Watch Angel For Free

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

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

In 1984 this 'Hollywood teen hooker' drama was among the last of the truly great films of exploitation cinema. The story of Molly Stewart, the pretty, 15 year-old girl who attends a posh private school by day, but walks Hollywood Blvd. by night as a hooker named 'Angel', remains captivating to this day. The film has it all; a bit of sleaze, a bit of melodrama, and also a particularly creepy serial killer, who likes to make love to his victims... after he kills them! But as others have commented, the thing that makes this oddball film work, is the assortment of eccentric characters that hang out on the Boulevard after dark. Molly/Angel's friends include a couple of sweet & giggly "valley girl" type teen hookers, as well as a big old cross-dresser who comes up with some hysterical one-liners, but who also cares a great deal forAngel. Not to mention that punked out landlady, and an aging cowboy who still wears his rhinestone outfits, and who also looks out for Angel. These people are likable, and it is surprising to find such character development in a film like this. And Donna Wilkes, as Angel/Molly is a very sympathetic and likable character. It is hard to believe that Wilkes was in her 20's at the time of filming, as she really does look like a teen here. Also worth mentioning is Hollywood Blvd. itself, as the Hollywood street becomes a character of it's own. Early 80's Hollywood is real eye candy, especially in this film. The dramatic elements really work here as well. The uncomfortable but sweet father/daughter relationship that develops between Angel and a police detective is handled surprisingly well. And when her classmates at her posh school find out about Molly's secret life, it is sad indeed. The sleaze element is definitely here, but it is more suggestion than graphic scenes of violence and nudity. The storyline of a necro serial killer hunting prostitutes could have been filmed in a vulgar and explicit fashion. But director Robert Vincent O'Neil avoids the more exploitative imagery, which disappoints some people, who are expecting endless amounts of rape and bloodshed. Personally I like my share of violence and soft core sex, but I really didn't miss it in this film, because it is actually a good movie. Therefore it doesn't need the heavy handed exploitation to hold ones attention. Plus the lack of real sleaze somehow makes the film more legitimate. 'Angel' works all the way through to it's climax of revenge; a wild shootout on the streets of Hollywood, with a crazed Angel hunting the man who murdered her friends. Since this film, there have been no less than 3 sequels, that are pretty much worthless, and Angel is played by a different no-talent bimbo every time. But this original is the real deal, a classic 80's cult time capsule.

*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*I bought this video for three bucks. You don't know how long I've been staring at the video box cover of "Angel" and wondering when I was going to get around to watching it. The front cover of "Angel" is pure exploitation. It has Angel on the left side of the cover wearing pigtails and holding some schoolbooks. The right side of the front cover has Angel in high heels and a short red skirt. The tag line is "High School Honor Student by day. Hollywood Hooker by night." Classic! This is a film that no sleazy film lover could possibly resist.One thing you can say about the tag line for "Angel": It didn't lie. So Angel is a high school honor student by day and a Hollywood hooker by night. She hangs out with other ladies of the night and tries to earn some money. A mad killer is stalking Hollywood Blvd. and wants to slice and dice some hookers. Angel won't stand for it. She's got a gun that's bigger than she is and she can't wait to use it.Well, I wanted to love this movie but it just wasn't sleazy enough for me. I should have known the video box cover was too good to be true. The main problem with "Angel" is that Angel does not get naked. Does NOT get naked. I found this to be troublesome since she was supposed to be a Hollywood hooker. Not only that, she doesn't have any sex scenes in the entire movie. No sex scenes for a Hollywood hooker movie? She even says at one point, "I've had sex with hundreds of men…" When was that Angel? Was that in a different movie? Why is Angel being so shy?That's the basic problem with "Angel". It's trying to be a real movie when it should have been sticking to being extra sleazy. "Angel" gets pretty emotional for a Hollywood hooker flick. Angel tends to cry a lot about her family life or lack thereof. Not to seem heartless but I don't really want to see Angel weeping uncontrollably. There are a few scenes of gratuitous female nudity at the high school locker room and some decent fight scenes but overall "Angel" was kind of a letdown.Great video box cover. So-so B-flick.

Pure 80's exploitation, I remember (sadly) at the age of 9, after seeing this film that being a hooker might be fun, as this movie so plainly tries to make it out to be, as long as you dodge knife-wielding psychos & make sure you get straight A's & make sure your "two worlds don't collide"! Yes,I'm being sarcastic but i truly love this & the other great hookers-in-peril 80's film Vice Squad (which is a way more serious film). Donna Wilkes ( who in my opinion should have stayed in the business, she was a very good actress.) is in fine form as the main character Angel, the high school honor student by day, Hollywood Blvd hooker by night whose 2 worlds start to collide as a psycho with a knife starts to target her hooker comrades (one who is played very well by another underrated B-movie actress from the 80's & also one half of the Motley Crue backup vocalist group named the Nasty Habits, that toured with the Crue in the late 80's on their Girls Girls Girls tour, Donna McDanel)& as she's the only one to witness the guy picking up her soon to be murdered friend, the police want to her to identify him.Also, great is the late actors Rory Calhoun & the truly wonderful Dick Shawn (in one of the truly greatest drag queen performances of all time)as her friends from the street who think her mom's an invalid & she hooks to help them both survive. Also great is Susan Tyrell as Sally the landlady. The only thing that disappointed me about this films( as their were like 4 or 5 more sequels) is that they always replaced the actress to play the character of Angel with a different actress each time. Why didn't they just get Donna Wilkes? Betsy Russell, nor Mitzi Kapture did her justice not the way Ms Wilkes did. If you like 80's cult films this is a must-see. I must say though when I moved to Hollywood for a brief period in 2000 & in 2001, I never saw any prostitutes on Hollywood Blvd not like all of the ones i saw in 80's films?????? **** out of *****