Savage Streets

SAVAGE STREETS (DVD)
Arrow Video 

Release date: June 20th 2011
Certificate (UK): 18
Running time: 93 minutes

Year of production: 1984

Director: Danny Steinmann

Cast: Linda Blair, Linnea Quigley, John Vernon, Robert Dryer, Johnny Venocur, Sal Landi, Scott Mayer

Savage Streets is a rape and revenge thriller. But unlike I Spit on Your Grave (1980), it’s not the victim who goes after the perpetrators, it’s her big sister. It’s silly, camp, it has lots of nudity and swearing, atrocious acting and its one of the exploitation classics of the 1980’s!

During a night out in the Hollywood Boulevard area, Brenda (Linda Blair) and her girlfriends cross paths with a gang of low life thugs.

After she insults them for almost running over her deaf-mute sister, Heather (Linnea Quigley), the guys feel humiliated and look for a way to get revenge. They accost Heather at school when she’s alone in the gym hall and brutally gang rape her. The attack leaves her fighting for life in the hospital and everyone is devastated, not least of all her sister.

When Brenda finds out from Vince (Johnny Venocur) that the same guys were behind the attack, she’s so enraged she decides to take matters into her own hands and goes about delivering her own brand of justice. Arming herself with an unlikely assortment of deadly weapons, she takes to the streets in search of Jake (Robert Dryer), Fargo (Sal Landi), and Red (Scott Mayer).

As a revenge thriller, Savage Streets is probably the trashiest one I’ve ever come across. The acting is so over-the-top that it would make even daytime soap opera actors cringe, but together with its nudity, big hair and vintage 80’s rock soundtrack, it does exactly what it’s supposed to without ever having to take itself seriously.

Despite the actors looking more like they’re in their mid to late 20’s than teeanagers and more plot holes than the use of the words “cunt” and “faggot”, Linda Blair really throws herself into the role as someone you don’t want to mess with. As the tough talking high-schooler who not only looks after her little sister but also keeps everyone else in check, her transformation into a leather-clad vigilante is a tad far fetched but with no one else stepping up to the job, who else is it gonna be, especially when these guys are running her school and town into the ground.

Arrow Video’s release gives us the uncut version for the first time in the UK together with a handful of special features that includes several audio commentaries and interviews with Robert Dryer and Johnny Venocur as well as Linda Blair and Linnea Quigley.

It’s nice to hear them share their memories and experiences working on the film and there’s even a moment when a sequel idea is brought up! All together, it’s not a bad release and definitely something Linda Blair fans and fans of the exploitation genre will want to have in their collection. It even comes with a fold-out poster.

Patrick Samuel

The founder of Static Mass Emporium and one of its Editors in Chief is an emerging artist with a philosophy degree, working primarily with pastels and graphite pencils, but he also enjoys experimenting with water colours, acrylics, glass and oil paints.

Being on the autistic spectrum with Asperger’s Syndrome, he is stimulated by bold, contrasting colours, intricate details, multiple textures, and varying shades of light and dark. Patrick's work extends to sound and video, and when not drawing or painting, he can be found working on projects he shares online with his followers.

Patrick returned to drawing and painting after a prolonged break in December 2016 as part of his daily art therapy, and is now making the transition to being a full-time artist. As a spokesperson for autism awareness, he also gives talks and presentations on the benefits of creative therapy.

Static Mass is where he lives his passion for film and writing about it. A fan of film classics, documentaries and science fiction, Patrick prefers films with an impeccable way of storytelling that reflect on the human condition.

Patrick Samuel ¦ Asperger Artist

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