Wrong Way (1972) - Review

Wrong Way

1972

Director: Ray Williams

Starring: Laurel Canyon, Candy Sweet, Forrest Lorne

An ultra scuzzy, grubby sexploitation turd which inexplicably surfaced during the pre-cert video era in the UK (and equally inexplicably was overlooked during the subsequent ‘Video Nasties’ hysteria), WRONG WAY is an early 70’s Last House on the Left-inspired obscurity. But unlike LHOTH, there’s no attempt whatsoever at any sort of character or storyline development – it amps up the sex and seemingly the (deservedly) unknown hack filmmakers thought this would be enough to ensure a shocking, disturbing spin-off of Wes Craven’s cult classic. Um, no...

Two girls are driving home through remote Californian backwoods when their car breaks down.  They run afoul of possibly cinema’s ugliest, scummiest, greasiest biker gang (one who’s nicknamed ‘Crabs’ for obvious reasons and another who slurps down raw eggs).  Under the initial guise of helping the girls, the gang instead drag them back to their camp where they’re gang raped in every position imaginable for the next 20 minutes. WARNING: the gratuitous nudity is not limited to the female leads. Be prepared for lingering shots of flabby beer bellies, unwashed arses and all-round pale, pasty middle-aged male nakedness (thankfully all remain limp-dicked throughout the proceedings). Eventually the gang tire of the girls and the dazed pair are left to stumble through the wilderness in search of help. However their nightmare begins all over again when they are captured by a Manson-like cult who plan to “reduce them to sexual beasts”.  The story then cuts to a completely unrelated subplot involving two drug-runners/slave traders on their way to Mexico stopping at a motel en route to have their way with their latest acquisition. 

Despite the jaw-dropping proceedings, WRONG WAY is by no means a lost gem. It’s far too tedious, technically inept and badly acted (including the ridiculously choreographed rape scenes) to be disturbing. Most likely the ludicrous tacked on ending was due to money running out during filming, the initial actors bailing out and later included to pad the film out to feature length.) All accompanied by a horribly grating soundtrack veering wildly between godawful warbling folk tunes, bongos and banjos. AVOID. PLEASE.