mklin-50006 Vice Squad is a mean, nasty, intense and sadistic B-movie. I don't mean this as a negative, because that is exactly what the movie intends to be. Vice Squad pulls no punches and is absolutely relentless. The standout performance of this movie comes from Wings Hauser's portrayal of the the psychotic and homicidal pimp RamRod. Hauser is absolutely incredible in this movie, every second he is on screen he is frightening and menacing. He always seems like he is a half second from completely losing it, even when he is "seducing" the hooker Princess, he seems like he can hardly control himself from doing something awful. RamRod is a nightmare of a human being. If he really existed, I don't care how tough or brave you think you are, the smartest thing you could do if you encountered him would be to politely get away from him. With RamRod it's not about him being tough, it's about him being truly, truly dangerous. No empathy, no remorse and no mercy. I'm not going to go into detail about the movie. I think Vice Squad, like any other movie should just unfold in front of you. I fully realize that this movie is not for everyone and if someone told me that they thought it was disgusting and there was nothing positive about it.I would understand that. That being said, if you want to watch a cat and mouse/cop chase movie, set on the seedy streets of Los Angeles that doesn't hide its true intentions and never winks at the audience. Vice Squad has the goods.

TheLittleSongbird If one looks at my other reviews, one would be very much forgiven if they thought that 'Vice Squad' wouldn't be my style or something that would typically be watched by me. Actually have a diverse taste (or at least that's intended) in film and television, spanning all genres and decades with a wide interest in actors, actresses and directors with no bias intended.Like action-crime-dramas a good deal and while not one of my absolute favourites, 'Vice Squad' was a very enjoyable and well done film for what it was and achieved what it set out to do. It may not have the best script in the world, some of it is laughably cheesy even by 1982 standards. The ending is a bit silly and lacks the tension and suspense of the rest of the film. Gary Swanson does his best and does decently, but the rest of the characters are more colourfully written and stay in the memory longer (especially Ramrod).It didn't actually bother me, due to the entertainment value and being pleasantly surprised by how well most individual components worked, that for a film about prostitution it's fairly tame in terms of nudity and sex and that it's talkier than one would expect. It may do for others though.However, 'Vice Squad' is made with plenty of atmosphere and style, the photography is stylish and almost eerie and the editing is suitably crisp. The soundtrack is infectiously funky as well as hauntingly creepy.Story-wise, it's remarkably compelling and always goes at a snappy pace without being rushed. It's a lot of fun and is very rich in tension and suspense. The exploitation and prostitution world is certainly suitably sleazy, while the violence is relentless but never gratuitous, the film admirably doesn't hold any punches or take any prisoners which adds to the intensity. Gary Sherman directs tautly, and of the characters Ramrod and Princess (especially the former) maintain a lot of interest.Season Hubley brings a strong-willed and sassy personality to Princess. Sticking most in the memory is the star-making performance of Wings Hauser, Ramrod is one of the nastiest pieces of work one will ever find on film and Hauser chills the bone in a truly incredible performance.Overall, very enjoyable. 7/10 Bethany Cox

Andrew Towne Although I am tired of sex and violence in movies, there are times when a movie can incorporate them and still be intelligent and memorable.This is one of those movies.It is obvious that all who were involved in its production had a clear vision and executed it perfectly.The atmosphere just oozes menace and sleaze, but there are blackly humorous episodes -- such as when an aging, wealthy pervert invites a prostitute to officiate at his "funeral" in a classically ostentatious Hollywood estate complete with church pipe organ music.Such details are what make this movie, and some of them are so bizarre that -- as in life -- they must be true because no one could have thought them up.And yet they were thought up.So this movie ends up vindicating the power of imagination, as the best art must do. Okay, I'm going a bit overboard here, calling this movie "art," but let's just say it's very artful and leave it at that.I sense the influence of Stanley Kubrick in the way the movie was directed: a succession of set pieces, almost as if one were in the audience facing a stage.Now after saying all of these nice things, let me warn the potential viewer that this is indeed a brutal, disturbing and depressing movie insofar as the subject matter is concerned.It will give some people nightmares. And it will satisfy the lusts and violent desires of others.And as far as the violence goes, it is scary precisely because we know that these things really do happen to people.

Scarecrow-88 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.