This was a surprisingly good movie, with descent acting,a great plot, and an equally satisfying lead actress. Linda Blair stars as Brenda in this motion picture and adds a lot to the movie as well as the role. In the end, all i can say is that you should give this movie a chance, like i did.
Alternately campy & powerful: these punks really are savages
It's tough to get a fix on this movie: it's a boisterous, R-rated camp-fest one minute(featuring a group of kids, including Linda Blair, who look far too old to still be in high school)and an unabashedly brutal trash-flick the next. It has more spirit and drive than Linda's "Chained Heat", and the kids' inter-relationships and tough talks with the school principal are cynically amusing, but the much-discussed rape scene is extremely nasty, as is the sequence with the girl on the bridge. Suddenly these hot-shot punks become murderous, psychotic thugs--yet the tone of the picture never changes. The images are very disturbing, the violence boardering on realistic, but the director keeps it all hopping mad--like a nihilistic cartoon.
Vestron Video vs. New Star Video release
I was a little hesitant in ordering this DVD when I read some of the previous reviews for this '80s trash-flick. Points mentioned like the frame stability of the movie, blurry transfer etc. Having the original Vestron VHS from 1985, I figured I would take the plunge & buy the DVD to make a comparison & make your decision to buy this '80s drive-in movie easier. First off, New Star has retained the original box art of "Savage Streets" that was used for the Vestron VHS version. The only difference is that the artwork has been compressed so that Linda Blair doesn't look as wide as on the VHS box art. The "Savage Streets" logo has changed to a white block letter font compared to the pink lettering used in the original artwork. The same synopsis has been used on the back of the DVD as the Vestron version. For the picture quality, it's about the same. This movie has always had a misty-veiled look to it. It's in focus & the fleshtones on the DVD are a little more natural than the Vestron VHS version. With the Vestron VHS, the flesh tones looked a little washed out & pastey. One thing that stands out is the frame instability of this movie. It's more apparent on the New Star DVD than on the Vestron VHS version. The beginning credits move up & down in both versions & some scenes throughout this film, but the DVD really shows up this filming flaw more. I never noticed a problem with the sound on the VHS version, but the DVD version is very clear, even on a circa 1982 mono Electrohome console TV. Finally, in the DVD version, there are a couple of scenes that show a clear horizontal noise line which looks like it has originated from the master tape. This is not a big deal, but you would think that if Jef Films (New Star) invested in digitally remastering this movie, then they would at least get a prestine print of it. My only complaint is that at the beginning of the disc you are forced to sit through a preview of "Cannibal Taboo". It doesn't allow you to exit this preview, you have to fast-forward through it to get to the main menu. The only added feature on this disc is a written biography of Linda Blair & a list of her theatrical releases(her made-for-TV ventures are not included). There are also scene selections, which is basic fare for a DVD. In conclusion, if you are a fan of Linda Blair, like I am, or you like '80s vigilante flicks, then this New Star DVD release is not as bad as previously reviewed. It would have been a nice touch to include the original movie trailer, and a keepcase insert of the original movie poster, but that's just a suggestion on my part. There are far worse DVDs out on the market, so with this one I give 5 stars for the movie & 4 for the actual DVD production.
No one mentions the other inmates of the juvenile asylum, but the young actresses playing Denny and Moco are scarily effective, and Tina Andrews, the young girl playing Josie(who can also be seen as one of Marcia Brady's school-friends in the 'Davy Jones' episode on 'The Brady Bunch' as well as a student in 'Conrack'), gives a tightly-controlled performance; when her mother comes for a visit, Josie cries, mocking her: 'When ya comin' home? I miss you, Josie'." That's good acting. As for Linda Blair: she's always reliable and solid, but here it takes her a little while to warm up. In the admissions office near the beginning, Linda is a bit too somnambulistic("I don't think I need to be here"), but minutes later, when she has discovered her father brought her suitcase from home, Linda gets... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Donald Wrye DVD Release Date: Released the 25 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Just finished watching this after having it for about a year or so and finally getting around to it. Well, I guess I could've waited even longer because it wasn't very good or really worth seeing at any particular time. I've seen worse so I was still able to sit through it and besides, it's loaded with typical nondescript 1980's music by unknown acts (at least here in the States, probably), bad acting, bad photography, bad special effects, bad writing and bad directing, so watching it was a kind of excercise in sadomasochistic patience. If you're a connoisseur of bad films then this one will certainly delight you. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Nico Mastorakis DVD Release Date: Released the 14 January 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Finally, the Citizen Kane of low budget bad taste comedies is on its way to DVD. Featuring an amazing cast including The Unknown Comic, Linda Blair, Pat Paulsen, Andrew Dice Clay, Billy Barty, and Pat Morita(as "Rape Victim"), this film made history upon its release in 1984 by pushing the standards and boundaries of bad taste in film comedy to new limits. Thank you Anchor Bay for continuing to be the number one Cult DVD studio in the world and keep up the great work!" More Info about this DVD Director(s): Jackie Kong DVD Release Date: Released the 22 June 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
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Reform School Girls was a hilarious film about women behind bars.Pat Ast was hysterical as the head matron and the movie itself was very campy.The dialog and action scenes were very entertaining and some of the expressions on Pat Asts face were a riot.I highly recommend this film for campy entertainment and great laughs. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Linda Carol - Wendy O. Williams Director(s): Tom DeSimone DVD Release Date: Released the 12 March 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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If Bunuel had ever made a "genre film" it would have been a lot like this.
I rented this thinking it was going to be just another slasher movie, but imagine my surprise when a few minutes into the movie I realized that the director, Aldo Lado, actually had some talent and shot a film that was not only engaging, but quite beautiful.
I won't ruin the movie by giving away a bunch of spoilers but lets just say two girls on the way home for Christmas have a bad (to say the least) encounter with two petty thieves who are unknowningly being manipulated by a rich (and ultra-seductive) female passenger played by Macha Meril, who was in Bunuel's erotic masterpiece BELLE DE JOUR.
If you're a gorehound looking for wall to wall guts (or nudity) then you'll be... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Aldo Lado DVD Release Date: Released the 26 October 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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