Director Fred Olen Ray who also served as screenwriter in conjunction with T.L. Lankford brings this legendary masterpiece to life, actually an infamous campy movie with atrociously horrendous laughingly film, filled with nudity, blood and extremely fun acting to say the least. This creation contains a simple plot, though terrifically insane, of a private investigator named Jack (Jay Richardson) hired to find a runaway teenager girl named Samantha (Linnea Quigley) who he later discovers is in a cult headed by a man known as The Stranger (Gunnar Hansen) who heads Egyptian chainsaw-worshiping-hookers. Needless to say, this is not a high-intensity horror film, no depravity for the modern horror fans, rather classic comedy, obscene for most of it, and the entire cast never took the film seriously and allowing for a free-flowing production shoot to occur during the entire week.
When one involves Michelle Bauer, as Mercedes, a former adult star, who appeared in classic Café Flesh [1982] and then switched over to the b-movie market, and continues to work with either Fred or David DeCoteau, and listed in director Charles Band’s Trophy Heads [2014] the performance surprising hilariously impressive. A completely nude scene, featuring her wielding a chainsaw while wearing a clear shower-cap, after she took the time and dedicated to cover-up a portrait of the King – Elvis, and this scene occurs very early in the film. Meanwhile Jay (Jack), who some recall, his first horror film was Terror Night [1987] dotted his career with b-movies, and plays a version of 1950’s private eye, most similar to Mike Hammer and nowhere near the level of Stacey Keach performance and yet something still finds himself acceptable to the audiences. As previously mentioned, his job is to find a runaway – a virgin runaway teenager, who he later has romantic relations with, and no one cares, as Scream Queen Linnea looks exceptional beautiful as she appears often in the film topless. Linnea continues to perform as a dedicated actress and Scream Queen, and most noted for her role in The Return of the Living Dead [1985] and cameo role in Caesar and Otto’s Deadly Xmas [2012]. Lastly, one must mention the role of The Stranger, coming from none-other-than Gunnar Hansen (RIP) – the noted Leatherface character famous from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre [1974].
Although the title seems to justify large amounts gore, one will need to seek other films, most of the violence comes from cut-away shots and suggestive violence, take hints from notable directors Brian De Palma and Tobe Hooper tricks of less is more concepts. The pattern used, comes from using descriptive words such as brutally dismembered, chainsaws, and splatter blood on the killers, for when one has extremely cheap sets, and highly limited funds, it notes inventive filmmaking.
The film recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a special treatment and release from Bayview Entertainment with Fred’s commentary track and from the only known surviving 35mm print hence preserving the classic grindhouse presentation. A bit if background for the uniformed (whomever that might be) on this wacky film, as it comes from a talent b-movie creator, designer and maestro, of over 117 horror films, made this one, for under $60,000 and in less than one week. He then produced it using funds from an adult film company that sought to go legit, and resulted in going bankrupt and convincing Fred continue onward inventing a new style dance called the Virgin Dance of the Double Chainsaw for an Egyptian Chainsaw Worshipping Cult. The debut for the film, of course at the legendary Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, California, one could imagine the afterparty events of that special night. Fred continues to spread is filming, directing and writing craft of the b-movie and horror genres after starting in 1971 with Honey Britches and proceeding to 2014 with Zombie Pirates, and impressive 43 years of entertainment for many student and aspiring filmmakers to follow aside from the talents of Lloyd Kaufman and Roger Corman.
Overall Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, is a must watch for any horror fan, young or old, new or long-term, and this film, flooded the minds of teenage boys, and continues to be used as a drinking game for adults and graces the pages of film history as the most outrageous bizarre chainsaw celebration to splatter one’s mind into a gooey mess.
This review was originally published in August of 2014 on the defunct Rogue Cinema.
TAGLINE:
- They Charge An Arm and a Leg!
http://www.bayviewentertainment.com/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095312/
IMDb Rating: 5.1/10
Baron’s Rating: 5.0/10