Just perfect...

The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Vice Squad is a hard hitting, gritty, realistic look of life on the streets. Very low budget, but very high quality production. This very mean and action packed tale of sleazy darkness is one film that surely made its mark. Starring Season Hubley, the first wife of Kurt Russell and in this film she is ultra sexy Hollywood hooker Princess. When Princess works with vice cop (played by Gary Swanson) to set up psycho pimp Ram Rod goes awry. Gary Swanson and his team of cops need to find Princess or Ram Rod before Ram Rod finds Princess and gets his sweet revenge on her. While being ultra dirty and sleazy picture, it also is very sharp looking and well shot. Courtesy of Stanley Kubrick's fave director of photography John Alcott. Who was DP on Barry Lyndon, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange and now Vice Squad. The entire cast gave strong performances, but Wings Hauser gives an exceptional balls out performance as Elvis loving, hot tempered maniac cowboy pimp Ram Rod. Easily one of the best villains I have ever seen. Director Gary Sherman made an excellent film that made some waves when it was released. It also influenced many film makers (big and small) to come and holds up as an awesome, classic brutal movie.

Just saw it on basic cable network IFC. They ran it without interruption which is so rare these days on any cable station you don't pay extra for. I never saw it in the eighties but I can't believe that none of these actors never became HUGE stars! Wings Hauser's portrayal of a no-nonsense pimp is the second greatest villain performance I have ever seen, right behind the deranged killer in Dirty Harry. I agree with the positive comments by the others folks reviewing this virtually unknown B-Movie. Some of the police work being inept seemed exactly like real undercover cops. An attractive woman has to be nuts to become an undercover vice-cop! I was on the edge of my seat! I've visited these streets and can't help believing that the mid-town L.A.~Hollywood streets are really like this at night

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.

...doesn't mean it's a GOOD film however.Hooker Princess (Season Hubley) is turning tricks to get money to be with her baby girl. Vice squad policeman Tom Walsh (Gary Swanson) talks her into trapping sadistic pimp Ramrod (hoo boy!) played by Wings Hauser. It works...but Ramrod escapes and is out to get Princess...Alternately dull and sleazy with some truly terrible dialogue. The plot is just silly--Swanson falls in love with Hubley (sigh) and offers to PAY her to stay off the streets!!!! All the prostitutes look like models and all sit around and tell amusing stories of their tricks (????). Makes prostitution look like fun. Also would the entire vice squad REALLY drop everything to search for Princess and Ramrod like they do here? I don't think so. SPOILER!!!! It gets REAL sick at the end when Hauser finally corners her...too sick. I do like how she fights back though--I was tempted to cheer her along. END SPOILER!!!!The film is terrible but it does have an audience. There are a few reasons--Hubley is VERY good in her role; Hauser is just terrific--and frightening as Ramrod and you gotta admire how incredibly sleazy an R rated film can get. Still it's really not that good and Swanson is dreadful as the cop. Also look for ex MTV DJ Nina Blackwood as a hooker. I give this a 6.