Review of Mulberry Street (1990) by Joe A — 10 Mar 2012

Mulberry St. is the first feature collaboration from the Stake Land writing team of director Jim Mickle and Nick Damici, who also plays the lead role of ex-boxer Clutch (and Stake Land's 'Mister').

Mulberry is a horror flick that takes place in a NYC tenament on the eve of the tennants losing their home to eminent domain. As Clutch receives a visit from his daughter, returning from service in Iraq, a bizarre outbreak hits the neighborhood and Clutch, his daughter and their neighbors become trapped in their apartments as people around them are being transformed into vicious creatures with rat-like features.

The story might sound silly to some but, Mickle takes his tale of a zombie outbreak with a vermin twist completely serious and makes one creepy and effective horror flick out of it. Mickle maintains an atmosphere of dread throughout and offers some tense and suspenseful scenes as our apartment dwellers become the target of their vicious and hungry former neighbors.

The almost documentary like style draws us in and Mickle gives us some very 'real people' characters to care about and root for. He gets good performances out of his cast and presents some simple but, very effective FX to portray his protagonists and their carnage.

Mulberry St. may not appeal to the casual or mainstream horror fan but, to those who enjoy something offbeat, inventive and a little different, then a trip down Mulberry St. is a creepy trip worth taking.