Vice Squad (1982)

[lester1/2jr]

    Wings Hauser.   That is what you will come away from this film knowing about.  He is an actor, a (terrible) singer and a force of nature.  His presence here is somewhere between  Richard Widmarks noir-era psycho villains and , say, gulf war I era Saddam hussein.   He stars in Vice Squad as Ramrod and he more than lives up to that violent sexual nickname.  Much of this movie is an "across 110th street" style cops racing crooks to get to the thing story, but there is plenty of colorful nightlife and even comedy relief along the way.  There are some head scratchers for sure:  what kind of hooker has a housekeeper?  who let this guy into the music studio to record the albums theme song?  but the crazed energy more than makes up for it.  The phrase "never a dull moment" sums it up. 

check out this most punishing of trailers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTbzw226ayw
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[soylentgreen]

VICE SQUADs continuous presence on HBO and Cinemax during the mid 80s made me the Wings Hauser fan I am today.  He raised the killer pimp bar pretty high and managing to make that sweaty pig 'john' Season Hubley beds look like a gentleman.

He hit his direct-to-video zenith in the early 90s, at which point the seedy Blockbuster by me could have very easily had their own 'Wings' section.  I couldn't get enough of this stuff.  My favorite from that stretch is one of those Pepin/Merhi gems, LIVING TO DIE where Wings goes up against Robert "The Chin" Z'Dar!

He's mentioned that he didn't do much prep for VICE SQUAD, so apparently he winged it....wang it...wung it?  All to the success of his performance, I say.

Ever see his son Cole?  Even he has that fire in him.

Lester, for a great Hauser appearance, check out Norman Mailer's film TOUGH GUYS DON'T DANCE.

[lester1/2jr]

I'm probably going to end up checking a bunch of his movies out.  Definately in the pantheon of extreme acting performances.  The Crimson Executioner from "Bloody Pit of Horrror"  comes to mind.  and maybe The Cable Guy

[ulthar]

VICE SQUAD is one of my go-to favorites.  I actually have this flick on VHS.

Wings is always fun.  Well, almost always.  Check out THE SIEGE OF FIREBASE GLORIA; it actually costars military character man R. Lee Ermey.  I recall that one being pretty good (if predictable).

[Shadow]

Wow. I remember my father taking me to see this in the theater. 1982? I was 13 years old. It was the first time I had ever heard of a golden shower. This film made quite the impact on my young mind.