User reviews

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.

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

As part of my preparation for the release of Ti West's third film in his X trilogy, MAXXXINE, I'm revisiting my favorite sleazy 80s crime thrillers, such as 10 TO MIDNIGHT and VICE SQUAD. ANGEL was another favorite in this disreputable subgenera, which boasted the hard-to-ignore tagline on the VHS box, "High School Honor Student by Day. Hollywood Hooker by Night." 25-year-old Donna Wilkes plays 15-year-old prostitute Molly 'Angel' Stewart, and ANGEL would have been an interesting enough film watching her managing her two secret lives, but throw in a necrophiliac serial killer played by John Diehl (MIAMI VICE, STRIPES, THE SHIELD, etc.) and you have an enthralling trashy melodrama and thriller rolled into one! But wait, there's more! You also get a crossdressing Dick Shawn (THE PRODUCERS, IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD) as Mae, a trans prostitute who is a mother figure to Angel, Susan Tyrell (FAT CITY, CRY-BABY, FORBIDDEN ZONE) as Angel's butch lesbian landlord who Angel has convinced her mother is bedridden and simply cannot ever come to the door, and Rory Calhoun (HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE, MOTEL HELL) as a street performer impersonating Kit Carson. The colorful panoply of Hollywood Blvd. Street life has a bit of a Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland vibe to it, albeit a more "downtown" version, but in ANGEL, instead of a Wicked Witch, there's a psychotic killer knocking off hookers. John Diehl nearly steals every scene he's in as the deranged killer, but it's the way the disparate denizens of the LA streets pull together to support one another that gives this sordid film more of a heart than most films of its ilk. Steven M. Porter is particularly moving as Yoyo Charlie, a street performer who does magic while dressed as Charlie Chaplin. It's this "found family" element to the street people of ANGEL that set it apart from similar films. Don't get me wrong, this film is an utter sleaze-fest, but there's a charm to ANGEL you don't typically get in these sorts of films, which makes it one of the better examples of this subgenera, though VICE SQUAD is still the best example.

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

"Angel" can be summed up in one word "entertaining", and nothing else really matters. The story has all the makings of a lurid sexploitation film, with it's high school honor student, hooker, connection, plus a little necrophilia thrown in for good measure. It would be a mistake however to dismiss "Angel" as just another catering to "old men in raincoats" movie. Supporting characters Dick Shawn, Rory Calhoun, and Susan Tyrrell, add immeasurably, as do the seedy Hollywood Boulevard locations. Many movie stereotypes are represented including, female revenge with a big gun, gratuitous nude shower scenes, high school jocks and geeks, but it all pulls together with witty dialog and excellent character development. Even the killer, who doesn't speak until the end, is memorable. - MERK

The film Angel is one of those guilty pleasures one never gets tired of. So popular was it that a sequel was made. Unfortunately some of the cast of this one were killed and they couldn't come back.

The title role is played by Donna Wilkes who is a straight A student in school and kind of reserved, but by night she's working Hollywood Boulevard as a teenage hooker. She has an interesting but dubious reason for doing it which I cannot reveal.

She comes to the interest of LA homicide cop Cliff Gorman because he's looking for a serial slasher killer of young women on the stroll. The killer is John Diehl who likes prostitutes, but who likes them dead before he gets down to business.

This film is delicious god awful trash, but delightful because of some of the outrageous performances by some players who get a chance to really overact and strut their stuff. Susan Tyrell as a foul mouthed lesbian landlord, Dick Shawn as an aging drag queen, and Rory Calhoun who plays an old time western performer who is completely burlesquing his former western stardom in his prime, they're all just having a ball and you enjoy seeing them.

I can't rate Angel more than what I have, but if you watch it you're in for a treat.

I love this movie! Donna Wilkes does a super acting job as Angel/Molly She's the best "Angel" of them all in my book!(no offense Besty Russel, by the way I loved you in Tomboy!)The late,great, and superb Dick Shawn is funny as Angel's friend and mentor.Steve Porter is Delightful as YoYo Man. Susan Tyrell is fun as the landlord! I hope since they own the rights Anchor Bay releases all the Angel's on DVD like they did with "Tuff Turf" another great New World Movie. All in all I give it 6 out of 10.

Factoids about this stunning achievement of the cinematic arts and cherished family favorite--

* The dearly departed Dick Shawn ("Snow Miser") plays "Mae", the cross-dresser with a heart of gold and breasts of bird-seed. He's too much! Bah-dum-bump-bump!

* The dearly departed Susan Tyrell ("lots of bad movies she made cool by just being in") plays "Solly". To this day I have no idea what gender Solly was supposed to be. She wears wife-beaters and droopy trousers held up by suspenders. She shaves her eyebrows off and paints them back on Divine-style, with what looks to be a black Sharpie marker. She's lovely.

* The dearly departed Rory Calhoun (lots and LOTS of bad movies..'Motel Hell' rocks!) plays "Kit Carson". Kit is an out-of-work film cowboy who wanders the Hollywood strip decked out in full-on cowboy drag. The hat. The holster. The chaps and stirrups. The whole shebang! I think he may have been an escapee from an insane asylum or perhaps even a hardcore drug addict. It would make sense.

Oh...and there's a killer who likes to have sex with dead stuff. He's hunting down a teen-hooker who witnessed one of his murders, or something like that. There's a cop who does nothing the entire movie except look real worried. Or something. Who cares about this lame A-plot?

We want more of the matronly trannie! More of Susan Tyrell as the foul-mouthed... whatevershewas! Bring on the KooKoo-fer-CoCoPuffs Cowboy! Yeeeee-haaaw!

This movie is good and is worth a watch. It's got a heavy 80's vibe, and there are some humorous and likeable characters - although at times the main character "Angel" does seem to act overly melodramatic. I suppose it's not to the point beyond reason, however.

The movie moves at a good pace, and there are some decent action scenes. Overall, I'd say it was a quite good film. In fact, I'm actually going to view the second movie (Angel 2: Avenging Angel) immediately after I've just viewed this.

While the film does have its shortcomings, like some clichéd plot points and over-the-top drama, it manages to capture the essence of its era with a certain charm. The supporting cast adds to the overall enjoyment, providing a mix of quirky and memorable performances. If you're a fan of 80's cinema, Angel offers a nostalgic trip with enough entertainment value to keep you engaged.

It seems strange to label an exploitation cheapie like this as heartwarming, but Angel does attempt to tug at the heartstrings a bit and it mostly works. The street characters are a charming group of social outcasts and the film's message about creating your own family is moving.

All of this warmth is dribbled over a not unusual, but still exciting "killer targeting sex workers" story. It works.

Director Robert Vincent O'Neill takes us into the sleazy side of Hollywood Blvd once again, as he was also the writer of Vice Squad two years prior to this effort. The film is the story of a 15 yr old girl who is an honor student by day, and a hooker known as Angel by night. Her parents have long since split leaving her with having to trick for the money to attend her exclusive prep school. She seems more at ease with the street characters than she does in school, and she cannot hide her secret forever from the guidance counselor curious about why she has no time for after school activities. And danger lurks around every corner on the streets as a maniacal murderer is stalking young hookers and dismembering them. Will Angel be his next victim? I come to review this film with mixed emotions. Yes, I suppose it could have been much worse. But boy this thing had the potential to be much, much better. The film has many interesting characters, especially the villain who I'll get to in a moment. But the film is not paced well, and too much seems to happen in the first twenty minutes or so. Then, it settles into a melodrama about Angel and how her parents left her. And how the cop investigating the murders kind of becomes like a father figure for her. I'd have preferred this film either stick to its sleazy roots like Vice Squad did the entire time, or just make this more of a drama with a more consistently serious tone. There are some scenes of random locker room nudity that just don't belong here at all (though they are nice to look at) and they belong more in a film like Private School. I just felt the film was a re-write away from hitting all the right notes.

There are some fantastic scenes and characters, however. The killer is more than memorable. He never speaks a word until the final frame, and what he says not only describes what he's feeling, but its almost like a truism that describes the life of anyone on these streets. He's played by veteran character actor John Diehl, who you may recognize but not be able to name. I always recall him as the "Cruiser" from Stripes whose incredible ignorance provides a few good laughs. Here he looks the part, and then some. He's one scary dude. Rory Calhoun as an old Western movie hand and Dick Shawn as a hilarious drag queen steal every scene they are in. Donna Wilkes looks the part as Angel, but she cannot sell her lines when she speaks them. I'm convinced the art director for Britner Spears's video Baby One More Time got her look from Wilkes in this movie. No question about it. Cliff Gorman is pretty good as the detective in charge of the murders, but he maybe gets too much screen time. Like in Vice Squad, O'Neill seems not to trust his female lead and has to have a cop be at the center of attention in many scenes.

The final ten minutes are a wonderful payoff. Having seen one too many of her friends murdered, Angel grabs her landlady's .44 magnum and walks the streets looking for this sicko killer. And his panicked reaction proves that he's not used to women who fight back. What an oddly arousing sight to see this little lady carrying that huge pistol down the street firing it at this guy! 6 of 10 stars.

The Hound.

Wilkes is honer student by day at an expensive prep school, hooker by night. This movie was unfairly tossed and not given a chance. An underrated gem of a movie. The film is filled with colorful characters and fairly well done. Wilkes is very appealing as Molly/Angel. Seek this movie out. I gave it an 8/10.

If anyone is at all unclear, this is an exploitation flick. As such, it goes where Hollywood tends not to dare, and there is bloody and gruesome(if somewhat vague) violence, as well as nudity(though relatively little). There is also plenty of strong language. It speaks to the lowest common denominator, it provokes, and, worth noting, it actually treats a taboo subject without really oversimplifying or downplaying it. I honestly haven't watched enough of the sub-genre to determine if that last bit is common practice, but I can imagine that it isn't. In fact, I have to wonder if this doesn't stand out from the rest of them, since I was frankly surprised that this had as much of a conscience as it did. We follow Molly, an honor student in high school, who is a prostitute at night. The contrast between these aspects of her situation is well-done, and while the concept does require a moderate amount of suspension of disbelief, both "worlds" are treated to a credible portrayal. This has a decent enough plot, and the progression is fine. The pacing is good, this doesn't lose your interest for the 90 minute running time. Humor is somewhat hit and miss. With that said, this never tries too hard to get a laugh. The character gallery is colorful and memorable, including a former double for the cowboy lead for Westerns and shares tales of the stars he met and worked with during his career and a charming and sweet man who makes a living from tips, for performing yo-yo tricks on the street. Acting varies, Wilkes does pretty well, and has you believing in the role. The music isn't bad. I would call this a thriller before an action movie, since there is so not that much of the latter. Don't get me wrong, however, what there is is entertaining enough. I recommend this to anyone who thinks they might enjoy it. 6/10

"Angel" is a good an example of the kind of lower budget thrillers they made in the '80s. They tell the story well and somehow manage to leave most of the expected sleaze out. Angel is a teenage hooker who never turns any tricks. They were wise to leave that kind of stuff out of the movie. The cast does a nice job for the most part. Unfortunately, the weakest link is Angel herself, Donna Wilkes. Wilkes is not dreamy enough for the role and her performance is okay at best. Dick Shawn, on the other hand, does a nice job in a role that could have otherwise been kind of embarrassing. All in all, "Angel" isn't such a bad way to spend an evening. Honorable mention: the locker room scenes.

Just one look at the poster for this film, which depicts its winsome star Donna Wilkes both as pig-tailed, 15-year-old high-school student Molly and hot-pants wearing Hollywood hooker Angel, and it is clear that the film has bags of sleazy potential: after all, isn't under-age prostitution always a winner? Factor in the film's vicious serial killer angle, the seedy locale, and a whole menagerie of LA weirdos, and this could easily have been an essential slice of hard-hitting 80s exploitation. Sadly, this is not quite the case...

If one is to believe Angel's writer/director Robert Vincent O'Neill, Hollywood Boulevard circa 1984 was a gaudy wonderland where, even if one's dreams didn't come true, there was still friendship to be found among the kind-hearted hookers and lovable oddballs who walked the streets at night; psycho killer aside, everyone in the film is essentially a good soul despite their outwards appearance or dubious life choices. While O'Neill's rather rose-tinted view of Hollywood and his affection for his characters gives the film heart, it also seriously undermines its ability to act as a truly gritty shocker.

Particularly notable is the reluctance to depict Angel actually plying her trade, as if doing so might make the viewer less sympathetic towards her plight; she spends most of her time chatting to friends, and the one time she actually picks up a john, the scene is cut short before any hanky panky can take place (in fact, virtually all the nudity in this film occurs in the girls locker room at Angel's high school, and none of it is from Wilkes!). O'Neill also kindly spares his viewers the pain of seeing any of the oh-so-undeserving murder victims dispatched in detail, meaning that the film is disappointingly light on gore.

The good news is that, even though Angel frustratingly wimps out on the stronger stuff, thereby denying it legendary status, the film still offers plenty for it to warrant a viewing: John Diehl makes for a convincingly deranged killer; Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, and Rory Calhoun give strong supporting performances; cinematographer Andrew Davis effectively captures Hollywood's seamy vibe; and last but not least, there's the undeniable appeal of Donna Wilkes who, whether in school uniform or slutty work attire, looks gorgeous throughout.

Angel is a movie with a provocative poster. A high school student by day and a hooker by night, an underage one as well.

Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) is a 15 year old girl living alone in a Hollywood apartment. Her father went away and then her mother left her. To make ends meet she has been a prostitute at night since she was 12 years old. In the day she is an ordinary schoolgirl.

Her new family are other hookers, transvestite Mae (Dick Shawn) and the street performers in Hollywood Boulevard where she plys her trade in the evening.

Molly finds herself in danger when she witnesses suspect who might be a serial killer (John Diehl) who has been killing prostitutes.

Detective Andrews (Cliff Gorman) discovers more about Angel's life and tries to protect her as the serial killer targets her.

Director Robert Vincent O'Neil has come along a lot as a director since he mad Blood Mania in 1970. There are some nice shots of Los Angeles. However the story is a bit of a let down.

Molly's life is too sugar coated given the desperate circumstances she found herself in. The murders themselves lack the sleazy exploitation of a grindhouse type movie. Also there seems to be no urgency from the police, the killer escapes from police custody and guns down several cops.

I can understand why it has a cult following as it has a good cast and good production values.

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.

I bought this for the, ahem, obvious reason. The DVD box cover features the original art shown here, and I'm not gonna argue with "the other PRETTY WOMAN", but I didn't expect much from the movie. Thought it might be total half-hearted trashy storyline focusing on a few nude shots. Quite a surprise to find it actually more than watchable. Which it not to say it deserves a standing ovation, there is this string of ridiculous characters that become way, way, way, ludicrously over the top, and this seriously undermines the hectic finale scene, the climactic showdown between a teenage prostitute with a .357 Magnum and the creepiest serial killer (when you see him lifting up those weights, he looked like one of those killer fish of the deep sea), a scene that really gave weight to the movie... but seriously undermined by the drivel surrounding it. Just too unreal because of all those junky characters littering the build-up.

Another movie that makes for a very interesting train wreck. Donna Wilkes did not inspire much enthusiasm at first sight, but she grows and grows on ya, really she does. The movie won me over in many ways, despite its obvious host of flaws.

The confrontation scene in the street had all the elements of a classic. What a pity about the overdoing with the ol' crossdresser and the ol' cowboy and the Hara Krishna bit. Bit less sugar on the Coco Pops in the morning, and maybe the scriptwriter wouldn't have perpetrated all those ridiculous scenes

But it is definitely worth seeing. As long as you understand it is flawed.