East End Hustle (1976)

Cindy (Born for Hell’s Andrée Pelletier) is outraged by the sadism of her pimp boyfriend Dan (Ghost Story’s Miguel Fernandes), so she turns her back on him and her seedy profession. As he attempts to lure her back, she doubles down on her rebellion by liberating new recruit Marianne (Bingo’s Anne-Marie Provencher) and giving safe haven to several of Dan’s most prized employees, crippling his business. As this gang of frustrated sex workers waits for the dust to settle, Dan grows incensed, escalating the dispute into a full-blown war. Leaning into his mafia connections and insatiable appetite for violence, Dan orders vicious retaliation… but Cindy has some vengeful tricks up her sleeve.

An unsung Canadian exploitation classic originally brought to American screens by Lloyd Kaufman’s Troma Entertainment, East End Hustle is a sordid crime saga that finds an unexpected balance of horror and humanity. Reuniting director Frank Vitale with his key collaborators from the acclaimed Montreal Main, this gritty, unblinking revenge saga anticipates future genre staples like Ms .45 and The Ladies Club. Fueled by an urgent sense of danger and a memorably funky, synth-laden score by noted screenwriter Len Blum (Meatballs), East End Hustle is a ‘70s gem like no other.

Special Features:

• 4K UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range

• Newly scanned and restored in 4K from the 35mm original camera negative by Canadian International Pictures with sound transferred from the original 35mm optical track

• Audio commentary featuring Paul Corupe of Canuxploitation.com and film historian Jason Pichonsky

• East End Director (2023, 18 min.) – New interview with writer-director Frank Vitale

• The Art Bug (2023, 8 min.) – Vitale on Montreal Main and his career before East End Hustle

• East End Troma (2023, 14 min.) – New interview with distributor Lloyd Kaufman • Kaufman’s Canada (2023, 5 min.) – Kaufman reflects on his Canadian connections

• Renegade Films (2023, 10 min.) – New interview with writer Bill Brownstein on Cinépix and its co-founder John Dunning

• Audio interview with composer Len Blum (2023, 15 min.)

• Theatrical trailer

• Booklet featuring a new essay by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

• Reversible cover artwork

• English SDH subtitles