Fallen Angel

I first saw this movie when I was a child and had to sneak around my mother to watch it. The movie disturbed me enough that I searched for the title for 15 years, still remembering the movie, until I found it. This is probably not a good movie for children, since the parts I remember are not very good for small eyes to view.

Richard Masur is exceedingly creepy as a pedophile who lures youngsters into kiddie-porno films, but this vehicle for his character can't quite create a plot out of these dynamics. Masur's relationship with disenfranchised youth Dana Hill is pseudo-friendly (he's really all business), so it comes as something of a surprise when he tells her near the end that he wants to be her lover. This is not consistent with the character, nor is it likely that Hill would find any revelations shocking at this point. What the movie does well is to show Hill almost absent-mindedly falling into the porn racket, turning her from an innocent latch-key kid into someone hard and manipulative (yet the filmmakers have her go all sweet and soft at the tag, as if finding the culprit repairs most of the damage). "Fallen Angel" isn't a great TV-flick, nor has it proved to be an important one, but it does have some frank dialogue and some emotional and disturbing scenes.

I don't know how many people will recognize the name of Dana Hill, but she was a marvelous child actress from the late 70s and early 80s. She was only in a handful of onscreen projects before segueing into voice-over work. She passed away from diabetes at 32. She's probably best known as daughter Audrey in NATIONAL LAMPOON'S EUROPEAN VACATION, but I will always remember her for her extraordinary work as the daughter of Albert Finney and Diane Keaton in a film called SHOOT THE MOON. It was an awards-caliber performance that garnered raves surpassing her veteran co-stars. I will also now remember her for her brave and piercing performance in this movie. As well. The subject matter is horribly disturbing, but I'm surprised and impressed that a TV movie of this time period handled the material openly and honestly. And the cast is sensational, particularly Masur and Dillon, two magnificent character actors. It's not a comfortable sit, but I would include this along with THE BURNING BED, DAVID and SOMETHING ABOUT AMELIA as the top issue-oriented TV movies of the 80s. And, sadly, it's also one of the few chances you will have to witness this young talent who was taken away far too soon. - Jeff Marshall,.

I actually watched this movie at school of all places! It was in 1983 and I guess the school board wanted all young people to know about this disturbing topic. This movie is very tense for me to watch, I have a twelve year old daughter myself. This was a well made TV movie that I will give a solid 8/10.

I wholly disagree with the idea that the plot stalls and the behavior of "Howie" is inconsistent. The writers make it quite clear that Howard Nichols seduces both for sex and for business. What makes this movie creepy is that it is too good. The pedophile character is complex, and such a complex depiction would be unthinkable today. This is almost a period piece... It documents an era of innocence long gone. Word of warning.... don't use this film for its intended purposes... it's too bizarre for kids.