Wings Hauser’s 10 Best Movies, Ranked

A self-proclaimed “working class actor,” Wings Hauser would arrive in Hollywood as a single dad, with a newborn kid, a bag of diapers, and nothing else, living in a vacant garage with his daughter. Wings would find a few roles throughout the 70s, having a significant break with 1982’s Vice Squad, resulting in continued work. His career would range from A to Z grade cinema, and he would even step into the director’s seat, making several movies for the infamous action studio PM Entertainment. Through his ups and downs, and regardless of the production size, Hauser brought everything to the set and always left a lasting impression on those he worked with and his fans.

Wings Hauser had unending charisma, bringing intensity and controlled madness to his roles. He played fearless heroes, broken cops, killers, and heroes. Pinning down Wings to a single role that defines his talent is impossible. He was that versatile. He passed his acting chops onto his son, Cole Hauser, who you may recognize for his role as Rip Wheeler onYellowstone. Wings Hauser passed away on March 20th, 2025, leaving behind an impressive career. Here are his best films.

10

‘Vice Squad’ (1982)

Los Angeles businesswoman-turned-sex worker Princess (Season Hubley) walks the streets of Sunset Boulevard to support herself and her son. When her best friend Ginger is killed by her sadistic pimp, Ramrod (Wings Hauser), she finds herself coerced by Vice Squad Sergeant Tom Walsh (Gary Swanson) into helping the police put an end to Ramrod’s stranglehold on sex trafficking.

One Hell of a Debut For Wings Hauser

Wings Hauser’s breakthrough role remains one of his most notable, playing Ramrod, a psychotic and unhinged pimp who acts as the film’s antagonist. Here, he brings a despicable intensity that would become quintessential to many of his characters throughout his career. At the same time, it showed his ability to fully embrace and approach a character with nuance, not just to become a cartoonish version of a ‘baddie.’ Despite being third-billed Wings Hauser steals the show whenever his Ramrod saunters onto the screen.

You can stream Vice Squad (1982) for free on Tubi.

9

‘The Wind’ (1986)

Crime novelist Sian Anderson (Meg Foster) rents a house in a remote Greek village to work on her latest project. Her visit starts on an ominous note, as the landlord advises her to stay indoors at night due to the high winds. Yet, it is her introduction to disgruntled handyman Phil (Wings Hauser) that puts her on edge when she suspects him to be a serial killer.

A Well-Acted Macabre Tale

Wings Hauser, matching the beats of seasoned actor Meg Foster, took a rather middling horror film in The Wind and made it into a memorable cat-and-mouse game. Wings again stepped into the antagonist role as Phil, a drunken, belligerent, confrontational caretaker who thrilled at menacing Meg Foster’s Sian Anderson. There is a certain intensity in the performance here that deviates from his other antagonist roles, more geared towards horror than action, showcasing how Hauser could adapt his strengths across different genres.

You can stream The Wind (1986) on Tubi.

8

‘Champagne and Bullets’ (1993)

A passion project from John De Hart in which he wrote, acted, and starred, Champagne and Bullets, also known as Get Even, follows a defamed cop and his partner struggling in the aftermath of their firing. The incredibly handsome, talented, and great singer (sarcasm) Rick (John De Hart) manages to bring in many ladies and get by on his charms to find continued success, while Huck (Wings Hauser) begins to spiral. Still, the two have to come together to stop a satanic cult and save John De Hurt’s girlfriend.

Even in a Vanity Project, Wings Commits to the Role

As a fan of Wings, Hauser Champagne and Bullets is a bit of a bittersweet performance in the sense that the movie itself is more of a low point in the actor’s career, a Z-grade passion project he was hired for that is laughably bad. Yet, it showcases the actor’s utter commitment and offers one of the most unhinged performances of his entire career. No role was too small for Hauser, and he approached any project with respect. Here, when he was asked to embody an alcoholic with extreme anger and mental health issues, he went all in. On the flip side, for those who adore so-bad-its-good cinema, Champagne and Bullets has become one of the most beloved among that fandom.

You can stream Champagne and Bullets on Tubi.

7

‘The Siege of Firebase Gloria’ (1989)

The Siege of Firebase Gloria

Release Date

January 27, 1989

Runtime

97 minutes

Director

Brian Trenchard-Smith

Writers

Tony Johnston

Producers

Antony I. Ginnane, Charles W. Fries, Howard Grigsby, Marilyn Ong

Cast

• 

  R. Lee Ermey

  Sgt. Maj. Bill Hafner / Narrator

• 

  Wings Hauser

  Cpl. Joseph L. ‘Nard’ DiNardo

• 
• 

  Margaret Gerard

  Capt. Kathy Flanagan, MD

Set during the Vietnam War, The Siege of Firebase Gloria follows a Marine Long Range Reconnaissance unit led by Sergeant Major Bill Hafner (R. Lee Ermey) and Corporal Joseph L. Di Nardo (Wings Hauser). The story focuses on the unit discovering a massacred village, leaving only a single child as a survivor. Taking the child to the firebase Gloria, the duo then have to prepare to fight against an oncoming Viet Cong attack.

Wings Goes To War

A surge of Vietnam War movies throughout the 1980s and early 90s oversaturated the market. As a result, the Australian-made The Siege of Firebase Gloria faded into obscurity. Yet the movie’s gritty realism does make it stand out as one of the better of the genre. At the same time, the wartime action flick provided a vehicle for Wings Hauser to tackle a more complex character. Hauser’s Corporal Joseph L. Di Nardo brings a mix of intensity appropriate for a wartime feature and humanism in exploring his relationship with the young child his unit rescues.

6

‘Mutant’ (1984)

Brothers Josh (Wings Hauser) and Mike Cameron (Lee Montgomery) find themselves stranded in a small town on their way to the Southern states. The residents of the town are weary of strangers, and as the townsfolk end up dead or becoming ill, they target the siblings. However, after his brother disappears, Josh digs deeper into what is happening, uncovering a bizarre experiment that is turning the citizens into crazed killers.

A Servicable 80’s Horror Made Notable by Wings Hauser

Mutant (1984) is a passable horror feature with an intriguing enough premise and brooding atmosphere to keep fans engaged; it is nowhere near an ’80s classic, but it is one of those films a horror fan won’t be upset about investing time in. This is a somewhat odd role for Hauser because it is very restrained and somewhat generic when looking at protagonists in horror films.

Yet, Mutant remains an essential entry in his filmography, showing his versatility, and it was not the case that he had a limited skill set that often made him typecast throughout his career. Here, he plays well with the rest of the cast, leaning more into his natural charm, which was often overshadowed by his more eccentric roles.

You can stream Mutant (1984) on Tubi or Plex.

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5

‘Living To Die’ (1990)

Living To Die

Release Date

December 8, 1990

Runtime

84 minutes

Director

Wings Hauser

Writers

Stephen Smoke

Producers

Joseph Merhi

Cast

• 
• 

  Wings Hauser

  Nick Carpenter

• 

  Asher Brauner

  Edward ‘Eddie’ Minton

• 

Burned-out P.I. Nick Carpenter (Wings Hauser) becomes entangled in a web of lies when an old friend, Asher Brauner, reaches out to him after he starts to get blackmailed over the death of a sex worker. However, as Carpenter begins to investigate, he learns that the murder may be a ruse to manipulate various parties for personal gain.

Wings Hauser Directs Himself

Wings Hauser’s pairing with the legendary (to those in the know) PM Entertainment studio gave him free rein to craft a few of their action movies as both star and director. These films offer insight into Wings’s creativity behind the camera and his willingness to further push the over-the-top and gritty persona he had been fine-tuning in various B-movie roles under other filmmakers. Overindulgence can sometimes be a fault, but for Wings Hauser, it allowed him to thrive and entirely give into the absurdity of the strung-out and assertive Nick Carpenter.

4

‘The Carpenter’ (1988)

Upon being released back home from a mental health facility, housewife Alice Jarett (Lynne Adams) struggles to feel comfortable back in her own home with her overbearing husband. However, she finds an odd friendship with a hired carpenter (Wings Hauser), who, in turn, treats her with respect and kindness. When people around Alice end up dead, she slowly begins to expect the carpenter, but their friendship stops her from intervening in his heinous murders.

Wings Delivers Murder With a Smile

The Carpenter is a low-budget gem of a horror flick, lost in the annals of Canadian oddities. The premise is original and intriguing enough to draw the attention of most horror fans: a sympathetic killer who plays friend to the character who would typically be the target. Still, Wing Hauser’s performance as the titular carpenter elevates the entire production. A friendly working man, to a friendly killer who loves working on both wood and body parts, is a gleefully absurd thing to bear witness to.

3

‘L.A. Bounty’ (1989)

A hardened ex-cop turned bounty hunter, Ruger (Sybil Danning) has a long and sorted history with one of L.A.’s most notorious criminals, Cavanaugh (Wings Hauser). So, when Cavanaugh and his gang kidnap a mayoral candidate, Ruger uses the case to finally take down the vicious mobster. This personal vendetta puts Ruger at odds with the police, Cavanaugh, and his henchmen, forcing her to fight off both sides.

Wings Hauser’s Most Villainous Role

Pairing Wings Hauser with an excellent femme fatale was a formula for success. In L.A. Bounty, his co-starring role with Sybil Danning marks one of the best matchups of his career. Danning’s strong, silent persona as the movie’s protagonist contrasts with Wings’ overly expressive and explosive character as an antagonist. Hauser is also at his most cruel in this villainous role, allowing him to embody a more vicious character than in other productions. For action fans, this one also delivers an abundance of car explosions, shootouts, and fisticuffs.

You can stream L.A. Bounty on Tubi or Plex.

2

‘The Art of Dying’ (1991)

An obsessive cinematographer and filmmakers lure in women under the guise of work only to murder them. The case goes to Detective Jack, who has a soft spot for the struggling actors who get chewed up by the Hollywood system. As people he knows on a personal level start showing up dead, Jack begins a sharp mental decline as he delves into the underbelly of Hollywood to catch a killer.

A Gritty Crime Drama With Wings In Front and Behind the Camera

Another film that saw Wings Hauser in the director’s seat of a PM Entertainment movie, The Art of Dying, is a gritty action flick with its routes in noir and exploitation cinema. There is an emphasis on sleaze and dark humor in this one, with Wings Hauser once again allowing his character to be overly indulgent and over the top. The Art of Dying’s grim nature is unpalatable in a modern-day context. Still, looking at it just under the scope of Hauser’s performance, it is an unforgettable entry in his filmography.

You can stream Art of Dying on Plex.

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1

‘Street Asylum’ (1990)

Street Asylum

Release Date

June 6, 1990

Runtime

94 minutes

Director

Gregory Dark

Writers

John Powers

Producers

Russell Hampshire, Walter Gernert

Cast

• 

  Alex Cord

  Capt. Bill Quinton

• 

  Wings Hauser

  Arliss Ryder

• 
• 

  Sy Richardson

  Sgt. ‘Joker’ Tatum

A dystopian sci-fi thriller, Street Asylum, presents a city on the verge of collapse due to high crime rates and a failing political system. A new mayor steps in with a task force meant to clean up the streets. Sargent Arliss Ryder (Wings Hauser) gets forced from the force into the newly formed group known as S.Q.U.A.D. but soon finds himself overwhelmed by a string of partners who seem bent on causing chaos and disobeying the law to get their bounties. As Arliss begins to notice himself losing his temper, he unravels a plot that sees implants in squad members purposely pushing them into violence.

From Cool and Collected to Unhinged

Street Asylum may not be the most polished action film Wings Hauser has been involved in, and a certain level of silliness makes it hard to take seriously. Still focusing on the acting, Street Asylum gives Wings Hauser the perfect character arc to flex his skills. From an earnest police officer dealing with unhinged partners to slowly losing his sanity and succumbing to the same violent tendencies, this film captures the actor’s range unlike any of his performances, even if the movie itself is somewhat “mid.”