Streetwalkin'

The concept of "Streetwalkin''" isn't new. Throughout the 70s and 80s there were lots of exploitation movies depicting the gritty and disturbing nightlife in the back-alley streets of big cities like New York and Los Angeles. It doesn't matter if there are many, though, because every rough and realistic portrait of street prostitution is worth seeing.

So, yes, the many comparisons between this one and "Vice Squad" (1982) are justified. And, again yes, the latter is better and even more impactful. That still doesn't mean "Streetwalkin'" doesn't come recommended as well.

"Streetwalkin'", written and directed by Joan Freeman, teaches us at least two valuable lessons. One: when you're a runaway teenage girl and your name is Cookie, then you don't have to worry about finding a suitable street name. Two: if you want to teach a cruel pimp a lesson, you better make sure he's dead, otherwise he'll turn into a mad psycho with only blood-vengeance on his mind. Poor Cookie, her kid brother, and a few of her colleagues must battle for survival after she rejects her maniacal pimp, Duke.

Strong performances from the ensemble cast, the authentic grim atmosphere, and a handful of uncompromisingly violent sequences make this a strong & memorable mid 80s drama/thriller. Melissa Leo is terrific as the vulnerable Cookie, but the most forceful performances come from Dale Midkiff (as the psychotic pimp) and Julie Newmar (as the elderly, wise, and experienced street flower).

A forgotten gem. Melissa Leo is awesome. And Leon is the smoothest pimp ever put on screen.

If you're looking for a film about "the life" -- there are better.

But if you're looking for a moody piece that will make you feel nostalgic for 80's NYC, I can't think of many better.

New York in the '70s and '80s wasn't like it is now: in those days, the trash strewn street corners were crawling with hookers, rent boys, pimps, vigilantes, muggers, psychos, rapists and flick-knife wielding gang members, and every cinema - I mean EVERY cinema - showed either hardcore porn, or grindhouse flicks like Streetwalkin', a prime slice of mid-'80s exploitation that revels in the filth and sleaze of the 'big apple'.

The film opens as pretty redhead teenage runaway Cookie (Melissa Leo) and her younger brother Tim (Randall Batinkoff) arrive in the city, where they are immediately approached by eagle-eyed pimp Duke (Dale Midkiff), who befriends the desperate kids. It's not long before Cookie is working for Duke, selling her nubile young bod to desperate johns. Cookie eventually sees Duke for the maniac he really is when fellow working girl Heather is beaten to a pulp by the psycho pimp. Cookie seeks help from another pimp, Jason (Leon), who sends his men to take care of Duke. However, the men mess up and Duke escapes, seething with anger and looking for revenge.

If you're a fan of gritty 'life on the streets' movies like Vice Squad and Angel, then you know what to expect from Streetwalkin': it's got the high school dropout ho, the experienced prossie with a heart (played by TV's Catwoman Julie Newmar), a jive talkin' Antonio 'Huggy Bear' Fargas, gun-toting pimps, pimp vs pimp fisticuffs, and a masochistic john, with plenty of drug-use, violence and nudity. For those who wish to wallow in the grime and filth of a New York that is no more, this one more than delivers the goods. You can almost smell the sewers...

7/10.

The film isn't bad. The problem is you've seen it all before. "Vice Squad" (1982), "Angel" (1984), "Boulevard" (1994). Nothing new here. On top of being a rehash of every pimps and ho's movie out there, Dale Midkiff as the pimp comes across as a "lite" version of Wings Hauser's "Ramrod" in "Vice Squad". One big plus for "Streetwalkin" is Julie Newmar being cast as the street wise matron hooker. Other than that, the movie follows the standard script, new girl comes to town, meets mister charming, gets sucked into the "life', finds out the reality, reacts to the brutality. If you haven't seen "Vice Squad" then you might appreciate "Streetwalkin" a bit more, otherwise this is pretty tame stuff compared to "Wings" outrageous portrayal as the brutal pimp "Ramrod". - MERK

I have to agree with the other reviewers on here that I would probably like this more if I had not seen Vice Squad before this. Streetwalking is very similar to Vice Squad, but is not as gripping or as well done. The guy who plays the pimp Duke in this film is soft compared to Ram Rod. I must admit though that Wings Hauser's performance as Ram Rod is hard to beat. Even so, this film is definitely not bad at all and is pretty good for what it is. This Roger Corman production is pretty realistic and gritty and is a pretty downbeat depiction of the life of a prostitute. I thought the leading lady Melissa Leo was stunning and sympathetic as the ill fated cookie and her performance was pretty good. Actually the actiing was fairly good across the board. Anthony Fargas had a small, but very memorable role as a pimp. In my opinion, he should have had a bigger part, but made the best of the limited screen time he had here. Overall Streetwalking is a pretty decent watch, but is missing something that could have made this great.