Savage Harbor is the second release from Vinegar Syndrome’s exclusive VSA imprint, and it’s a surreal mix of sex trafficking, over the top action, and D-list celebs. The film stars Frank Stallone as Joe, a salty sailor who almost immediately after coming ashore saves Ann (Karen Mayo-Chandler, Sugar Lips from Party Line), an ex-prostitute and junkie who just ran away from her pimp after being sexually assaulted in an El Camino. Of course, this sparks a love affair between the two, as Joe shares his dream of buying an avocado farm with the woman shortly before having to embark on his final trip to out to sea. When Joe comes back he can’t find Ann, who has been kidnapped by her former pimp and forced back on drugs. Joe then of course leaves a trail of carnage in his wake as he looks to find Ann and to hold the men who took her accountable.
Savage Harbor is so sleazy, and just so much fun. It’s also full of moments that will just leave you wondering what was the actual logic behind such directorial and character choices as Joe’s dream of owning of avocado farm, or the full-size water cooler in Ann’s room by her bed in the brothel. (Must be for all those thirsty dudes, sorry.) The characters here are also borderline parody at points, with Stallone leading the charge with his tough-guy-on-a-mission who is really bad at gunfights. There’s also this weird business with British-born Karen Mayo-Chandler’s American accent, which comes and goes in the first few acts ‘til it’s explained with a throw away piece of exposition that she went to school in England. The film also stars Lisa Loring, aka Wednesday Adams from the original Addams Family, as a Santa Claus pasties-wearing hooker/stripper who shacks up with Joe’s best friend Bill.
Needless to say, while the film is morosely hilarious, there is nothing really socially redeeming about it, as it ends with Joe and Bill taking out the bad guys after finally finding Ann, who is then promptly hit by a bus. (Really!) The film also has a bizarre sense of time, like when Joe and Bill first come ashore it’s the Christmas season; they leave and come back six months later, and it’s Christmas again? I wasn’t sure exactly how that worked, but I think production just forgot to take down the decorations or they just didn’t care. The extras on the disc here are almost as entertaining as the film itself, as Stallone admits to having an affair with his costar while he apologizes more than once for how terrible the film is, comparing it to an Ed Wood production. With Evil Town and now Savage Harbor, VSA is definitely shaping up to be where Vinegar Syndrome is putting their Top Shelf insanity, and I honestly can’t wait for the next release.
