Runtime: 94 minutes
Directed by: Robert Vincent O'Neil
Starring: Donna Wilkes, Cliff Gorman, Susan Tyrrell, Dick Shawn, Rory Calhoun
From: New World Pictures
No, I don't know either why this was on Joe Bob's Halloween Hoedown. Then again I guess it was on me for extrapolating and just presuming it would be two horror films.
This was watched as it aired on Shudder last night during that special. Of course, beforehand I had no idea if one or both of the films Mr. Briggs would be airing I had seen before, or would WANT to see for the first time. Even if I watch exclusively horror the rest of the month-which I won't be-it is clear I won't be able to see everything that I'd like to. But enough about my worries and quirks; those can always be seen after this month barring streaming availability. At least now I've created a list of prospective motion pictures.
OK, so a “necrophilia hooker killer” is pretty scary and the finale is on Halloween. But that won't go on my big list for this time of year... even if that list in the past has had such things as Halloween cartoons and even trick or treat PSAs. Be that as it may, I don't mind seeing this for the first time as I've known about this sleazy picture for years and I figured it would at least provide me laughs, which it did at times. After all, it's a story of a 15 year old girl who's an honors student yet at night she is a prostitute who walks the streets of downtown Los Angeles & her friends include an old time movie cowboy in Rory Calhoun who appears as if he's a cosplay Sam Elliott and Dick Shawn as “a trans hooker” which is 80's stereotypical yet to a dumb straight guy like me wasn't offensive or aged as poorly as it could have. The same goes for Susan Tyrrell as a lesbian painter who has some garish painted-on eyebrows.
Plus, we're supposed to like this 15 year old because she's only ho'ing on the streets so she can afford to attend a private high school and she has a tragic backstory. Yep, this is sleaze. “That guy” actor John Diehl is the serial killer and yeah he actually is into necrophilia. It's a film where the titular Angel was played by Donna Wilkes, who was 24 playing 15 while the rest of the high school students must have been at least 24 and did look their age. This is not as good (or grimy) as Vice Squad, yet at least this did try to give these characters personality and paint them as more than just one dimensional. Diehl as the villain was the highlight; like the killer in Fear City-a REALLY sleazy picture-it is a silent character who obviously has issues with women considering they figuratively or literally (like Diehl did) have an O-face whenever they murder a member of the fairer sex. He is never not creepy, whether or not he engages in some implausible things.
Then again, this isn't the most logical motion picture even for something involving a 15 year old honors student who does tricks to earn money. Then again, if you watch something with such a premise, you should know what you're going to get. I imagine a triple feature one night of this, Fear City and Vice Squad would be one hell of a trashy night. This movie is still fine as it was amusing while having some heart and having nice performances/cool interactions between experienced actors. As for why I did not watch the second movie that Joe Bob showed, I knew there'd be trouble when I saw the Halloween Hoedown was scheduled in a SIX hour block. During this movie there were several L-O-N-G breaks where David Gordon Green was interviewed. It wasn't uninteresting, yet to be blunt it was absurd that this started at 9 PM Eastern and the second film (Terror Train) did not begin until after midnight. Later this month Terror Train will be watched, promise.
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