Singapore Sling
Picture:
B- Sound: C Extras: C- Film: C
Gruesome,
sexually explicit, and draining all these words that describe the horror(ble)
film Singapore Sling. The film takes place supposedly around the
1920s-1930s; though most of the time it is quite apparent that these are just
actors in costumes, the film containing little to no realistic atmosphere with
bad acting and improper filming technique.
The film begins mysteriously and intriguingly with two women digging a
hole on a stormy night, as well as a man lying in a car; both of these scenes
utilizing voice over work to set a tantalizing detective aura. From the moment the opening scene ends, which
in itself is a slightly confusing atmosphere of drama and comedy, the film is
all down hill. The film centers on a
detective who searches for his lost love, concurrently getting pulled into a
mentally deranged world of a mother and daughter team, who use sex and violence
to their liking. Ultimately the film is
disturbing to watch alone; mostly due to the incestuous love and violence that
embodies the film. Though this reviewer
found the film to be uninspiring and poorly conceived many find this to be a
cult classic, since its 1990 release.
So this
brings into question, why is this such a deeply rooted cult film? One could say it has to do with the overall
gratuitous nature of the film in both the areas of sex and violence. To this reviewer it remains evident that fan
bases build for many films due to the ‘mob mentality’ (such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show), making
certain films more enjoyable. Singapore Sling, however, is such a
mash of confusion with little content or great acting that it leaves this
reviewer asking why?
The
picture on this particular DVD is presented in a clear 1.66 X 1 anamorphic
widescreen that is too crisp for its own good.
The problem with many of these newer ‘artistically driven,’ cult films
is that when today’s modern digital black an white film is utilized much of the
intended quality and atmosphere is lost due to lack of silver present on the
film. This newer, digital, black and
white just does not retain the qualities of the past. Overall, the picture is crisp and clear with
balanced light and dark. The sound
quality presented in a Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is not the best, often having a
muffled and distant quality that is distracting. The extras for this DVD release are
practically nonexistent, only offering a Theatrical Trailer and Still Gallery. This reviewer did not care much for the film
so the lack of extras was not too great of a disappointment, but for true cult
followers the inadequate extras are sure to dishearten.
In the
end, this film is crude and unimpressive.
It is more than apparent that there are a plethora of intended shock
factors throughout the film, but they do not surmount to the tasteful and
entertaining atmosphere of other cult films such as The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Singapore Sling is
overflowing with sex and violence that is sure to leave any viewer pondering
what they just submitted themselves to.
For fans this DVD has a clean picture with ok sound. For newcomers who desire to partake in this
debauchery, be sure to watch this film in a group setting.
You can
order this and other unique titles from its producer, Synapse Video, at:
http://www.synapse-films.com
- Michael P Dougherty II
