Plot: What’s it about?
Ah yes, those classic Angel movies, the ones sold on the premise of an innocent schoolgirl who also happens to be a hooker. I have to say the concept is a good one, but are these flicks the kind of wild exploitation they promise? As it turns out, they aren’t and in truth, the Angel movies pack minimal sleaze. You’ll see some naked bodies, mild violence, and sexual content, but all three have a light, brisk texture. These could have been awesome, with a snapped hooker going postal on a psychotic killer, but instead, this almost seems like an after school special series, one which fails to pull the trigger when it needs to. These movies aren’t all bad however, as some cool scenes and of course, naked bodies spice up the experience. The 80s vibe is deep in these flicks too, so fans of that decade should be pleased. All in all, these are marginal pictures that promise too much, then deliver only on basic levels. But Anchor Bay has slapped all three in one set for a decent price, plus given them all solid treatments. So if you’re a fan of 80s cinema or brisk exploitation, then you’ll want to nab The Angel Collection.
1. Angel- Molly Stewart (Donna Wilkes) is a fifteen year old high school student, one on the honor roll and with a sterling reputation. But this young woman has a darker side, as she strolls the streets at night as a prostitute. No one would ever suspect as much however, as she balances her two lives well and never allows the two to blend. But when a savage killer begins to stalk the streets, she is forced to let those worlds collide. The madman has already murdered two of her friends and as the sole eye witness, Molly has to become involved. But she plans not just to lend her help to the police, but also to go after the killer herself…
2. Avenging Angel- With the help of Lt. Andrews (Robert F. Lyons), Molly Stewart (Betsy Russell) has left the mean streets behind and started a new life for herself. She has enrolled in law school and plans to become an attorney, so that she can fight injustice from inside the system. So she seems to be on the path toward a good life, until word reaches her that Lt. Andrews has been gunned down. But Molly doesn’t plan to let the crime go unpunished, so she busts Kit Carson (Rory Calhoun) out of retirement and kicks off a revenge plot. Even with the help of old friends, can Molly serve up her usual brand of street justice?
3. Angel III- Molly Stewart (Mitzi Kapture) has been a high school student, a hooker, and a lawyer in training, but now she has embarked on yet another career. Now she works as a freelance photographer in New York, where her life has become quite serene. When she attends an art show however, she is sent for a loop when a woman looks familiar. She believes the woman is her mother and even ventures to Los Angeles to discover the truth, which is that the woman is her mother after all. Molly also learns she has a sister, but the family fun soon turns sour when she is told that her sister is in grave danger. As it happens, her sister is murdered in an explosion, which forces Molly to once again become Angel and uncover the truth…
Video: How does it look?
All three films are presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, via brand new transfers that look much better than expected. The prints have some nicks and marks, as well as grain, but have a cleaner presence than previous editions. So if you’ve suffered through VHS releases, you’ll be thrilled with these cleaner, crisper source elements. As these were low budget pictures from the 80s, you’ll notice the visuals are sometimes on the soft side, but this is to be expected and like I said, the movies look better than ever here. I found colors to be bright, with minimal fades evident, while contrast was smooth and consistent in all three cases. As is often the case, the more recent the movie, the better the visuals come across, but even the original Angel looks quite good here. So once again, Anchor Bay comes through for fans of cult cinema.
Audio: How does it sound?
All three films have basic, but effective mono soundtracks, so expect solid efforts, but nothing too memorable. The elements have some minor signs of wear, but sound clean enough in most instances. As per usual, the newer the movie, the cleaner the elements are, but all three movies have good presentations here. These films were low budget productions and that shows at times, as the dynamics don’t always work too well. So the scenes don’t have the kind of punch and drive we might like, but given the material involved, we can’t complain too much. So solid, basic efforts and in this case, that’s all we could ask for.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Angel’s disc houses deleted scenes and a couple of theatrical trailers, Avenging Angel’s disc is home to poster artwork, still photos, and some theatrical trailers, and Angel III’s platter houses some poster artwork, still photos, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
