Savage Streets [Blu-ray]

Director: Danny Steinmann Danny Steinmann

Overview

Heather (Linnea Quigley), the deaf-mute sister of Brenda (Linda Blair) is gang-raped in a drawn-out, violent scene at the beginning of this routine vengeance movie, a scene that provides the motivation for Brenda's rampage through the rest of the film. Dressed in a special outfit that bares enough skin to suit the standards of this genre and armed with a crossbow, Brenda goes after the young punks in the "Scars" gang who raped her sister -- with predictably gory results. Surrounding this miniature Charles Bronson is a society burdened with parodies of "good" people: the school principal who is only superficially tough, and the upper-class teens whose thought processes were arrested shortly after kindergarten. Stereotypical and transparent, this teen movie is interesting because it does promote a woman in a "hero" role, but the subject matter and violence will not appeal to everyone.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/05/2021
UPC:	0738329252212
Original Release:	1983
Rating:	R
Source:	Code Red
Language:	English
Time:	1:33:00

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Linda Blair	Brenda
John Vernon	Principal Underwood
Robert Dryer	Jake
Johnny Venocur	Vince
Sal Landi	Fargo
Scott Mayer	Red
Debra Blee	Rachel
Lisa Freeman	Francine
Linnea Quigley	Heather
Marcia Kerr	Stevie
Luisa Leschin	Maria
Ina Romeo	Stella
Jill Bunker	Waitress
Mitch Carter	Greg
Richard DeHaven	Richie
Bob DeSimone	Mr. Meeker
Susan Dean	Nurse
Joe Hyler	Brenda's Mother
Louis Zito	Vince's Father
Brian Mann	Wes
Catherine McGoohan	Store Manager
Sean O'Grady	Fadden
Rebecca Perle	Cindy Clark
Paula Shaw	Charlene
Kristi Somers	Valerie
Troy Tompkins	Bobby
Perla Walter	Rita
Judy Walton	Ms. Young
Carole Ita White	Ms. Jenkins
Marcia Karr	Actor
Sal Lindi	Actor
Scott Meyer	Actor
Michael Lloyd	Composer
John D'Andrea	Composer

Technical Credits

Danny Steinmann

Norman Yonemoto

John L. Chambliss	Executive Producer
B.J. Davis	Stunts
Michael Franzese	Executive Producer
Al Jones	Stunts
Danny Steinmann	Director,Screenwriter
John C. Strong III	Producer
Norman Yonemoto	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

On legitimate critical terms, Savage Streets doesn't work: the writing is ridiculous, the acting is absurdly cartoonish and the storytelling is too over-the-top to be taken seriously. However, Savage Streets can be quite entertaining if approached as campy grindhouse trash. The script might be ridiculous, but it combines raunchy dialogue and sledgehammer storytelling in a way that leaves the viewer wondering what nasty thing will happen next. In terms of acting, Linda Blair does the only thing a rational actor can do when confronted with a project like this: she has fun with it. She never condescends to the material -- indeed, it's easy to cheer her character on when she gets righteously angered -- but Blair brings a sassy, knowing sensibility to the role and works wonders with her character's trashy one-liners. All the villains overact, but they do so with such fierce intensity that it's fascinating to watch as they devour the scenery (top honors go to Johnny Venocur as the 'reluctant' participant of the gang). It also worth noting that reliable character thesp John Vernon steals his handful of scenes here, playing what might the world's most foul-mouthed high school principal. Finally, Danny Steinmann's direction seals the deal: his pacing gets a little rickety during the film's mid-section but he piles on the exploitable elements with nasty glee when the story demands it and creates the kind of overheated atmosphere necessary for memorable sleazoi filmmaking. To sum up, Savage Streets is trash -- but it is unapologetic trash that goes for the sleazy gusto so it will have a certain charm for devotees of exploitation filmmaking.

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