Vice Squad (1982)

Vice Squad (1982)

“Come on scumbag, make your move — make my day.”

Synopsis:
A gutsy prostitute (Season Hubley) assists a detective (Gary Swanson) in cornering a psychopathic pimp (Wings Hauser) — but when Hauser breaks loose from his captors, Hubley’s life is on the line.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Prostitutes and Gigolos
  • Revenge
  • Undercover Cops and Agents

Response to Peary’s Review:
Peary writes that this “sleazy sexploitation film” is “another film which gives the wrong impression that all street hookers are model types” — but this doesn’t quite ring true; yes, Hubley and her close friends are beautiful:

… but director Gary Sherman includes plenty of panning shots depicting the array of deglamorized activity going down at night on the streets of Hollywood, and Hubley’s murdered friend (Nina Blackwood) is shown in quite a sorry state.

Hubley herself is actually a refreshingly (if foolheartedly) bold female protagonist who more than holds her own with “Hauser’s scary villain” — “someone you’ll love to hate” (indeed, he seems to have a minor cult following based on this flick alone).

Peary accurately notes that the film is “extremely brutal and unpleasant, particularly the finale” — though I believe modern film fanatics won’t find it particularly over-the-top. Favorite odd scene: the toe-sucking request.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Season Hubley as Princess
  • John Alcott’s cinematography of sleazy Hollywood

Must See?
No, but it’s worth a look for its cult status.

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3 thoughts on “Vice Squad (1982)

  1. Back in 1983 when this turned up on HBO it was considered very strong meat and had the added cache of MTV DJ Nina Blackburn in a small supporting role. I haven’t seen it since , alas. The US DVD from Anchor Bay is THE way to see it apparently and has a commentary track, but good luck in finding a copy at a decent price. I mainly remember Season Hubley as the strong lead and Wings Hauser as a really scary pimp. I really hope this gets a Blu-ray release.

  2. First viewing. Not must-see.

    Standard cop / hooker / pimp stuff. Efficiently done (a bit Hollywood-style – as opposed to, say, what Friedkin might’ve done) but nothing unique. Ultimately, it starts to feel drawn out.

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