This is a title that in a nutshell sums up the entire movie. The street at the center of everything, with stories of ruthless marginalized and explosion of blood and guts like a beautiful colorful graffiti.
The screenplay by Roy Frumkes is actually very simple. Even banal and too absurd even for a splatter movie. But he and director James Michael Muro, famous director of photography and often right arm of James Cameron, seem not to notice. Indeed, it seems they want to force precisely on this preposterous story, reaching the pinnacle of the absurd with great satisfaction in the most splatter moments. From another point of view, this story is about dark characters, no heroes and sometimes emerges a bitter and harsh reflection on the marginalized and society in general.
A meeting of craziness and seriousness that raises a small cult movie. Frumkes in this interview says that he wrote the screenplay trying to "offend" most social groups possible and that youth have identified this film as a rebel episode, creating, quite by chance, a cult.
Shot using places and people near to the director (Frumkes has a small part) "Street Trash" crosses different stories set in Brooklyn. The spark that starts all events is the "Tenafly Viper" an expired spirit sold by an only a dollar, so easy to reach for the hobos. The "Viper" has a devastating effect because after a few seconds it causes the dissolution, the explosion or the implosion of those who drank a sip. The winning idea and simple stylistic choice, by Muro is right here, with the colorful death of the victim, spraying offal yellow, blue, and purple. On these strange deaths investigates a suspicious cop, while the hobo’s community of living in a junkyard conspire against Bronson the self-proclaimed violent leader. Violence and also plans to kill the enemy in turn leaving room for a woman who falls in love with a young hobo.
Muro knows how to move behind the camera creating good scenes. A good direction that joins simple special effects beautifully detailed and very incisive.
Although sometimes is a bit boring and some moments are too long, "Street Trash" fully deserves its "Cult" status thanks to the skill of the performers, a group of actors little know, that create good characters.