Höllentrip ins Jenseits

"The Tunnel" might not tell a very original story, but it tells the tale of junkie life pretty accurately, and with a lot of style. This film features a cast that should make any cult euro-cinema addict thrilled. We have Helmut Berger, the main man of so many legendary Euro-trash (and genuine art-house) movies, shooting heroin and selling his ass to old gay men for money to pay for his drug habit. We have the amazing Corrine Clery, famous for her starring role in "Story of O," shooting heroin in her vagina, conning people and turning tricks, also to support her heroin habit. and then there is 'Accattone' himself, Franco Citti, another main player in countless Italian crime films from the glorious 1970's, as a scary bad guy, a cut-throat scumbag with no moral compass. When I first read about this one it became my obsession to find a copy of this ultra-rare title. I finally found an ancient VHS tape in a second hand shop, under the name "Fatal Fix." Not only does it have a dream cast, but it also boasts an incredible soundtrack, provided by the iconic 80's band "The Pretenders." The film is gritty, it's stark, and it's relentlessly depressing. Marco & Pina live in a bus that has been converted into a kind of mobile home. Marco actually has a brother, and an ex-wife, who try to help him, but he rejects them both, in favor of his junkie girl and lifestyle. Corrine Clery as Pina, is tough, hardened, and knows how to survive. "Fatal Fix" is similar to "Panic In Needle Park" in many ways, and many scenes seem to be influenced by that more well-known film. This title is certainly due for a remastered release on DVD. Until then I'm happy to have that VHS copy. This is a forgotten gem.