MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS! is a cheap and scuzzy exploitation horror movie with that gritty, on the street vibe. No matter that most of the story takes place in the same room simply dressed up to look different each time, this is a film that delivers the good for fans of 1970s grindhouse cinema. The story is about a psycho working his way through the girls at a massage parlour, offing them in particularly grisly ways, while the cops (including one guy who looks like a cross between George Peppard and Kevin Costner) track him down.
It's a simple film simply told, one that manages to cram in as much exploitative material as is humanly possible. Filming in the streets of New York circa 1973 is a treat for fans of the era. The acting is quite horrible, but the film manages to fit no less than two cameos from well-known actors; George Dzundza and Brother Theodore both shine as potential suspects, the latter in particular with a hilarious monologue. MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS! manages to fit a ton of nudity into the running time, although not as much sex as you'd expect. Add in cheesy music, a random scene of an overweight guy dancing in a tutu, a car chase, and a series of sloppy but nasty gore murders in the H.G. Lewis vein, and you have a perfectly acceptable piece of exploitation fare.
It's a simple film simply told, one that manages to cram in as much exploitative material as is humanly possible. Filming in the streets of New York circa 1973 is a treat for fans of the era. The acting is quite horrible, but the film manages to fit no less than two cameos from well-known actors; George Dzundza and Brother Theodore both shine as potential suspects, the latter in particular with a hilarious monologue. MASSAGE PARLOR MURDERS! manages to fit a ton of nudity into the running time, although not as much sex as you'd expect. Add in cheesy music, a random scene of an overweight guy dancing in a tutu, a car chase, and a series of sloppy but nasty gore murders in the H.G. Lewis vein, and you have a perfectly acceptable piece of exploitation fare.