Vice Squad

source: Vice Squad

There are a lot of people around this website – whose opinions I always respect and value – that recommended "Vice Squad" to me because they all think it's one of the grittiest, toughest and most relentless action/exploitation movies of the 80's. They are right, and I was pretty impressed with how violent and sleazy it was, but I guess I still expected it to be even MORE violent and sleazier. "Vice Squad" is particularly disturbing in its themes and the atmosphere (the story revolves on embittered prostitutes, perverted clients, abusive pimps, hardcore cops and depressing neighborhoods) but there's actually less-than-expected graphic aggression shown on screen. The scene where a sadistic pimp beats up one of his girls and abuses her with a folded coat hanger is appalling and grueling, but it largely remains suggestive. The entire story covers the events of one night on the streets of Hollywood and we're tagging along with members of the Vice Squad as if the film is some sort of reality-TV show in the style of "Cops". In fact, the movie even opens with a message stating that, even though a fictional film the events illustrated really do occur on the streets of LA almost every night. How's that for feel-good television, huh? Following the brutal murder of one of her closest friends, the experienced prostitute Princess collaborates with veteran cop Tom Walsh and his team to trap the feared and infamous pimp Ramrod. They succeed, but Ramrod escapes again during his transportation. Since Ramrod swore to avenge himself against Princess, the Vice Squad rapidly has to set up a virulent battue to catch him before he catches Princess. "Vice Squad" is a raw and depressing movie, which is exactly the kind of ambiance director Gary Sherman wanted to reflect for his epic about Hollywood after dark. The moody theme song, the sleazy bars, ramshackle motels and dark parking lots, the sober photography and even the suppressed black humor are all factors that contribute in making "Vice Squad" one of the most potent exploitation flicks of the early 80's. A movie such as this also owes a lot of its impact and reputation to the involved cast and crew members. The masterful cinematography was in the skillful hands of John Alcott (a frequent collaborator with Stanley Kubrick) and Gary Sherman proves once again – after the excellent "Raw Meat" and "Dead & Buried" that he's a multi-talented cult director. I'm seriously disappointed he wasn't offered the opportunity to shoot more and better movies after these three efforts. Sherman only returned for the lame "Poltergeist III" and a handful of TV-movies after this. The cast is sublime as well. Fans of the film endlessly praise Wings Hauser's performance as the sadistic pimp Ramrod, but he definitely deserves every positive word that is being said or written about him. Hauser is effectively menacing, crazy-eyed and maniacal. Like the DVD-cover aptly states it: it's a mind-blowing, take-no-prisoners performance.

Vice Squad easily makes the cut for my list of movies to watch when in the mood for a good laugh. Although this movie is by no means a comedy, the cast, in particular Wings Hauser, turn the serious story of murdered prostitutes into a humorous 90 minutes of bad acting and even worse clothing (Wings keeps the same tacky blue shirt on through the entire movie, and yes, thats him singing "Neon Slime" during the opening). If you look real close in the beginning, you can see Ginger is watching "The Cosby Kids" while calling Princess. If my pimp were on a murderous rampage, I know I'd be chilling in a motel with Fat Albert. Catchphrase of the film: "You're dead b**ch, you hear!? YOU'RE DEAD!"

Season Hubley was a very fine actress of the 1970s who somehow lost her way in the next decade, bottoming out with this cheapjack sleaze about a single mom-turned-prostitute working with the Los Angeles vice squad in nabbing a vicious killer pimp named Ramrod, eventually regretting her involvement after he escapes from police custody. Grindhouse fans will no doubt revel in the "neon slime" on display, yet Hubley is never too convincing jive-talking her way around street pimps, prosties, undercover cops and kinky johns. Amateurish, nasty and ugly. * from ****

Gary Sherman's sensational programmer about a psycho pimp (the always invaluable Wings Hauser) and a surreally determined hooker (Season Hubley) was the last gasp of what B movies used to be. Two oddities: yes, that's Nina Blackwood, MTV VJ, getting raped with a coat hanger. And yes, it was shot by John Alcott, better known for his work with a better-known director named Stanley Kubrick.

The sleazy side of LA street life on the Sunset strip with psychotic killer pimp Ramrod(Wings Hauser)set up by hooker Princess(Season Hubley)in cooperation with the police after he had cut up her best friend Ginger. After escaping police, Ramrod will search the strip(..with no reservations about using violence as a means for extracting Princess' whereabouts from those he questions)for Princess with one goal in mind and that's repeating what he did with Ginger on her. It's up to Tom Walsh(Gary Swanson)and the Vice squad to find Ramrod before he gets to her. The ugly, nasty side of prostitution is exposed in this thriller with Hauser effectively scary as the sicko, matched by Hubley as one tough, foul-mouthed broad. Mostly profane and unpleasant, but also fast-paced and suspenseful.

a man-child to be exact, I enjoyed this movie. I thought it was SO COOL. However, I have since grown up. And since I have, I now realize just how big a pile of dung this movie really is. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this thing. First off, the acting was not exactly Oscar worthy - more like a cast-load of Razzie-worthy performances. None of the principle actors went on to do anything that came even close to noteworthy. Wings Hauser, the bad guy of the piece, had only one role that was any good, that of a racist WWII Army Lt. in A Soldier's Story. From then he went on to eventually play a drunken former military person, who lives in a trailer and cares for his niece, on an episode of JAG. Now, I was a big fan of JAG, but that is hardly indicative of a stellar career. Season Hubley's only claim to fame was about a 3-minute part as a scared women in Escape From New York. She was killed before we even got a good look at her face - and her husband was the star of the movie. Then we have Re-Run as a sugar pimp and the unforgettable Nina Blackwood as a prostitute who was ravaged to death by Hauser's character. Other than her stint as an MTV VJ, can anyone tell me what else Nina did of note? Yeah! I couldn't either. The rest of the cast list is peppered with names whose careers ended just a couple of years after this movie. Many have never been heard from again. It is amazing how one's taste in movies can grow and refine as one gets older. I wish this was not such a stark and vivid reminder.

I enjoyed this film. Wings Hauser is so good and has such presence. When you watch him, as Ram Rod, you hate him. This film is taut and gritty. It captured street life, perfectly. I like the fact that the film doesn't linger on morality. It had quite a nihilistic feel to it. There's one particular scene, in which Season Hubley is at a bar talking 'shop' with her fellow hookers. It was a scene of pure honesty. Some women do what they've got to do to make a living and there's nothing wrong with it. Wings Hauser plays a crazed pimp, Ram Rod, who loves to punish his hookers by torturing them to death. Gary Swanson, plays a determined vice cop out to stop this psycho. When Hubley's best friend is killed by Hauser, she is blackmailed, by Swanson, to go undercover to bring this psycho pimp down. This film had such a relentless pace and it puts you on the edge of your seat. This is the type of film that graced the screens at 'The Deuce', during it's hey-day. It's a forgotten gem, an exploitation classic.

"Princess" (Season Hubley) is what is known as an "outlaw" hooker, meaning that she answers to no pimp. She's also the mother of an adorable little girl. She agrees to help intense vice detective Tom Walsh (Gary Swanson) trap a particularly evil pimp with the memorable moniker of "Ramrod" (Wings Hauser). Ramrod is a sadist who enjoys mutilating prostitutes, and has the tenacity of The Terminator. When he realizes that Princess set him up, he becomes determined to get revenge. After he makes an escape from the cops, he spends an action-packed night hunting her down. "Vice Squad" is a solid credit for the under appreciated director Gary A. Sherman. Sherman had already made two excellent fright features, "Raw Meat" and "Dead & Buried". Loathe to be typecast as a genre director, he took on this project, and does a fine job with it. He gives it great pace and entirely convincing atmosphere. This movie really does immerse its viewers in a seedy L.A. underworld. The characters are often flamboyant but believable. Cinematographer John Alcott gives everything a stylish look. To be sure, the material is plenty sleazy, but that's entirely the point. The script was written by co-executive producer Sandy Howard, Robert Vincent O'Neill (director of the exploitation classic "Angel"), and "Kenneth Peters", a pseudonym for a real life L.A. detective who provided all important technical advice. The violence is as harsh and off putting as it should be, and there's great curiosity value in discovering the various fetishes and perversions that johns are prone to enjoy. Hubley is good in the lead role; Princess may take her lumps before the story ends, but she also gives Ramrod a hell of a good fight. Swanson is likewise effective as our hard assed hero. A steady parade of familiar actors play roles big and small: Pepe Serna, Beverly Todd, original MTV VJ Nina Blackwood, Lydia Lei, Kelly Piper, Fred Berry, Michael Ensign, Jonathan Haze, Robert Miano, Stack Pierce, and Cheryl Smith. But the person who leaves the biggest impression is the excellent Hauser, who gives us a creepily charismatic villain for the ages. Furthermore, Wings also entertains us by growling and snarling the ultra catchy rock theme song "Neon Slime". This is a gem of a B movie: flashy, trashy, and most certainly *not* dull. Eight out of 10.

Let me start out by saying you just GOTTA love any movie sporting a theme song called "Neon Slime." One of the best B-Movies of the 80s. This is a great guilty pleasure type of movie, well acted, solidly directed, and very handsomely photographed for such trash, with occasional unintentionally funny dialogue. There are plenty of cliches in the "life is Hell on the streets of L.A." storyline, but director Gary Sherman keeps the pace fast, tough and violent and gets colorful performances from even the minor supporting characters. Wings Hauser makes the chief baddie, a sadistic, psychotic pimp by the name of Ramrod a real piece of work. He's right up there with other classic movie villains such as Scorpio in "Dirty Harry" and Bruce Dern's Longhair in "The Cowboys." He's truly a scumbag you'll LOVE to HATE! Note of trivia: Incidentally, Gary Swanson (as the lead cop hot on Ramrod's trail) beat Clint Eastwood to the punch by nearly two years when he uttered the line "Go ahead...make my day" to the pimp on an initial capture in one scene.