| Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers | |
| Starring: | Gunnar Hansen Linnea Quigley Jay Richardson Michelle Bauer |
| Director: | Fred Olen Ray |
| Producer: | Fred Olen Ray |
| Distributor: | Camp Motion Pictures |
| Runtime: | 75 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Budget: | $60,000 or $95,000[1] |
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers (also known as simply Hollywood Hookers in the United Kingdom) is a 1988 American black comedy horror film directed by Fred Olen Ray, and starring Gunnar Hansen, Linnea Quigley, Jay Richardson and Michelle Bauer.[2] It is known as a B-movie.[3]
The private detective Jack Chandler tries to track down Samantha, a teenage runaway. He runs into a cult of Egyptian chainsaw-worshipping prostitutes led by "The Stranger".
The film's tagline was "They Charge an Arm and a Leg!"[4]
The film begins with the disclaimer "The chainsaws used in this motion picture are real and dangerous! They are handled here by seasoned professionals. The makers of this motion picture advise strongly against anyone attempting to perform these stunts at home. Especially if you are naked and about to engage in strenuous sex." The film ends with the promise of the sequel Student Chainsaw Nurses, which was never made.
At the time, the UK video release was not allowed to have the word Chainsaw in the title, so the film was released simply as "Hollywood Hookers" (a drawing of a chainsaw replaced the missing word on the cover sleeve).[5]
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, earning a Rotten Tomatoes Want-To-See score of 33%.
The film is said to have "set the course for Ray". The film has been described as a horror parody[6] [7] and a film noir spoof.[8] [9]
Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers has been released on VHS, DVD and Blu-ray format.
In the United States, the film was released in a '20th Anniversary Widescreen Edition' DVD on August 5, 2008. It was made available on Blu-ray in two individual editions on January 9, 2015, with a standard edition and a signed 'Special Limited Edition' of 1000 copies.
In the United Kingdom, the film was released on DVD on July 10, 2000. 88 Films has released the film on Blu-ray on March 23, 2015 as part of the 'Slasher Classics Collection'. It is placed at #6 and like the other films released in the collection, it contains a reversible sleeve.