale for those who don't have much to spend. The drink however, might have been spoiled as any internal consumption causes melting and or exploding. Something tells me this product was not FDA approved.

This movie is one of the reasons I started this blog. From the first time I saw this on VHS when I was a youngin', I was entranced by the brutal imagery, and yet laughing my fucking ass off with the tongue-in-cheek black humor. The acting is one of the things that really shines for me here. Everyone looks to be loving their role, and enjoying the absurdity of the premise. The direction by Jim Muro is fantastic. One of my all-time favorite shots in any movie is when a steady-cam is used to maneuver through the rubble of a building to highlight the hobo melting into a toilet. It's a pretty iconic cult image.

Then there's the special effects. These are some of my favorite low budget effects outside of Troma Entertainment, and that to me is a huge compliment. We see people melt all over the place; toilets, sidewalks, and even a guy exploding! It's all very funny, and allows for a very enjoyable film. Even though this is a movie focusing on the melting we are also given an impressive villain in junkyard warlord, Bronson. Bronson was a Vietnam vet who is experiencing very HEAVY flashbacks. You can tell he's not all there, and the portrayal by Vic Noto is really intense.

I cannot endorse 'Street Trash' highly enough. It's offensive, violent, hysterical, and great fun! I was very pleased to be able to see the original print at The Coolidge Corner Theater, and hope this won't be the last time on the big screen. 'Street Trash' is available on DVD from Synapse Films, and comes in the spectacular Meltdown Edition which contains a two-hour documentary. Easily one of the best documentaries I've seen as a bonus feature, and the work that went into it really shows.

Later this week check out my interview with assistant program manager, Mark Anastasio about the work that goes into tracking these prints down, and his love for 35mm!

Rating: 5 out of 5 Trash Bags

Original Trailer on YouTube

IMDB Page

Wikipedia Page

Amazon Page