All Rise...

Judge David Johnson would steer clear of any establishment with the words "horror house" in its name. Just some free advice.

The Charge

Sex you'll die for.

Opening Statement

Ah, I see, whores, horror, notice how they sound alike? Cute!

Facts of the Case

Six horny college guys trek to a legendary bordello to indulge in all of their greatest carnal desires. And at first glance, it appears that it might just happen like that. The chums are greeted at the out-of-the-way whorehouse by Mustang Sally herself (Elizabeth Daily), who promises the young studs the time of their lives. And then the ladies march out and the debauchery kicks in full force.

But the pleasures of the flesh are short-lived, as one by one each lady turns into a bloodthirsty maniac, hacking, slashing and shooting their victims to death, and turning a night of would-be desire into a…I'm sorry, I lost complete control of that sentence.

The Evidence

I don't really know what to make of this film. It's based on a premise of a night at a whorehouse and the tagline promises lurid plot details of sex and death, but this isn't a graphic film in either way. I think Mustang Sally's Horror House is less a slasher/nudie romp and more a twisty psychological thriller (a term I use loosely, because no matter the genre it gets assigned, the film is sill a no-budget event with questionable acting and production values; actually, no, that's not right, there's no question how bad those things are).

But the film is marketed as a horror film laced with intercourse, so here's a look at what you can expect from those two categories:

• T&A
For a film set in a bordello, Mustang Sally is surprisingly tame. There's lots of set-up, as each dude gets his own girl and they start making out on their pre-selected whore beds, but don't expect anything approaching late-night Cinemax levels. Nudity is limited to a couple of girls briefly appearing topless. So while the fornication is sort of sleazy, it's all mainly implied, and mitigated by the strategic positioning of blankets and pillows and bras.

• B&G
That would be "blood and guts." Again, not much here to earn special recognition. You can expect a few stabbings that look less like knife puncture wounds and more like an unfortunate strawberry preserves spill and a shooting and what I think is a castration, but it was too hard to tell. Oh and a guy throws a rock at a girl and it bounces off her head.

There are a few Z-grade laughable moments strewn throughout as well, including said rock-throwing scene (that sucker recoiled as if it were made of Flubber!) and a boom mike sighting. The acting is uniformly bad, though special notice must be given to the ladies who played the prostitutes for their extraordinarily wooden line delivery. Their male counterparts aren't much better, but then again, playing "dopey frat boy horndogs" is usually not a huge stretch of the craft.

Not much to proclaim about the DVD. The widescreen transfer is anamorphic and the digital transfer holds up well. A 5.1 surround mix is a decent upgrade from a stereo track. No extras.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

Props to writer-director Iren Koster for pulling out a nifty twist at the end. It may not be enough to make the film a must-see, but the deftness of the plot point deserves note.

Closing Statement

I'd pass on this disc, especially if you're looking for a) sleaze or b) slaughter.

The Verdict

Guilty.

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