Hollywood Vice Squad

With the loss of Carrie Fisher this week, I thought I would take a look back at one of her forgotten performances, the gritty, and somewhat comedic, 1986 film Hollywood Vice Squad.

There's a lot of storylines running throughout this film. The main one involves a mother, Trish Van Devere, trying to get her runaway daughter, Robin Wright, off the streets. Oddly enough, Van Devere's husband, George C. Scott, starred in the similar themed film Hardcore. Fisher plays an undercover cop posing a prostitute who's helping Van Devere.

This was directed by Penelope Spheeris. Most people know her more mainstream work like Wayne's World and The Little Rascals. But Spheeris actually cut her teeth on grittier fare like this, Suburbia, and The Boys Next Door. She has assembled a pretty terrific cast that includes Ronny Cox, Frank Gorshin, The Kentucky Fried Movie's Evan Kim, and Joey Travolta. Ok, maybe I should have said an interesting cast.

If you have ever read, or seen the movie, Postcards From The Edge, Fisher's semi autobiography, the main character is an actress playing a cop in a movie. I think that Fisher probably used her experiences on this film as a basis for that.

There's no denying that Hollywood Vice Squad is a b flick. But the cast and direction rise it above it's drive in pedigree.

It's available on dvd.