Angel (1984)

16 Aug 2023

Rating: 3/5

Molly (played by 24-year-old Donna Wilkes) is a 15-year-old high school student who moonlights as a sex worker named Angel. Angel knows her way around thanks to her trans friend Mae (Dick Shawn), former famed cowboy Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun), and eccentric artist/landlord Dolly (Susan Tyrell)

But a meathead (John Diehl) is killing sex workers on Hollywood Blvd., and friends are disappearing nightly. The beat cops working the street aren’t getting anything done, so Angel makes her own plan

By all definitions an exploitation movie, but it manages to find heart and humor, putting the audience in a position to not only cheer on revenge but to cheer on the characters we get to know

Yes, they bury their trans character Mae. Dick Shawn’s improv and performance elevate the character to the best in the movie

No surprise the action looks great, as it’s filmed by Andrew Davis, who went on to direct action hits The Fugitive, Chain Reaction, and Holes

This movie is a genre mashup stew, and manages to do a good job blending it. Color me surprised!

Stray Thoughts


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