1984's Angel has been on my to watch list for some time now. I finally got around to it. For those of you that don't know about this cult classic, Angel follows the story of Molly, a straight-A honor student by day, and street walking Angel by night. As a serial killer begins targeting prostitutes, Molly finds herself swept up in events that culminates in a bloody showdown in this sexploitation flick. I only knew this movie by its cult reputation, and original trailer, but you can watch the full thing here.
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| "Angel" press photo. Source: Wikipedia |
Angel was co-written and directed by Robert Vincent O'Neil. From what I've seen online, Angel is the work he's best known for, and I haven't seen any of his other works.
Cast
Donna Wilkes stars as the titular Angel, and it's her best known role. While the original movies spawned several sequels, she retired from acting not long after shooting this flick. Donna holds her own as the movie's lead alongside its ensemble cast. They work hard to empathize Molly's young age in the movie, putting Donna in pigtails, frilly socks, and other affectations to center her youth.
Cliff Gorman plays a LAPD detective investigating the killings. While watching, I thought the actor had a lazy eye. I was wrong. Gorman actually has a glass eye, and it sometimes proves distracting in his scenes. I think he nailed the vibe of a tough city detective, and brought a noir edge to his character.
Western legend Rory Calhoun supports the main cast of characters as Kit Carson, a Hollywood cowboy legend of the silver screen. And honestly, his is one of the best characters in a movie loaded with great characters.
Susan Tyrrell is Solly Mosler, Angel's eccentric painterly landlord, who shows up later in the movie than the main cast of street characters, but she is sure to eat up her screen time with a spirited portrayal. I wish her character had more screentime.
Dick Shawn plays Mae, a streetwise drag queen and prostitute who serves as a parental figure to Molly. Dick is blessed with some of the best dialogue in the movie. For this movie being made in its time, Mae's character is surprisingly well served. I just wish they could've taught Dick how to better walk in heels.
Plot
The core story of Angel centers on Molly, an honor student in high school. Abandoned by her parents, Molly turned to prostitution at age twelve to make ends meet. She survives with the help of her friends, a colorful cast of street people from all walks of life.
After a serial killer murders a sex worker close to Angel, Molly and friends band together after an unhelpful police response. Things culminate in a final showdown, where the killer is put down for good.
My Thoughts on Angel
First, I can see why this is a cult classic! A solid piece of B-movie schlock, Angel thrives on the grimy streets of 80s LA. Mostly shot on location within Los Angeles, Angel shows us the bygone LA of yesteryear, with a healthy layer of grit underneath the city's glitter. There are many great framing shots of the city, as a well as long shots down the Boulevard. It captures a look of the city that's mostly long forgotten, but reminds me of the time I spent there years and years ago.
Angel has a solid soundtrack, largely supported by synth and written by Craig Saffan. I found the scoring very pleasant, and reminds me strongly of John Carpenter's own attempts at scoring his work. I think it's one of those things you either love or hate. But you should love it.
The ensemble cast is a wonderful found family of characters, with some really solid casting throughout. Seasoned actors like Rory Calhoun and Dick Shawn are great support for the rest of the cast, and really help elevate everyone's performance when they're on screen. Dick Shawn's Mae is surprisingly well rounded in an age when queer representation was low, and typically relegated to the butt of a joke.
Angel is technically a sexploitation flick, but mostly fails to live up to the title. While there are many gratuitous topless shots throughout the movie, there is little actual sex, and the violence is relatively tame for a time when R-rated movies were pushing boundaries in this space. John Diehl does shine as the serial killer, and performs some amazing bits through method acting.
The writing and dialogue are serviceable, but definitely clumsy at times. I could feel the struggle Wilkes had with some of the lines she was delivery. But one thing that makes movies like these cult classics is the earnestness and hard work of the cast. The relative newcomers were well supported by the more seasoned members of the cast.
I enjoyed watching Angel, and the movie kept my interest through its runtime. I recommend it to those who enjoy exploitation movies, 80s movies, and anyone who wants to discover another cult classic.
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