Vice Squad (1982) AVCO Embassy Pictures/Action-Thriller RT: 97 minutes Rated R (pervasive language, sexual references, strong violence, nudity, sex, drugs, general sleaziness) Director: Gary Sherman Screenplay: Sandy Howard, Kenneth Peters and Robert Vincent O’Neill Music: Joe Renzetti Cinematography: John Alcott Release date: January 22, 1982 (US) Starring: Season Hubley, Gary Swanson, Wings Hauser, Pepe Serna, Beverly Todd, Joseph DiGiroloma, Maurice Emanuel, Wayne Hackett, Nina Blackwood, Sudana Bobatoon, Linda Lei, Kelly Piper, Kristoffer Anders, Joseph Barocini, Fred Berry, Tom Brent, Grand Bush, Marilyn Coleman, Michael Ensign, Hugo Stanger, Stack Pierce, Richard Wetzel, Lyla Graham, Ark Wong. Box Office: $13.2 million (US)
Rating: ****
Talk about sleaze, Vice Squad absolutely swims in it and nearly drowns too. Filmed on location on L.A.’s Sunset Strip, the opening prologue states, “The motion picture you are about to see has been produced with the cooperation of law enforcement authorities. Though a work of fiction, it is a composite of events that have actually taken place on the streets of Hollywood.” It seems realistic to me. From the moment I first saw the trailer (before Sharky’s Machine), I knew I’d love it. It looked cool to my 14YO eyes. Naturally, it was number one on my parents’ OMDB (Over My Dead Body) list. I didn’t see it until summer ’84 when it showed on Cinemax. Just as I thought, it was GREAT!
The main story centers on Princess (Hubley, Hardcore), a seasoned prostitute planning to leave the life and begin anew with her young daughter in San Diego. First, she has unfinished business with vice cop Tom Walsh (Swanson, The Guardian) concerning a drug bust that could land her in jail for a few years if he doesn’t clear her record. He needs her to help him nail Ramrod (Hauser, Deadly Force), a violent pimp with a penchant for beating and slashing his girls with a “pimp stick”- i.e. a folded-up wire hanger. His most recent victim is Princess’ friend Ginger (MTV’s Nina Blackwood), a drug addict who dies shortly after the beating. With her assistance, Walsh makes a successful arrest. Unfortunately, Ramrod escapes en route to the police station with one goal in mind- to find and kill Princess. Walsh and his squad spend the entire night trying to locate either one of them before Ramrod can get to Princess.
Would I be exaggerating if I called Vice Squad the king of sleazy exploitation movies? I don’t think so. The lurid thriller, directed by Gary Sherman (Dead & Buried), wallows in sleaze and filth. It shows an ugly side of life most people don’t even want to think about it. Sherman never tries to sugarcoat it either. His vision is raw and real. He takes us inside the chaotic police station crowded with pimps, hookers, perverts and addicts. One underage girl is shown to be going through withdrawal. At times, Vice Squad takes on a documentary-like feel. In one scene, Walsh fills a young vice cop (Emanuel, Drum) in on the sexual terminology- e.g. “golden shower”- he’ll come across on the job. At the same time, it’s every bit an action-thriller with chases, shootouts and a psychopath cutting a bloody swath through nighttime L.A. as he seeks his prey.
As Ramrod, Hauser is evil personified. Dressed as a cowboy, he gives pimping a bad name. He thinks nothing of beating girls to a pulp or cutting the balls off another pimp for information. He’s a real sicko! Hauser is AWESOME! He doesn’t just tear up the scenery; he chews it up and spits it out too. He’s as scary (if not scarier) as any given masked homicidal maniac in any given slasher flick. Hubley is very good as Princess, an intelligent woman and single mother who only turned to prostitution after falling on hard times. She’s gotten good at code-switching, shifting between conservative mother and tough, street smart hooker. Hubley is believable in the role precisely because she’s not a Hollywood superstar (although she should have been). She keeps it real in degrading scenes like when she fights an unsatisfied client who wants a refund. Right before that, look at her expressionless face as they have sex. It’s a business transaction NOT an act of love. It reminds me of Jane Fonda in Klute. Swanson effectively plays a hardened detective who’s seen and heard it all. He thinks the Strip is a cesspool filled with human garbage. He’s like an 80s version of a tough 40s gumshoe.
The cinematography by John Alcott (Fort Apache the Bronx) is a definite highlight of Vice Squad. He beautifully captures the essence of the dirty, neon-lit streets of the Strip at night with its dive bars, dark alleys, crummy hotels and colorful characters- e.g. flashy pimps, sassy hookers, crazy street people, junkies, angry cops, etc. Sherman keeps things moving along nicely with a fair amount of suspense and violent action. The song used in the opening and end credits “Neon Slime” is sung by Hauser, formerly the lead singer of psychedelic folk rock band Vision of Sunshine. It perfectly sets the vulgar, OTT tone of the movie.
I LOVE Vice Squad! I know, it’s sick and it dwells on human degradation. I get that. I think it’s a fun movie, custom made for grungy urban grindhouse theaters. It also has a sense of humor. Two of Walsh’s men, Mendez (Serna, Scarface) and Kowalski (DiGiroloma), aren’t exactly model cops. They get their asses kicked by an elderly Asian man in one scene. It’s a good way to balance out the constant threat of Ramrod hunting for his prey. The bottom line is that Vice Squad is GREAT! It’s violent, exciting, thrilling and surprisingly well made with its lurid color scheme. It’s pure 80s cinematic goodness; it wouldn’t get made today.
