Hollywood Vice Squad

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.

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.

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.

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!

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)