The Strangler of Syggrou aka O Stragalistis tis Sygrou 1989 Directed by Dimitris Tzelas
Syggrou Ave is a street located in Athens, Greece and if
you’re looking for a sleazy good time it’s the avenue you’ll want to hang out
at. The infamous street is filled with prostitutes, shady characters, and it’s
also quite well known as a spot where transvestites and transsexuals gather. So
pack your bags and bring the whole family cause were going to rock down to
Syggrou Ave.
Daytime view from a Hotel on Syggrou Ave.
The Strangler of Syggrou aka Angelos, The Strangler is
Greece’s answer to William Lustig’s classic Maniac. Filling the shoes of Joe
Spinell in the title role is Apostolos Souglakos, a famous Greek wrestler turned actor and singer.
Souglakos did have a couple high points in his career but this film isn’t one
of them. The film was a straight to video release filled with terrible performances,
stolen music, and a couple of porn inserts. Luckily, thanks to the awesome
people of the Internet world I got a copy with fan/subs because this movie is so far off the radar an English dub or any proper subtitles for distribution would seem very unlikely. (the
fan subs are good enough for me though) Not to mention it could never really
get a legit release in America because of copyright infringement, it steals all kinds of music! In one scene we hear Tina Turner's Simply the best and in another Vangelis's Blade Runner End Theme.
"I'm looking for Kim Cattrall."
The movie kicks off with Angelos (Souglakos) walking around the
city streets with Giorgio
Moroder’s music from Cat People playing. (Paul’s
Theme-Jogging Chase/track 6) Once the opening credits end and the music fades,
Angelos makes out with a hooker and then stranglers her. Wow! In five
minutes the movie has already lived up to its name.
"Ach! Ok I won't tell the public that you ripped off The Cat People soundtrack!"
Why does the strangler strangle? His wife Mary died from
some sort of heart disease and that was enough for him to snap. He makes
mannequins for a living and then makes one in his wife’s image. He keeps it in
his bed at all times. Mary, his now mannequin wife haunts him, tells him what to
do and belittles him. When he goes out and meets a lady, he faces the guilt of cheating
on his dead (but in his mind alive) wife and that causes him to strangle the unsuspecting women. If he does
strangle you and you’re a hot chick then he will also make a mannequin in your
image but he won’t put you in the bedroom, there is another place in the house for his growing collection of plastic ladies. Unlike the Joe Spinell character in
Maniac, this Greek’s got game, he spots a model in a department store so he puts a sticky note on the window with his digits and gets a call back immediately.
They connect on their first date, this is when we get to hear Tina Turner’s “Simply the Best” as it plays in
the background and with that kind of atmosphere she wants to have sex with him
immediately. Once alone at her place he
makes up an excuse not to do the deed, so that the urge of strangling her doesn’t temp him. She wants him so bad that she puts on a porno called Mondo New Wave Harlots, this is actually an insert and not the original intent of the director but it works for me! He cares about this new girl and this newly discovered woman of interest takes the place of the Caroline Monroe character from Maniac.
"Forget about the Greek Debt Crisis and lets party!"
The Greek Paul Blart: Gyro Cop
Jacopetti & Prosperi meet Russ Meyer
The movie jumps from one clumsy scene after another as cops
try to track this killer down. The investigation begins at the flower shop because all of his female victims are left with a single
rose on their body. His usual
hangout for abducting ladies is the local disco, The Barbarella Disco. The police captain’s daughter
almost gets picked up from the dance club right after doing the Lambada (this
movie was clearly trying to cash in on the Forbidden Dance craze of the 90s) and since she is
the only one who can ID him they use her as bait.
"I keep telling you Chee-Burger Chee-Burger, Pepsi, no Coke!"
"Maybe I should hide a little better."
The movie gives up on trying to create a relationship between
Angelos and the fake Caroline Monroe. In the 3rd act they are finally about to have
their first intimate moment but his penis doesn’t rise to the occasion, she sighs
in disappointment and he strangles her
in bed. No Big Fat Greek Wedding for them! In order to cope with his grief he
gets a prostitute and has a nice bath. This is my favorite scene, it features
the music of Do Piano and their song “Again”. (Thank you Shazam!) The song
reminds me of The Kids in the Hall sketch “Tammy” with Bruce McCullogh playing
the pop star. “Again” is an 80s synth song
with a monotone depressing rhyme scheme and it's very catchy one making it a true
guilty pleasure. I crank it up to ten in the car all the time! (Shhhh don’t
tell anyone) The happy hooker gets all nice and clean but of course strangled
and then there's a peeping tom who was the whore's last john that also gets strangled. After this, the big man goes out in drag to a different section of town strangling a dude, no
rose for him, how sexist!
The chief’s daughter spots Angelos at the disco and reconnects with him putting the trap in action. The cops follow them back to his place and he introduces the girl to Mary the
Mannequin wife. Mary yells at him for bringing back some slut to their home as he tries to rub it in her face and all
his mannequins laugh and torment him in this ridiculous but very entertaining finale.
"I'll use my back hair to make you three some wigs."
"You can't cock block me!"
IF YOU HAVE TO! 6/10 on the CULT-0-METER Stupid and Silly. If you love the original Maniac you will either hate this for trying to copy it or love it as a brainless tribute. I quite enjoyed the film but its not something I'll be itching to watch again anytime soon!
Excellent review! Thanks for the warning!
ReplyDeleteThanks Crash Palace, It was bad but some scenes are downright hilarious! ...and I like your twitter page - Follow them people @crashpalace ! :)
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