Image Entertainment presents

A Scream in the Streets (1973)

"I hate women! You're rotten! Rotten! Ha ha ha ha ha!"- The Rapist (Brandy Lyman)

Stars: Frank Bannon, John Kirkpatric
Other Stars: Rosie Stone, Brandy Lyman, Brink Brydon
Director: Carl Monson

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nudity, sexual situations and a really ugly drag queen)
Run Time: 01h:30m:25s
Release Date: 2002-01-08
Genre: crime

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
C+	B-	C+	B-	A-

 

DVD Review

Back in the free-spirited days of the 1970s' sexploitation/crime genre, the name Harry Novak was synonymous with a certain level of ham-handed tackiness that never failed to deliver the intended goods; his holy trinity was blood, nudity and sex, though not always in that order. If those three elements could be met, then Novak put it in the can, slapped on a lurid title (Country Hooker, Mantis In Lace, Wham Bam Thank You Spaceman), and released it on the anxious underground market. Something Weird Video, those bastions of the dangerously odd, have remastered the 1973 Novak saga A Scream In The Streets, and it amazes me that even a pro like Harry had the patience to pad this thinly-stretched script for a whopping 90 minutes. The Carl Monson (Please Don't Eat My Mother) directed film loosely follows two cops, Ed "Iron Balls" Haskell (John Kirkpatric) and Bob Streeker (Frank Bannon), on their quest to stop a murderous rapist. Haskell and Streeker are the stereotypically mismatched pair in a sort of polyester buddy picture. Ironically, the rapist storyline is almost secondary, with the bulk of the film concerning random police stops made by the duo, as well as the requisite sex scenes that make up a good chunk of the runtime. Lest a potentially good story get in their way, Novak and Monson simply pile on the steamy sex scenes, in abundance.Despite the plethora of hot monkey love, A Scream In The Streets does feature a transvestite rapist in one of the worst examples of cross-dressing ever filmed. The nameless rapist (Brandy Lyman), who could not look LESS like a woman, apparently dresses that way so he can easily fool a number of attractive women into allowing him to share a park bench with them. I realize the guy is supposed to be a killer, but he seems about as threatening as that whiny alien from Plan 9 From Outer Space. I laughed until I cried. Seriously.It would be inherently unfair to be overly critical of A Scream In The Streets, as it was never intended to be anything more than a vehicle for sex and murder (mostly sex). Watching this film is like jumping into a time machine, and setting the dials for a time when the plots were loose and the women were looser.

Rating for Style: C+
Rating for Substance: B-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	no
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: The 1.33:1 full-frame image transfer is full of scratches and splices, and the color tends to be a little on the oversaturated side. But then again, this is a cheapo 1973 sexploitation crime thriller, so perhaps image restoration is not a necessity. Fleshtone, and there is A LOT here, lean toward being too red, but overall not too distracting.The supplements, almost as important a part of a Something Weird release as the feature, are a hodge-podge of scratchy and faded prints that while lacking any visual strengths, are certainly oddly entertaining despite their inconsistencies.

Image Transfer Grade: C+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
Mono	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: A perfectly serviceable mono track is the solitary option here, with a minimal amount of hiss present. It's not the cleanest mono mix I've ever heard, but there aren't really large flaws. Dialogue does clip at times, however.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Static menu with music
Scene Access with 12 cues and remote access
1 Original Trailer(s)
12 Other Trailer(s) featuring Destination Fury, The Godson, The Mafia Gang, Michelle, Prostitutes Protective Society, Secret File 1413, Sex Club International, Some Like It Violent, A Taste Of Hot Lead, The Touchables, X-Ray Of A Killer
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. 3 Crime Prevention Short Subjects
2. 1 Travestite Psycho Sexy Short Subject
3. 1 Gratuitous Mail Order Peepshow Short Subject
4. Harry Novak Exploitation Art with Soundtrack Greatest Hits
5. Harry Novak 8x10 Publicity Stills

Extras Review: As usual, the folks at Something Weird have filled every crevasse of this disc with another dose of sleazy, bizarre extras, referred to as Black Market Extras and Mug Shots, that only add to the entertainment value. This time around we find:Crime Prevention Short Subject #1: Crime On The Streets (18m:18s)A grainy color paranoid docudrama that stresses just how dangerous it is to be out on the street. The watchword here, delivered by a deep-voiced narrator, is to always "be suspicious" because "it's just a matter of time" before we become victims of a criminal. Noteworthy for an appearance by high-kicking Chuck Norris dishing out karate tips.Crime Prevention Short Subject #2: The Prowler (24m:00s)Here's a procedural from Police Science Productions, circa mid-1950s. This is all about the "Night Watch," and how our neighborhoods are hotbeds of "burglars, psychopaths or peepers." The bulk of this short follows a couple of cops trying to track down a bumbling prowler who picked the wrong hot mama to spy on. Crime Prevention Short Subject #3: Harry Novak, Crime Stopper (15m:49s)This home video of the Something Weird staff visiting legendary Box Office International producer Harry Novak at his overstuffed office is surreal and comic. The piece starts and ends rather abruptly, but if you are a B-movie fan you will cherish the inside glimpse of the jammed B.O.I offices.Transvestite Psycho Sexy Short Subject #4: Caught In The Can (25m:46s)This one is really weird. Two losers dress in drag, get arrested for soliciting, and get tossed in the female lock-up. Of course, their cellmates are a couple of pseudo-sexy gals willing to disrobe and engage in some serious sexcapades. A horrible print, but weird regardless.Gratuitous Mail Order Peepshow Short Subject #5: Strip In The Street (02m:50s)A blurry b&w short from south of the border features a hefty senorita stripping down for no apparent reason. Mercifully short runtime on this one, which is the weakest of the lot.Harry Novak Exploitation Art with Soundtrack Greatest Hits (04m:00s)A sexploitation buff's dream come true, with a montage of posters from some of Harry Novak's greatest creations, including Massage Parlor Wife, Below The Belt, Sweet Georgia and Caged Virgins, all set to a series of equally lurid radio spots and a grindhouse score.Harry Novak 8x10 Publicity Photos (9m:03s)Another solid montage collection, here focusing solely on a seemingly endless array of nude publicity stills from Novak's library. Cool, in a historically sexploitative kind of way. In addition to a theatrical trailer for A Scream In The Streets, there are 12 other skin-filled come-ons for Destination Fury, The Godson, The Mafia Gang, Michelle,Prostitutes Protective Society, Secret File 1413, Sex Club International, Some Like It Violent, A Taste Of Hot Lead, The Touchables and X-Ray Of A Killer. These trailers are always a treat. Just put the kids to bed first...

Extras Grade: A-
 

Final Comments

Tacky trash from one of the finest producers of the sexploitation genre: Harry Novak. This is another great collection from Image and Something Weird, with over three hours worth of material here. It's not always high art, but it is always entertaining.

Rich Rosell 2002-01-30