A strong sense of tension and perversity loom over this paranoid cop-thriller starring B-movie veteran, Wings Hauser as a compassionate policeman turned maniacal madman, Arliss Ryder. The setting is the grimy streets of Los Angeles, California (in the near future perhaps?), and a violent crime is committed every four seconds. After Ryder is wounded in the line of duty, he is approached with the proposition to join a special division of the precinct called 'Strike Squad'. Little does he know that S.Q.U.A.D. (Scum Quelling Urban Assault Division) is comprised of wounded cops that are part of an experiment headed by a sadomasochistic police chief (G. Gordon Liddy). Members of 'Squad' are implanted with a device at the base of the spine that can release man's primordial animal instincts turning them into unstoppable killing machines. Unfortunately, the botched plan results in madness followed by self-mutilation and eventual suicide. Time is running out for Ryder as he must save his sanity and his relationship, and expose the madmen behind the scheme.
This is dominated by terrific performances and an urban nightmare based atmosphere full of psycho-sexual realism. Hauser is at his most intense, and G. Gordon Liddy plays an unusually wacky character. Other memorable performances include; Alex Cord as a piercing-eyed police captain, Sy Richardson as Ryder's laughing-mad partner, Marie Chambers as an evil doctor, Lisa Robins as an aggressive prostitute, and Brion James as a demented reverend who sets fire to a pimp while preaching to his freakish followers. Ultimately, every character in this movie exhibits their own brand of darkness and insanity. This is truly a crazy film with swift direction by Gregory Dark (who's good at this sociopath satirical stuff) that never lets up on the sizzle and sleaze! Its a rare B-movie treat worth watching if you can find it in its unrated director's cut.
This is dominated by terrific performances and an urban nightmare based atmosphere full of psycho-sexual realism. Hauser is at his most intense, and G. Gordon Liddy plays an unusually wacky character. Other memorable performances include; Alex Cord as a piercing-eyed police captain, Sy Richardson as Ryder's laughing-mad partner, Marie Chambers as an evil doctor, Lisa Robins as an aggressive prostitute, and Brion James as a demented reverend who sets fire to a pimp while preaching to his freakish followers. Ultimately, every character in this movie exhibits their own brand of darkness and insanity. This is truly a crazy film with swift direction by Gregory Dark (who's good at this sociopath satirical stuff) that never lets up on the sizzle and sleaze! Its a rare B-movie treat worth watching if you can find it in its unrated director's cut.