I’m not sure if Street Trash is exploitation with a message regarding The Homeless Problem, or just pure exploitation for its own sake, but if not for the considerable amount of comedy this movie would be the bleakest picture of feral humans outside of the “life in a post-apocalyptic world” genre. But it’s no post-civilization horror, it’s New York in 1987. If there is a message, I’m still not sure if it’s “we need to do something for these poor homeless people” or “we need to do something about these disgusting homeless people.” It could just be, “hey y’all, watch these homeless people melt.”

I’m not sure who the hero of this picture is. It’s kind of a slice of life picture about two homeless brothers who, well, I guess they’re more houseless than homeless since they live in a junkyard. Anyway, the junkyard is presided over in name by the owner, a big fat piece of shit rapist and part-time necrophiliac, but it’s really ruled by a crazy homicidal racist Vietnam vet with the ugliest girlfriend I’ve seen in a major motion picture. And the local liquor store found a case of old booze that is making the hobos melt into rainbow colored sludge after one drink. And there’s a subplot about a gangster whose girlfriend has consensual (but not really because she’s blackout drunk) sex with one of the homeless brothers, but then he lets the rest of the junkyard dwellers drag her away and gang rape her to death. And there’s a cop who wants to figure out who is melting the hoboes, and a coroner who eats his lunch right off the table one of their bodies is on, and a girl who works for the junkyard who has the hots for the other brother, and probably the funniest shoplifting scene ever. It’s all very matter-of-fact, and ends abruptly with no concern for what will happen to these people next. Also, the film presents what is perhaps the only opportunity you will ever have in your life to watch a group of people play keep-away using a freshly amputated penis. Because you were waiting to see that shit.

Despite the glowing recommendation, I like Street Trash, mostly because I can’t look away. Either it’s not for the easily offended, or it will offend even the most open-minded of trash cinema fans, I’m not sure which. If you like midnight movies, this is compulsory viewing. It is historic for possibly being the only intersection of the “melt movies” genre (a category in my own mind into which I also place Body Melt and Society) and the “hobo horror” genre (C.H.U.D., Prince of Darkness) And now, listen to the song recorded in character by the gangster character. Sorry the individual who uploaded the video set it to screenshots from Goodfellas, but just imagine that the gangster is singing it to the guy who was responsible for his girlfriend running off with hobo bro #1.