Cat Murkil and the Silks
Cat Murkil and the Silks
R | 01 July 1976 (USA)
Cat Murkil and the Silks Trailers

A street-gang member kills the gang's leader and blames it on a rival gang.

Reviews
stevenfallonnyc

This is definitely a "so bad it's good" entry. First, the title. I saw this as "Cruisin' High," and while definitely a better title than "Cat Murkil and the Silks," hardly any of this takes place in a high school (what little is in the high school of the enemy gang) and if they mean "high while Cruisin' in cool 60's cars," well OK they do a little bit of Cruisin'.The film is bad, but a blast. The Silks are run by Punch, who always comes down on Cat. But Cat sees a unique opportunity to become the leader of the gang, and grabs it. Tough-guy and badass Cat is, yes, a skinny blond semi-pretty boy (ok looking but nothing spectacular) who gets tough and gets in the faces of, among others, old teachers, blacks and Mexicans. He tosses the word "nigger" and "mammy" to one black drug dealer, then tries not to cry and save a little face when the dealer's "connections" confront Cat. It's a great scene! His main man can only be described as a "young Bowzer from Sha Na Na," and Cat has a brother about to be released from prison who he idolizes. Cat is also in love/lust with his brother's wife, who is indeed very, very hot.The Silks pull things like murder and terrorize people, and actually some of the violence is pretty nasty. But sometimes you have to laugh, I mean, sure it's cruel when the newest Silk, some little kid, is racing an old lady in a wheelchair around her home, but it's done in such a hokey way you get a kick out of it, even if you feel guilty later on. (It's only a movie anyway.) The wheelchair lady definitely can't touch Grandma in "Fight For Your Life" but she's not bad. And all throughout Cruisin' High, even during nasty scenes, the goofiest music is playing, as if it were a cartoon. It's incredible to think that all this was put together so seriously.Some of the actors are definitely recognizable, like from episodes of "Shazam" and other 70's stuff. Steve Bond and Derrel Maury, who both are pretty decent in my opinion, would soon be reunited the next year in "Massacre At Central High," a vastly superior film. And the top cop is Rhodes Reason, who most viewers will remember from the classic Toho film "King Kong Escapes!" This is by no means a "sought-after" flick, as most probably don't even know it exists, so it can be bought for cheap. It is definitely highly recommended as a fun blast from the past.

... View More
shark-43

Wow - this movie is unbelievable. The tone of the whole thing is so Jeckyl and Hyde - you have to laugh. The film opens with grave quotes from law enforcement experts on how teen gangs are the "corrosive acid to our society" and so on, and then the movie opens with a bunch teen gang members driving around to a song so non-threatening, so soft, so flaccid that it is unintentionally hilarious. The song "Baby, Slow Down" sounds like soft rock that even Firefall wouldn't sing.But the best part is the lead role - this guy is supposed to be this dangerous, seething guy capable of rape, murder, etc. and the "actor" who plays Cat looks like he should be singing Godspell or Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He's blonde, blue eyed and slightly effeminate - so its a riot when he's threatening black drug dealers or knife wielding Mexicans - this is the kind of movie where some of the supposed high schoolers are played by people who look thirty (like the guys in shower who are knifed). One interesting side note - a young John Ashton plays a high school coach who might have "seen something" - he's easily the best actor in the film (and there is plenty of bad acting) but Ashton went on to big hits like Beverly Hills Cop (he's Judge Reinholds, grumpy partner) and Midnight Run (where he's the sleazy bounty hunter competing with DeNiro). The film is filled with wimpy guys doing Grease talk, mixed in with Bowery Boys and yet some harsh violence. A mess. A weird mess.

... View More
Retard-4

This is without doubt one of the worst films I have ever seen. Almost everything about it is awful, especially the editing. This is no exaggeration. Watch something like Nosferatu, which was made in 1922, and then watch this, made over 50 years later and wonder why editing technology hasn't advanced in such a large period of time. The only thing this film is good for is that it's so bad you may have wet yourself by the end (which is crap, as if you had to be told). One of the worst films ever.

... View More
oscar-17

Sure, it's a little silly, but the film stands out far beyond other movies of the age-old "juvenile delinquent" genre. Don't even think about sordid campiness here, because this is the real thing! It is dramatically interesting, and there's enough crude action to cause mass hysteria.. Although it now pales by comparison of today's films on a higher standard, the message on teenage violence still delivers to this day. As it is, the movie remains fun and entertaining.

... View More
You May Also Like