Hollywood Vice Squad
by Penelope Spheeris
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Carrie Fisher, Frank Gorshin, Leon Isaac Kennedy, Ronny Cox, Trish Van DevereDirector: Penelope Spheeris
Cinematographer: Joćo Fernandes
Producer: Arnold H. Orgolini
Producer: David Witz
Producer: Mel Pearl
Producer: Sandy Howard
Producer: William Fay
Writer: James J. Docherty
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2001-03-20
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Hollywood Vice Squad
Movie Review: Though flawed, Spheeris was working her way up and it shows.
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved this film! HOLLYWOOD VICE SQUAD is not exactly a classic, but there's nary a boring minute to be found. Penelope Spheeris' training under Roger Corman's wing has come to fruition with this film. I completely agree with other reviewers who point out how corny some of the slapstick elements play, and how they don't quite mesh with the super-serious Ho and Heroin plot; but it's still entertaining. Spheeris is really flexing her muscles here with straight-forward storytelling, well designed shots (with a minor exception or two), great characters & casting, and taut editing. Her action sequences are well enough plotted, her nightmarish drug sequences are unnerving, the locations are perfect and her slap-stick (though misplaced) is executed as well as any other standard film or television of the early 80s. On the downside; the dialogue is sometimes corny and dated, as well as the grainy quality of her stock. The soundtrack by Keith Levene (The Clash, Flowers of Romance, Public Image Limited) with added elements by Chris Spedding (Roxy Music, Tom Waits, Paul McCartney and producer of the Sex Pistols first demos) is usually ridiculously rooted in the 80s. The soundtrack itself could be seen as a bit slapsticky when it shouldn't be; though the drug sequence works nicely and the alley fight has probably the first use of Great White in a soundtrack. There are a few flaws to be worked out; like the unintentionally jarring scene when the police captain and the undercover pimp and hooker are on the stairs; as the two shots don't mesh well. There's also the boom mic in several of the different undercover pimp's motel scenes and the unstable van in the "evidence lecture" scene. Then there's the worst kind of acting when a cop "runs" to a house to listen at the garage door; which can only be topped by Tom Cruise's overzealous running in THE FIRM. The one plot kink that I didn't follow, was that you could be "busted for S&M" according to Carrie Fisher's character. By far, the best performances are by Frank Gorshin and Robin Wright, to the degree that they might as well be in another film. Spheeris was working her way up and it shows.
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