Streetwalkin’ (Roger Corman Cult Classics) – DVD Review
The Film:
G’s up, hoes down.
As Old Dirty said, “…bitch better have my money!” There hasn’t been a lot of evolution in the pimp game, has there? Streetwalkin’ is an interesting Roger Corman-produced effort, mixing his exploitation calling card, with writer/director Joan Freeman’s psychological study of the prostitute lifestyle, the film earns marks for its gripping drama, although really offers nothing new to the trade, that’s centuries old.
Of course, I doubt if anyone remembers this film from 1985, seemingly slipped into the forgotten cracks of time. Luckily, Shout! Factory is re-releasing apparently all of Roger Corman’s films, and while discovering this film, a lucky bit of coincidence had happened. Its star, at the time an unknown actress named Melissa Leo, has just won an Oscar for her riveting work in The Fighter. Now the marketing team has something. In all honesty, Streetwalkin’ shouldn’t be considered a “skeleton in the closet” for Leo. She’s fresh, raw, and good as Cookie, a lost girl who befriends Duke, a nice guy at first by day, but a brutal pimp by night. Thrown into the hoe lifestyle, Cookie loses her naivety and gains the courage to end Duke’s tyranny and escape with her dignity, and more importantly, her life.
By nature, everyone now post-The Fighter will be looking at this as “the early Melissa Leo” film, but like I mentioned, she shouldn’t (well, I hope she doesn’t) consider Streetwalkin’ a part of her past she would best forget. It happens in Hollywood. A young actor or actress gets their breakthrough, and in time, becomes a major star and tries everything to forget the film. We’re sort of looking at you Renee Zellweger and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation. How we would love Killer Film’s Jason Bene to do a Late Night Classic on that one!
At times ambitious, and other times, rudimentary, Streetwalkin’ is a decent film with problems, yet it breezes by. Corman fans might be disappointed by the lack of rubber suit monsters, but his trade mark boobies are here in full force. It’s no The Fighter, but an interesting start to Melissa Leo’s career.
For fun, look at this:
From this…
…to this!
The DVD:
Audio/Video: Shout! continues their stellar work. The transfer is great for a 25-year old film, with good skin coloring, moody atmosphere, and some decent details. I don’t think a HD transfer would improve much, given the low budget stature of the film. The DD 2.0 Stereo is okay. Some hisses, some shrills high pitches, but what were you expecting?
Commentary: Director Joan Freeman and producer Robert Alden offer up an unusually rich and informative chat. Thankfully honest, Alden explores the touchy subject of a co-star’s firing, only to be cut off, and Freeman talks about meeting Corman’s prerequisites for nudity. A great listen.
A trailer is the only other extra.
The Film: Rating: 
The DVD: Rating:
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