Hollywood Vice Squad

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.

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)

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.

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!

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.