User reviews

From the writer of minor exploitation classic "Vice Squad" comes another sleazy 80s crime flick that boasts the film debut of the future "The Princess Bride" star Robin Wright. "Vice Squad" was about a killer targeting prostitutes, but this sudo sequel focuses on a mother searching the mean streets of Hollywood to find her junkie prostitute teen daughter, Wright. Mom finds out her daughter is involved in porn, drugs and general badness, so she then works with the Hollywood Vice Squad to rescue her. Part of the squad is rookie cop Carrie Fisher, who has to go undercover into this skeezy underworld to find Wright and bust the scumbags responsible. In real life, Fisher had just gotten out of rehab and the insurance company wouldn't give her bonding coverage, so director Penelope Sepheeris ("Suburbia" "Decline of the Western Civilization") cast a close friend of Fisher's for the movie so she could make sure Fisher showed up to work each day. Fisher later satirized the production of "Hollywood Vice Squad" in her novel and screenplay for "Postcards From the Edge." But back to the movie at hand, I did enjoy the sleazy 80s grit of the film, though in terms of storytelling and characters, it's pretty weak. Still, I was definitely entertained and would recommend it for fans of similar grimy 80s action flicks (i.e. "10 to Midnight," "Angel," "Vice Squad," etc.). Ronny "Deliverance" "Robocop" Cox, Frank "The Riddler" Gorshin, Leon Isaac "Penitentiary" Kennedy, Joey "Brother of John" Travolta, and character actors H. B. "70s bald guy actor" Haggerty and Evan C. "Kentucky Fried Movie" "The Dead Pool" Kim also appear in the film.

Hollywood Vice Squad passes itself off as a comedy, even though it's really a drama. Given it's subject, it could of been a much better drama, as some bits work quite effectively, but I'm talking only a minority of scenes. The film has an interesting cast of actors, some lesser known types, like Evan Kim, and Joey Travolta, John Travolta's lesser known brother. It also stars veteran actor, Frank Gorshin, as a sleazy old pimp, well suited to his features. It also has Carrie Fisher, after her Star Wars days, a cop with potential, wanting to make a difference. Her frustration is only increased when stumbling across a kiddy porn flick being made in one of L.A.s own backyards. Ronny Cox, I guess, is kind of stereotyped here as a caring detective who tells mother (Trish Van Devere) straight out the facts on missing teenagers who go searching for their dreams. This film also has Robin Wright in one of her earlier roles, (years before becoming Mr Penn's better half) as a teen pro and junkie who works for pimp, Gorshin, (again what a sleaze). So it's up to the vice squad who must track her down, the missing teen, suspected as belonging to Gorshin's stable. Evan Kim is an asset to this movie in a parade of bad disguises, while working undercover, the last one, before the curtain comes up, a must see, though I did like the first one with as the eager sex tourist. Leon Issac Kennedy, another one of the squad, has his moments too. He plays cool, great, almost a clone of Lionel Richie. The scene in particular that convinced me mentally of this, was when one of Gorshin's women, a tall long legged hottie, strips for Leon's character, who's masquerading here as an upscale pimp, competing with Gorshin, who finds him a hoot as he does a joke, This scene is my favorite scene, that stands superior to the others, but also not forgetting the one with Ms Wright, in nightwear making out with an older client. One thing that freaked me out about the movie was Gorshin's, shockingly thin and short receptionist. Some scenes in this movie stay with me, one a raid with Fisher's mob crashing another kiddie porn flick, this one has it's youngsters in viking gear, horns and all. But this movie is really laughable, but a lot of fun too. It's a pity in one sense, as this flick showed promise, but on the other scale, it's really entertaining B grade fun, Evan and Leon as it's saving grace.

Hollywood Vice Squad mixes comedy and drama, and has three different story lines, so it changes directions quite often; too quickly in fact for the movie to be really enjoyable. The three story lines involve police efforts to break up prostitution, pornography, and bookmaking; the story involving efforts to break up a pornography ring is probably the best, with Carrie Fisher as a novice yet dedicated officer leading the investigation (Fisher seems like the only member of the cast who doesn't act like she would rather be on the set of some other film). The film switches between the three stories regularly, which makes the action hard to follow, but worse is the fact that it switches from a dramatic to comedy scene just as quickly; it makes the comedy seem less funny and the drama seem less serious. Some of the comedy scenes, while funny, appear to have been put in just to kill time and pad the film.

Hollywood Vice Squad is not totally hopeless; as mentioned, there are some really funny scenes, and the music and fashion will make you nostalgic for the mid 1980s. Overall, though, it looks more like a film that was made in a rush, and not very well. All three story lines have happy endings as well, which makes the movie pretty unrealistic compared to the realities of Hollywood. Not the worst film I ever saw, but no Citizen Kane, either.

Taken straight from "actual files of the Hollywood Vice Squad",Penelope Spheeris' fourth film tries to be both a comedy and serious drama at the same time,and fails miserably at both.The comedy doesn't work,and all the actors look like they're acting underwater,so the viewer ends up not caring what happens to any of the characters.This movie is like watching a train wreck in progress,without the adrenaline flow.

Thriller "Hollywood morality police" - the official remake of the very a good movie, Paul Schrader, "Porn". But it is secondary not only to this reason. Aspiring female director Penelope Sfiris (later shot the cult comedy "Wayne's World") has managed to remove the tape, which like all the fighters 80 at once. There is a policeman and Asian, "Squinting" for karate, and distinct characters, companions, and desperate comedians black policeman, and stupid thugs, and the chase on buses, and shotguns, single shot target to convert clumps. But with all this Sfiris handle properly and could not - it promptly inserted in his "dish" of various ingredients, but it came out not tasty broth, and a mysterious brew with a not very appetizing odor. There's even difficult to identify the main character - until the end of the story viewer and can not understand for whom he feel and who himself identified. In addition, the line pornosemok, the former Schroeder Basically, Sfiris taken away somewhere in the background and looking here (As well as many other things) the fifth wheel of the cart (or accordion on the horns goats). So the only thing in "Hollywood Vice Squad" of interest, are actors. Not because they play well, but just because they are always interesting to watch: The former "Princess Leia" from 'Star Wars' Carrie Fisher, John Travolta's brother Joey, Ronnie Cox of "Total Recall", a famous wrestler HBO Bee Haggerty and future wife, Shona Penn, Robin Wright Beauty in his first Movie parts. In addition, film in a small role of the secretary pornomagnata appears strange being under the name of Goddess Bunny - a young transvestite with cerebral palsy (kinoraritet.ru)

There's something about this movie that is a pop cultist's package of coolness! Starting with Penelope Spheeris, who is the coolest chick to come out of the Roger Corman school of film makers. Having done Suburbia, and would later go on to do The Decline Of Western Civilization doc's. And to amass Ronny Cox, Evan Kim, Joey Travolta, Carrie Fischer, Robin Wright, and The Riddler himself - Frank Gorshin as a serious sleaze ball. Anyone who knows the Zucker Bros. and movies like Airplane! and The Naked Gun should know it all goes back to Kentucky Fried Movie and "Fistful Of Yen" with Evan Kim. And lastly, the soundtrack. To have Keith Levene AND Chris Spedding doing music! Anyone who knows the history of punk rock in the 70's and the rumors it was Chris who played the guitar for Never Mind The Bullocks album, and the brilliance Keith contributed to John Lydon after The Sex Pistols broke up. The movie itself is supposedly based on 'true events', and I think is more inspired by Joseph Wambuagh's book and later movie The Choirboys than anything. Trying to marry raunchy stereotype humor with gritty topics of sex and drugs along with a few action chase scenes. The movie is like a Corman production still, as if Penelope lifted extra bucks from Roger while he was sleeping! LOL It's fast and fun, yet loose and weak. For cool mature audiences that aren't easily offended, it's a cornucopia of cult heroes having fun in a very underrated cult movie to this day! Kudos to Penelope for such a bold attempt!

With this film, co-producer Sandy Howard is obviously mining some of the same material utilized for his earlier production "Vice Squad". It purports to fictionalize some of the true life exploits of the men and women who work for the title department. It's episodic, and tells a few stories.

Pauline Stanton (Trish Van Devere) comes to California to search for her runaway daughter Lori (Robin Wright, in her film debut), and is educated by the dedicated Captain Jensen (Ronny Cox) on the sleazy nature of the Hollywood underworld. Betty Melton (Carrie Fisher) is an eager young rookie detective determined to prove herself to grunting-pig colleagues, and gets wind of a porno operation that exploits underage actors. Hawkins (Leon Isaac Kennedy) and his partner Judy (super sexy Cec Verrell) attempt to take down prostitution kingpin Walsh (Frank Gorshin), eventually assisted by Chang (Evan C. Kim) and Stevens (Joey Travolta). And Tank (H.B. Haggerty) and Daley (Ben Frank) try to look out for small time bookie Jesse (Julius Harris) who's being hassled by mobster Luchessi (Robert Miano).

Ably directed by Penelope Spheeris, the movie is hurt at times by detours into silly comedy that don't really add anything. Besides, the movie isn't quite melodramatic, ugly or trashy enough to need any sort of relief. It's still reasonably sleazy, and tells its stories in entertaining fashion. Some viewers might feel that it's a tad overlong, but it managed to hold this viewers' attention for over an hour and 41 minutes. The look for the movie is just right, and the soundtrack features some cool tunes.

The very good cast is the glue that holds it together, with Fisher a standout as the ambitious, hard-driving young woman who is willing to deviate from the "book" in order to get her man. The fine ensemble of character actors also includes Marvin Kaplan, Beau Starr, Tom Everett, Eloy Casados, and Phil Rubenstein.

As was said, this actually might not be hardcore enough for some tastes, but it's a pleasingly diverting exploitation picture just the same.

Seven out of 10.

My review was written in March 1986 after a screening on Manhattan's UES.

"Hollywood Vice Squad" is producer Sandy Howard's silly, unfunny spoof followup to his 1982 action hit "Vice Squad". Earlier film worked well as a thriller but the new one is an episodic mishmash that is strictly dullsville.

Main storyline is an elaborate in-oke taking off on Paul Schrader's "Hardcore". Pauline Stanton (Trish Van DeVere) asks the Hollywood police, led by kindly Capt. Jensen (Ronny Cox reprising his "Beverly Hills Cop" role) to help find her runaway daughter Lori (Robin Wright). (Van DeVere's real-life spouse Geroge C. Scot became mired in a similar cesspool of vice in "Hardcore".) Lori has become a hooker working for nasty James Walsh (Frank Gorshin hamming it up) and Jensen assigns several cops, led by Hawk (Leon Isaac Kennedy) to entrap Walsh as a white slaver.

Two dumb subplots also compete for attention. In one, gung-ho cop Betty Melton (Carrie Fisher enacting a "Saturday Night Live" tv skit) heads up a team trying to bust a filmmaker shooting S&M pornography with underage actors. The other has Det. Romero (H. B. Haggerty) trying to use a bookie (Julius W. Harris) to get the goods on N. Y. mob figure Luchessi (Robert Misano).

Not helped by James Docherty's vulgar, unfunny dialog, director Penelope Spheeris muffs the timing of the comedy scenes and fails to integrate exposition & dramatics with the requisite action footage. Slapdash production was filmed last summer, but an extraneous car-stunt sequence jarringly features theater marquees (displaying "Clue" and other pics) filmed much later, around Christmastime.

Tech credits are acceptable, but the musical score, mainly percussion, is a drag.

Quite an uneven and hasty balance of humour and drama totally misses the mark, despite some recognizable faces (Ronny Cox, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Frank Gorshin, Trish Van Deverve and Carrie Fisher) in the cast. The episodic screenplay that covers the Vice-Squad through Hollywood is strung together by various (but very worn out) stories (from the ridiculous (illegal bookies) to the seamy (prostitution, drug abuse), and plain kinky (Bondage pornography)) and an overload of colourful characters. There's too much going though, which makes the film less effective with its unsure mixture. The comic approach it goes for it too hysterical, and cartoony, which this overshadows the depressingly brooding context of the more serious moments. Many sequences (largely the ones trying to make laugh) are really uncalled for, and add nothing but to draw it out. Never does it set itself apart, and would've been better to sticking to one path. The pace is fair, but still lulls about it in patches. Some of the stunt work is relentlessly done, and in that over-the-top style. Penelope Spheeris' direction is busy in nature direction, but untidy and the script is cluttered with infantile and vile dialogues. The location is well presented, but it never really features much presence as it should, or becomes a potent character. Fisher's eager, headstrong performance is the pick of the lot, but it's just too bad her role is quite brief.

Without seeing this film and reading the plot outline, I can see that this is clearly a rip-off of Paul Schrader's classic film entitled, "Hardcore" starring George C. Scott from 1979. Check out this plot outline from Hardcore: "A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in California to look for his runaway teenage daughter whom is making porno films in the porno pits of Los Angeles. " Sound familiar?

What a rip off of the Scrhrader/Scott classic. It is funny to note and to Carrie Fisher's delight that there are a few references to Star Wars...watch and see, you won't believe your eyes.