Future Oscar winner Melissa Leo is radiant here in a very early big screen appearance. She plays "Cookie", a runaway girl, who's fleeing an abusive stepfather and pitiless mother, along with her younger brother Tim (Randall Batinkoff). Almost immediately after arriving at the Port Authority bus terminal, she's targeted by a pimp named Duke (Dale Midkiff of "Pet Sematary"). Grateful that he gives the two of them a place to stay, she's soon turning tricks for the guy, but turns sour on him when he brutally beats her friend Heather (Deborah Offner). When she thinks of switching pimps, things escalate to the point where he's spending an eventful night tracking her down, intending on doling out some serious punishment.

While "Streetwalkin'" is to be commended for being reasonably sleazy and offering an appropriately grim look at the whole world of hookers and pimps, there's really nothing that's special here. The ladies all look great, of course. Julie Newmar of 'Batman' fame shows that she could still turn heads at 50 something years of age, and gives a solid performance as a worldly veteran prostitute. Writer / producer Robert Alden and writer / director Joan Freeman maintain a respectable enough pace, use their locations well, and create the right look for the movie with cinematographer Steven Fierberg. Leo is an appealing protagonist, and Midkiff is definitely amusing as a creep who won't be deterred from his mission. He takes a lot of abuse on his way to the inevitable showdown. Leon, Antonio Fargas, Annie Golden, Khandi Alexander, Julie Cohen, Greg Germann, and Kirk "The Giggler" Taylor round out a decent supporting cast. This viewer particularly liked singer Golden as the pathetic junkie hooker Phoebe.

The movie might have had more impact if it weren't so obviously reminiscent of "Vice Squad". One thing's for sure: Midkiff is no Wings Hauser.

Six out of 10.

If you missed out on the 1980s sleaze disco scene this movie is for you. All the standard pimp characters are here with there assorted hos. The movie is surprisingly entertaining given that it is a rehash of every hooker-on-the-street film out there. It's not dull, which is the worst sin of an exploitation film. There was surprisingly good acting all around and I'd give almost all these actors a pardon for being in this film. The soundtrack is someone on a synth in their bedroom but that just adds to the charm. The badguy pimp Duke really outdoes himself bursting with horror-film rage and his favorite ho Cookie hands in a very decent performance as the naive happy hooker. You may want to take a shower after watching this or see a priest.

STREETWALKIN' is an '80s thriller that manages to be sleazy and suspenseful in equal measure, while at the same time providing a fitting snapshot of culture during the decade. Melissa Leo delivers a breakout turn as Cookie, a youthful prostitute who finds herself the target of psychotic pimp Dale Midkiff, who I've previously only seen playing good-guy roles. Midkiff is a revelation here, a really frightening individual and one of the stand-out antagonists I've seen in a while. The film offers plenty of grot, sleazy and nudity throughout, with sudden bursts of violence and a remorseless, TERMINATOR-style threat for our heroine. It's surprisingly watchable.