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Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers

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Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFred Olen Ray
Written byFred Olen Ray
(as Dr. S. Carver)
T. L. Lankford
(as B.J. Nestles)
Produced byFred Olen Ray
StarringGunnar Hansen
Linnea Quigley
Jay Richardson
Michelle Bauer
Distributed byCamp Motion Pictures
Release date
  • March 1988 (1988-03)
Running time
75 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$60,000 or $95,000[1]

Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (also known as simply Hollywood Hookers in the United Kingdom) is a 1988 American black comedy horror film directed by Fred Olen Ray, and starring Gunnar Hansen, Linnea Quigley, Jay Richardson and Michelle Bauer.[2] It is known as a B-movie.[3]

Plot

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The private detective Jack Chandler tries to track down Samantha, a teenage runaway. He runs into a cult of Egyptian chainsaw-worshipping prostitutes led by "The Stranger".

Disclaimer and announcements

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The film's tagline was "They Charge an Arm and a Leg!"[4]

The film begins with the disclaimer "The chainsaws used in this motion picture are real and dangerous! They are handled here by seasoned professionals. The makers of this motion picture advise strongly against anyone attempting to perform these stunts at home. Especially if you are naked and about to engage in strenuous sex." The film ends with the promise of the sequel Student Chainsaw Nurses, which was never made.

Cast

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  • Linnea Quigley as Samantha
  • Gunnar Hansen as The Stranger
  • Jay Richardson as Jack Chandler
  • Dawn Wildsmith as Lori
  • Michelle Bauer as Mercedes
  • Esther Elise as Lisa
  • Tricia Burns as Ilsa
  • Susie Wilson as Sally
  • Fox Harris as Hermie
  • Jimmy Williams as Bo
  • Dukey Flyswatter as Jake, The Bartender
  • Dennis T. Mooney as Mick Harris
  • Jerry Miller as Murphy
  • Gary J. Levinson as Nubian
  • Christopher Ray as Kid At Bar (uncredited)

Release

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At the time, the UK video release was not allowed to have the word Chainsaw in the title, so the film was released simply as "Hollywood Hookers" (a drawing of a chainsaw replaced the missing word on the cover sleeve).[5]

Reception

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Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, earning a Rotten Tomatoes Want-To-See score of 33%.

The film is said to have "set the course for Ray".[4] The film has been described as a horror parody[6][7] and a film noir spoof.[8][9]

Home media

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Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers has been released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray format.

In the United States, the film was released in a '20th Anniversary Widescreen Edition' DVD on August 5, 2008. It was made available on Blu-ray in two individual editions on January 9, 2015, with a standard edition and a signed 'Special Limited Edition' of 1000 copies.

In the United Kingdom, the film was released on DVD on July 10, 2000. 88 Films has released the film on Blu-ray on March 23, 2015 as part of the 'Slasher Classics Collection'. It is placed at #6 and like the other films released in the collection, it contains a reversible sleeve.

Sources

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  • Thompson, Nathaniel (2006) [2002]. DVD Delirium: The International Guide to Weird and Wonderful Films on DVD; Volume 1 Redux. Godalming, England: FAB Press. pp. 360–361. ISBN 1-903254-39-6.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Fred Olen Ray Interview". The Spoiler Room Podcast (Podcast). 21 April 2015.
  2. ^ Topel, Fred (27 October 2014). "After Midnight: Fred Olen Ray on Strip Clubs & Chainsaw Hookers". Crave Online. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
  3. ^ Puchalski, Steven (2002). Slimetime: A Guide to Sleazy, Mindless Movies. Headpress/Critical Vision. ISBN 978-1-900486-21-7.
  4. ^ a b Stine, Scott Aaron (2015-09-18). The Gorehound's Guide to Splatter Films of the 1980s. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1132-7.
  5. ^ Kermode, Mark (2010-02-04). It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4090-9916-1.
  6. ^ Muir, John Kenneth (2015-07-11). Eaten Alive at a Chainsaw Massacre: The Films of Tobe Hooper (in Arabic). McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-1335-2.
  7. ^ Magistrale, Tony (2005). Abject Terrors: Surveying the Modern and Postmodern Horror Film. Peter Lang. ISBN 978-0-8204-7056-6.
  8. ^ Time Capsule. iUniverse. ISBN 978-0-595-21336-8.
  9. ^ Davies, Clive (2015-03-06). Spinegrinder: The Movies Most Critics Won't Write About. SCB Distributors. ISBN 978-1-909394-06-3.
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