Uncaged

Hard to imagine a worse movie than this. Doesn't even qualify as a "it's so bad it's funny" flick. I couldn't place who the lead actress was until I looked it up and realized it was the same girl from the 80's sitcom "Head of the Class". What, besides $, would make her do this?

This is a tense, tragic crime story about prostitutes caught in a territorial struggle between pimps. One pimp is psychotic and the other is just a thug. The characters are believable enough that the tension works, you can feel the danger the women are in, and feel sorry for them when their friends are hurt.

There are a few shots of strippers in a nightclub and prostitutes at work, but no more than are needed to advance the plot. This isn't a soft-porn, it's a drama.

This is a bad movie that I happen to enjoy and find entertaining. I saw it on HBO about 7 years ago, and liked it enough to tape it and watch it a few times. Yes, I know it's exploitive and sleazy, but then again I certainly wasn't bored. I actually like the ending a lot. The last few moments are actually fairly well-done.

I wonder if the writer of this had seen Streetwalkin' with John Goodman's better half, Melissa Leo in it, cause this is almost a copy. Here, the very hot black haired lead again, a retarded brother. Think Streetwalkin'. She's in love with her pimp, who's a provider. The movie starts with her humping an older guy, wildly, a younger one later on, a little too randy, accidentally rips a part of her red blouse, and comes to quick, where a second round is warranted. She's so forgiving, this beauty, I like her character in this. When stumbling upon another pro, who's been bashed severely by her pimp, she takes off with little brother, where's she insanely pursued by her man, where she finally takes refuge with a black pimp, out to fix the situation. A nasty war escalates between the two pimps. So really there's your story. This film is okay, thanks to our luscious lead who looks great in a bra and panties. The film actually becomes quite entertaining, making Streetwalkin' a somewhat dour piece. A high point in the film has a waiting customer in a car, who keeps a tire iron on the backseat. He's told to f off or words to that effect by the pro and her friend. I hated too the the pimps friend with the cap, who literally kicks the pro's when their down. I have too seen other actors play pimps better, like Dale Midkiff. Again refer Streetwalkin'.

"Uncaged", a.k.a. "Angel in Red", tells the story of a young hooker named Mickie (Leslie Bega of 'Head of the Class' and 'The Sopranos'). She lives with a mentally disabled brother, Robby (Jason Oliver, "Stand by Me"), and answers to a pimp, Sharkey (Jeffrey Dean "Negan" Morgan, in his film debut). Her relationship with Sharkey sours when he becomes more and more unhinged, and beats one of her fellow hookers to death. Sharkey escapes punishment from an underworld figure, Slash (Henry Brown, "Stepfather II"), and believing that he was set up by Mickie, spends an eventful night tracking her down for the sake of revenge.

If this sounds familiar, it's because it's essentially a remake of the earlier Roger Corman production "Streetwalkin'". Nothing new is brought to the table with this version, which doesn't offer anything memorable. It has a sufficient amount of sex, partial nudity, and violence if that's all that the potential viewer desires, but the story is now trite. The sordid goings-on, written by Catherine Cyran, are given reasonable pace by director Lisa Hunt, who took her name off the picture in favor of a male pseudonym. The movies' look is just right, there are some very sexy ladies present, and there's an omnipresent pop and rock soundtrack.

The performances are adequate to the occasion. Bega has appeal as the heroine. Morgan is amusing enough as the villain. Brown is actually pretty good, while Pamella D'Pella and Sheila Scott-Wilkenson do alright as Mickies' more experienced co-workers.

"Uncaged" is watchable, but undistinguished. Viewers are better off revisiting "Streetwalkin'" or, for that matter, the vastly superior "Vice Squad".

Five out of 10.