Tenement (1985)

User Rating:

5.4/10   

Director:

Roberta Findlay

Writers:

Joel Bender (screenplay)
Joel Bender (story)

Genre:

Crime | Horror | Thriller

Plot:

A drug selling and violent street-gang terrorize the renters of a big trashy apartment-house.

Plot Keywords:

Gang | Rape | Drugs | Tenement | Exploitation

Cast

Joe Lynn	...	Sam Washington
Mina Bern	...	Ruth (as Mina Bern Bonas)
Walter Bryant	...	Mr. Wesley
Corinne Chateau	...	Carol
Angel David	...	Poppo
Martha De La Cruz	...	Anna (as Martha DeLaCruz)
Rhetta Hughes	...	Leona
Larry Lara	...	Rojas
Alfonso Manosalvas	...	Mr. Gonzales
Gy Mirano	...	Anita
Jaime Roman	...	Carlos
Olivia Ward	...	Mrs. Wesley
Jorge Baqueiro	...	Charlie
Sylvia Medina	...	Maria
Chyann P. Robertson	...	Jeanne

Also Known As:

Game of Survival
Slaughter in the South Bronx (USA) (video title)
Tenement: Game of Survival (USA) (DVD box title)
Tappoleikki (Finland) [fi]

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (video rating) (2005) | UK:(Banned) (1987-2005) | West Germany:18 (cut) | Norway:18 | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Singapore:(Banned) | USA:X

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Laurel Films

Trivia:

The film's one-sheet movie poster was painted by Screenwriter/Director John Fasano.

Soundtrack:

Tenement

Tenement (1985) *1/2

A friend brought this DVD to my house after we got a kick of revisiting the unintentionally hilarious DEATH WISH 3. However, the goings on in TENEMENT aren't nearly as accidentally funny, as this is more of a straight-ahead gore film involving a violent gang of young junkies and losers who terrorize the people living in a slummy tenement building in the heart of the rapidly decaying South Bronx area of New York. They are arrested and taken to jail early on, but manage to get out quickly and return to the tenement for revenge by leaving the tenants no route of escape while these punks set out to kill them for their own kicks.

As far as trash cinema goes, this one has its brief moments along the way. Directed by Roberta Findlay, who used to work with her late husband Michael on exploitation fodder from the '60s like the infamous "Flesh Trilogy", and who now is one of the few female porn directors, among other things. The title song by Kool Krew is delightfully stupid.