Savage Streets
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| Savage Streets | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Danny Steinmann |
| Written by | Danny Steinmann Norman Yonemoto |
| Produced by | John Strong |
| Starring | Linda Blair Linnea Quigley Robert Dryer John Vernon |
| Cinematography | Stephen L. Posey |
| Edited by | John A. O'Connor Bruce Stubblefield |
| Music by | John D'Andrea Michael Lloyd |
Production company | Ginso Investment Corp. |
| Distributed by | Motion Picture Marketing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1.2 million |
Savage Streets is a 1984 American teen vigilante action film directed by Danny Steinmann and starring Linda Blair. The film premiered on October 5, 1984.
It is one of the few non-horror films that both Linda Blair and Linnea Quigley star in.
Plot
After nearly being run down in the street by a gang known as the Scars, Brenda (Linda Blair) and her deaf-mute younger sister Heather (Linnea Quigley) and their friends trash the car of the gang leader, Jake. Jake exacts his revenge by getting his cohorts to gang-rape Heather. A fight between Brenda and her friends and the Scars at a local nightclub results in Brenda's pregnant, soon-to-be-married friend Francine being murdered by the Scars, who throw her off a viaduct. When Brenda learns who is responsible for Heather's rape, and that Francine is dead and the Scars are responsible, Brenda arms herself and sets out to avenge them. Finding them at a nearby warehouse, Brenda impales one of the gang members, Fargo, with an arrow; kills another, Red, by snapping a bear trap shut upon his neck; and then begins to torture Jake with arrows shot into his thighs and a hunting knife as he hangs by his feet from a gate. However, he then manages to free himself and attacks her. The showdown ends in a nearby paint store; as a burglar alarm blares, Brenda douses Jake in paint and then sets him on fire with a cigarette lighter that she has previously had difficulty getting to produce a flame, just before the police arrive.
The movie ends with Brenda (who is presumably facing charges for the murders of Fargo, Red and Jake), Heather and their surviving friends visiting Francine's grave, and Brenda comments, "At least we set things right," to which her friend Stevie replies, "No, Brenda. You set things right."[1]
Cast
- Linda Blair as Brenda
- Linnea Quigley as Heather
- Robert Dryer as Jake
- John Vernon as Underwood
- Sal Landi as Fargo
- Johnny Venocur as Vince
- Scott Mayer as Red
- Deborah Blee as Rachel
- Lisa Freeman as Francine
- Marcia Karr as Stevie
- Luisa Leschin as Maria
- Ina Romeo as Stella
Reception
Variety described the film as having "deliciously vulgar dialog and well-directed confrontation scenes."[2] TV Guide awarded the film one star and said of star Linda Blair "This is Blair's best performance since The Exorcist (1973), but that's not saying much." [3] Carol J. Clover in Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film found Linda Blair unconvincing in her role as a female avenger.[4]
Awards
- 1986 - Linda Blair (Winner) - Worst Actress
- 1985 - Linda Blair (Nominated) - Best Actress
- 1985 - Linnea Quigley (Nominated) - Best Supporting Actress
- 1985 - Danny Steinmann, Norman Yonemoto (Nominated) - Best Screenplay
Soundtrack
The soundtrack featuring the theme song "Justice for One" performed by John Farnham was never officially released to the public but may be found on rare promos which were sent to DJs at the time of the picture's release. The reason for the "non-release" was marketing. Some copies of Savage Streets LP, complete with Linda Blair as the main character "Brenda" on the cover, have made it onto online auctions and are stamped "demo only". These releases were put out by the Curb Records group and are now highly sought-after due to Farnham's increased popularity.
Home media
On September 23, 2008, Savage Streets was released in a 2-disc set "Special Edition" by Bryanston Distributors / Motion Picture Marketing in association with BCI Eclipse / Navarre Corporation with Special Features produced by Red Shirt Productions and Code Red.
References
- ^ amazon.com
- ^ "Review: 'Savage Streets'". Variety. December 31, 1983. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ "Savage Streets". TV Guide. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
- ^ Clover, Carol J. (1993). Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film. Princeton University Press. p. 143. ISBN 9780691006208.