Angel

On watching "Angel", one gets the impression that the movie could have gone one of two ways and been successful - had the filmmakers made enough of an effort. Sadly, the results are somewhat underwhelming. The most obvious way the movie could have gone is down the exploitation route. Surprisingly, there is very little that could be considered that - foul language is almost non-existent, the nudity is generally fleeting and never presented in an erotic manner, violence is not explicit, and not once we never see our heroine seriously involved in her "trade".

The other route the movie could have gone down is presenting the situation in a serious manner. Unfortunately, not much is done this way as well. We have crazy characters, but they really don't do much, nor do we learn much about them. Street life is also presented to be overall not a bad way to live. There are some believable complications that come up in the heroine's life, but once they come up they are barely dealt with. Possibly the reason for this is that the movie seems cut down seemingly from a longer cut. It would also explain why the movie at times jumps unbelievably quick from scene to scene before anything of real importance has the chance to come up.

The movie still remains strangely watchable all the same. Still, one cannot help but see so much wasted potential.

Released to critical assault(and one surprisingly enthusiastic review from Roger Ebert), ANGEL managed to glean wide audience appeal and raked in the dough. It was ingeniously marketed- "High School Honor Student by Day/Hollywood Hooker by Night" was the memorable tagline, featured with ad images of a knee-socked high school pigtailer and her high-heeled "come-hither-with-cash-in-hand" alter-ego. Our sympathetic young heroine is played on-target by Donna Wilkes(looking a hell of a lot sexier than she did on TV's HELLO LARRY a few years earlier). An eccentric supporting cast(Tyrrell and Calhoun, most notably) shine as various "creatures of the street"

On the surface, it's a fairly conformable psycho-slasher crime picture with a heapin' helping of tittie and some very dodgy scenarios. But there's a distinct tongue-in-cheek subtly underlying the obvious pastiche of ANGEL, implying a wry sendup of the base material. Too, it joyously celebrates its own trashy nature with a good sense of humor about itself, yet still maintains a steady momentum of raw tension, violent action, and crisp direction.

With the surprising box office this film generated, a string of inferior but inevitable sequels followed(without the lovely Ms. Wilkes). Next up was AVENGING ANGEL.

7.5/10

The best movie ever! OK, so its not. But trust me if your'e looking for exploitation fare at its best, this is it. I'm talking teenage prostitution, guns, the sunset strip in all its decadent glory, drag-queens, dykes, nerds, high school pressure! This movie has it all!

This isn't Shakespeare, it is what it is. The use of La is fantastic, the soundtrack is great. Director Andrew Davis ( the Fugitive) worked on the photography. Donna Wilkes (where have you gone Donna?), is simply so precious, so innocently sexy, she takes your'e breath away. Rory Calhoun, matinée idol in the '50s, is totally whacked out here, he's surreal as Kit Carson(!) Cliff Gorman does a great job as the cop whose seen too many young kids sucked into the sewer of LA, he should have gotten better parts after this. Dick Shawn, who I never really liked, is just great here, a totally sympathetic drag-queen! WOW! Susan Tyrell is awesome as always,s he repulses and fascinates in the same frame.

Angel is the type of late-night viewing that really sticks with you. The plot is complicated by a serial killer, well-played by John Diehl, and you really feel the tension build. Note the small performances in Angel, the guy who plays the street performer was in love with one of the murdered prostitutes, notice his face when he learns of her brutal death. Terrific.

Angel is well worth your trouble, sure it reaches out to the slimy pervert in all of us, but it makes you think at the same time. Is it ever worth it? To damage one person so severely just to get off?

Terrific movie.

Is it the best movie ever made? No. Is it one of the of the funniest of this genre? Yes. Definitely a must see. The story is a young prostitute meets murderer, but the supporting cast is what makes this a gem. The supporting cast includes: Rory Calhoun, as an aging western film star who still wears his holsters, boots and hat, and protects the streets; Dick Shawn as a transvestite with a heart and in one of his most hilarious roles - this was really Oscar stuff - just fun acting, no stuffiness here; and Susan Tyrrell, who steals the picture as a jaded Hollywood woman with more makeup that a tv evangelists wife. This is a film for a time when you really need to be entertained, not preached at, the film is a gas. Great late night fun flick for a group of friends. Really well done.

While not being a Hollywood triumph, Angel is a wonderful film. Showing life on the streets is a large premise of the film, it takes care to preserve some humor as well. Not in the sense that it is a funny movie, as it is not; but it shows life as... well, life.

As most people who watch movies can relate, the enjoyment of a movie is not as a critic would describe. If you can feel the emotions of the characters, you can love them. If you can relate to the characters, you can befriend them. If you can care about the characters, the writers did their job, and you are now hooked. While Angel will not likely be a model in film school as one of the great classics, nor as an example of how to make a great movie, it is a highly entertaining film. You can feel the characters, even though they are not deeply constructed. The exception being Angel herself, whom you can see the wear and tear she goes through as an honor student and a prostitute.

I firmly believe that there is a message to be heard here, a storyline full of life, fun and adventure. Granted, it is not the best kept together, it does do the trick of conveying the message of the story across. The film allows you to care for the star, feel for the star, and cry with the star. A compassionate film that has supporting cast as abstract as could be, a little far fetched, maybe... but who really knows what kind of characters are really out there on the streets. But their conveyances of who they are allows you to realize their sense of why they are there. They are scared, they need the money, or they love it. Each supporting role as different as the others, but allows you to see the richness of the film in its entirety.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film numerous times, and am sure that you will too. Regardless of critical un-acclaim, most filmgoers can still see the enjoyment in a movie. Give every movie a chance. Especially Angel, as it is one of the finer forms of the un-acclaimed heroes in rental today