-Grindhouse Fest spotlights the cult gems, sleaze classics, and deranged wonders that defined exploitation cinema’s golden run. Proceed with delight and caution-
Directed by Chester Fox and Alex Stevens
Starring:
- George Spencer as Rizotti
- Sandra Peabody as Gwen
- John Moser as Detective O’Mara
- Anne Gaybis as Sunny
- Marlene Kallevig as Mrs. Rizotti
- Theodore Gottlieb as Theodore
- Chris Jordan (credited as Kathie Everett) as Rosie
Rating: 
The script reaches enlightenment when Detective Rizotti wanders through “The Deuce” and growls, “Man! There are a lot of sick weirdos in this town.” That’s exploitation haiku—the kind of eloquence only a 42nd Street sleazefest can deliver. A valentine to the sleaziest corners of Manhattan from one-shot directors Chester Fox and Hollywood stuntman Alex Stevens, dropping a latex-gloved maniac into the massage parlors, peep joints, and street-corner depravity. It’s one sleazy delight after another: nasty killings, the always-likable Sandra Peabody in a romantic subplot, cheap-and-cheerful porno-style nonsense, a sleazebag known as “Mr. Creepy,” and a shamelessly low-rent swipe at The French Connection’s legendary car chase that’s impossible not to grin through. Few movies wear their filth as proudly as Massage Parlor Murders. Stranger still, the detective story completely outclasses the killer plot, which feels like a statistical anomaly in exploitation cinema. Maybe it’s because every inch of old Times Square looks like it smells terrible, or maybe the movie just knows how to weaponize cheap locations and cheaper taste. Either way, it delivers exactly the kind of sleaze I showed up for.
