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Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of movie trailers. Even as a child, my favorite part of the theater-going experience was the pile of trailers that ran before the show. In the days of video rental, I actually enjoyed the forced trailers that ran before the feature. And to me, no DVD  is “ultimate,” “special,” or “deluxe” without the original theatrical trailer included with the film. Now, if your idea of a good time is not watching 128 minutes worth of nothing but trailers, stop reading right now. But if you are like me, continue on and I’ll tell you all about my time with Synapse Films' new release, 42nd Street Forever: Volume 1.
42nd Street Forever gives us a collection of trailers that try to re-create the grindhouse experience, when the rattrap theaters that lined the titular New York City street were the epicenter of the exploitation film world.
Distributors at the time had an interesting challenge: How to sell these low-budget films with zero title recognition, precious few “stars,” and sometimes, not even titles originating from the United States. Make no mistake, these weren’t “art” films, and in the days before hardcore pornography, they weren’t automatic ticket sellers either.
What was great about these trailers, and movie trailers in general, is looking back and learning how films were sold to their target audience. In this case, the more blood, butchery, and boobs, the  better. These guys weren’t just selling the sizzle. Sometimes they didn’t even have the steak to back it up. What you get in this disc, as was the case with nearly all exploitation press materials at the time, is a variety of methods used to push these films. There are trailers that appear to come directly from the producers of the film, there were ones that were redubbed in English, there were those that were obviously recut and/or renamed by the distributors, and best of all, there were those that had original material shot specifically for the trailer itself (sometimes by the distributor and sometimes by the filmmakers themselves.)
Trailers are a true art form. It takes incredible skill and talent to boil down a full-length feature into a few short minutes, showing you enough to get excited about it, not showing you too much, and still trying to maintain something of a beginning, middle, and end.
 The great joy of discs like these is that you can discover films you never knew about, show friends pieces of films that you talk endlessly about (without subjecting them to the entire feature), and relive titles you’ve seen and either love or hate. You also can begin to discern what makes a successful trailer on the most basic of levels; either by seeing a trailer that completely blows away the film it is trying to sell or by leaving you with the absolute need to track that title down and see it for yourself.
42nd Street Forever: Volume 1 contains 47 different trailers for films running the gambit of the exploitation genres that dominated the grindhouse and drive-in circuits from the late ‘60s to the early ‘80s. You get horror, splatter, blaxploitation, sci-fi, giallo, sword & sandal, mondo, martial arts, kaiju, sexploitation, and some that  defy classification. You also get surprise looks at “name” actors, including: John Carradine, Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, Sylvester Stallone, Godzilla, Peter Cushing, John Saxon, Dan “Grizzly Adams” Haggerty, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, John Holmes, Ravi Shankar and Roger Moore. You’ll also see: Tits, lesbians, limp cocks, gay bikers, werewolf bikers, black cowboys, Stallone porn, bad effects, worse dubbing, armless and legless kung-fu masters, animal mutilation, naughty nuns, primitive dental care, indiscriminate use of the ‘N’ word, epic Roman battles, and so very much more.
For the fact that trailers are the stepchild of film restoration, and the original prints were never considered much worth keeping, let alone keeping stored properly, I was amazed by the generally decent condition of all of those presented on this disc. Sure, you have a few that are faded out, are rife with film breaks, or have some damage, but considering the life of a film trailer (most destined for the garbage bins after the title is finished in distribution) I was pleased. Everything is presented in its original scope, with most being 1.78:1 (although some interesting artifacts include the sex romps shot in 70mm!)
 My personal favorites in this series include:
The Italian Stallion (1970) - This was a ragged little porno film that Sylvester Stallone shot while a starving actor in New York. The original title was The Party at Kitty and Stud’s. Once Rocky hit in a big way and Sly was a superstar, an enterprising distributor dug this gem out and retitled it to capitalize on Stallone’s fame. This is one of those trailers that include footage shot specifically for it, and it is both laughable and extraordinarily clever in its bold cashing in. Take special note of the posters and lobby cards in the background. Ah, the wonderful days before lawsuits.
The Rape of the Sabines (1961) - An Italian-made Peblum recalling the founding of Rome. While there was obviously some money spent in making this  would-be epic, the incompetence abounds. The real clincher here is seeing a very young and very fey Roger Moore mince about as Romulus.
Superfuzz (1980) - I was excited to see this among the trailers on this disc because I remember, when I was 11, thinking that this movie was the bomb! Well, bomb is right. Sometimes, the opinion of your 11-year-old self isn’t to be trusted. The trailer was just embarrassingly bad and I fear I had shit taste as a young  lad. Also, I never knew that this was an Italian production, although that goes on to explain an awful lot.
Boss Nigger (1975) - Best tagline ever: “White Man's Town... Black Man's Law!” Released at the height of the blaxploitation explosion and the waning years of the Italian-style of gritty and violent Westerns, this has Fred Williamson as the sheriff in the old west. Chock full of great lines and totally un-PC action, I was just dying to find this title after watching. Sadly, it isn’t available on video, so this trailer will just have to do for now.
 The Depraved (1971) - Starring the friggin’ HOT Swedish actress Christina Lindberg (Thriller: A Cruel Picture), this is the single film from the entire lot that I just have to see, based on the trailer. To me, this is what exploitation cinema is all about: Nihilism, instincts and intentions in complete contrast to the mainstream, a truer reflection on the pure cruelty of human beings, and the balls to show it all on screen. Sadly, this also isn’t yet on video.
 The Pink Angels (1971) - Gay bikers. What else is there to say, except that hilarity certainly ensues. Oh yeah, and Dan Haggerty is one of ‘em. I say, get this released on DVD now!
Other titles include: The Undertaker And His Pals, The Flesh And Blood Show, Women And Bloody Terror / Night Of Bloody Horror, Blood Spattered Bride / I Dismember Mama, Corruption, The Butcher Of Binbrook, Ginger, Creampuffs, The 3 Dimensions Of Greta, Hard Candy, The Centerfold Girls, Panorama Blue, Wicked Wicked, Teenage Mother, Charlie And The Hooker, Matango, The Green Slime, Destroy All Monsters, The Crippled Master, Werewolves On Wheels, They Call Her One Eye, Maid In Sweden, Behind Convent Walls, Secret Africa, Shocking Asia, Chappaqua, Welcome Home Brother Charles, The Legend Of Nigger Charlie, The 44 Specialist, The Bullet Machine, Death Drive, The Raiders Of Atlantis, Star Crash, Confessions Of A Summer Camp Counselor, Sunset Cove, Superfuzz, Death Will Have Your Eyes, Death Has Blue Eyes, A Black Veil For Lisa, Ironmaster, The Deadly Spawn, and Devil’s Nightmare.
Presentation
As mentioned above, I was amazed by the generally decent condition of all of those presented on this disc. Sure, you have a few that are faded out, are rife with film breaks, or have some damage, but considering that most trailers are destined for the garbage bins after the title is finished in distribution, I was generally pleased with the quality here. Everything is presented in its original scope.
Extras
As for extras, you aren’t going to find any. What do you want? This is a title that is essentially nothing but extras, so I can’t think of anything that could be added to this disc. Well, perhaps one-sheets would be cool; but honestly, they are boring as hell on a DVD. A better idea would be to release a companion book with this title that includes all the paper goods (one-sheets, lobby cards, stills, etc.)
Overall
I thought Synapse did a hell of a job in compiling this series. They sort of arranged the titles in some logical sense, and it would make a fun party game to shout out why they put each trailer where they did. I would certainly recommend this to fans of exploitation cinema as well as people who enjoy film trailers. There are over two hours here, so you can either watch it all the way through (like I did) or go to the menu and choose the title you want to see. It really depends on your patience, and your “state of mind.”
I am happy to see that they called this “Volume 1” and I hope that they continue the series. I also hope that this is a sign of titles that they are trying to acquire for future DVD release.
Note: There was a previous release of this title from Ban 1 Productions, but don’t sweat it if you already have that one. This version was assembled by the same guys, but it only has a couple of repeats.
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