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42nd Street Forever: Horror on 42nd Street (2004)

Distributor: “Ban 1 Productions” CLICK FOR WEBSITE

Trailer compilations are generally a hard thing to give a critical assessment to because ultimately the quality (‘art’ wise) is down to anyone other than the people releasing them. But if a critical view was to be made on the technical presentation and choice of content, as far as “Horror on 42nd Street” is concerned, then the assessment would be almost universally positive.

This is a treasure trove of the trashy, the camp, the nasty, the hip, the brain numbing, the hysterical, the downright weird and the delightfully dated.
As the subtitle says, this is a ‘Horror’ (and very much ‘Exploitation‘) themed compilation, but with quite a lot of detours into non-Horror oddities (or perhaps 'horror' of a different kind!) to keep things fresh.

Although there are quite a few ‘well known’ (as far as types of movies go) titles here, there is also a pretty hefty bunch of more obscure films being previewed in that delightful 60’s/70’s (for the main part) way. Perhaps the recent “Trailer Trash” DVD had more downright odd and rare trailers for films of the same, but the big boost to “Horror on 42nd Street” is that the hard working guys behind the scenes have spent time (and crucially money, so get buying it!!) restoring the trailers so that they (for the most part, there are still a few emulsion lines and missing frames on some of them) look as good ,if not better, than when they first flickered into the eyes of expectant punters.

Just some of the trailer highlights include the cult Kung Fu mania of “The Crippled Master”, Art House/Grindhouse crossover revenge flick “Thriller: They Call Her One Eye” (as “Hooker’s Revenge”), the Grindhouse sleaze of “The Aroused”, the totally warped Hippie car crash of Otto Preminger’s “Skidoo”, the camp giant monster rampage of “Food of the Gods”, the S/M grime of “Invitation to Ruin”, an hysterical extended comedy sketch for the double-bill of “I Dismember Mama” and “The Blood Spattered Bride”, the William Shatner face melter “The Devil’s Rain”, the hard as nails Blaxploitation slice of history “Welcome Home Brother Charles”, the rarely seen preview for the infamous Art House sleaze of “Salo” (though a German language trailer does lose the 42nd Street vibe) and the career millstone around Tod Browning’s neck , “Freaks”.

A total of 40 trailers are there for our pleasure and almost all of them are winners, and as you watch them I guarantee you will feel the insatiable desire to dig out the films themselves (and to go on Internet searches for those you haven’t got) and re-live the passion and warped genius that permeates the very being of such cinematic creations.
This was a great time for imaginative, weird and just way-out film making (even if the only motive was money, there is ‘something’ about these movies that warms the heart) and “Horror on 42nd Street” captures that period perfectly with it’s near perfect choice of trailers that showcase not only those involved in the film, but that wonderfully vital time in which they worked.

The extras are slight but interesting and include a gallery of video covers, posters and press books for some of the films covered (although the lack of any actual photos of 42nd Street itself and it’s wonderful marquee cinemas is a big letdown and is basically the only negative point about the DVD), a look at the fun gimmicks that were used to sell “Food of the Gods” and a preview of the (then, things have since changed…see the ‘Ban 1’ website) next Trailer release.

So overall “42nd Street Forever: Horror on 42nd Street” is a truly essential purchase for any fan of off-the-wall, exploitative, unique and basically warped cinema the like of which we shall never see again. And basically this excellent compilation does the ghost of old 42nd Street itself proud, and perhaps it can now rest in peace secure in the fact that it’s legacy will never fade or be forgotten.