Although most people looking for the conventional "good" movie may balk at this picture's entertainment value, all I can tell you is that there's scarcely a boring moment to be had. Quintessential viewing for anyone interested in the downside of the psychedelic era with enough of writer/director Robert Thom's eloquently bad taste purple prose to keep one in a state of perpetual jawdropping incredulity.
Jennifer Jones is a washed up (though rich) movie star and former porn actress married to cynical, houseboy-shtupping Charles Aidman. Overweight and screwed up Holly Near (soon to enjoy moderate folksinging fame) is their daughter. Through her, machiavellian wannabe popstar and unstated mini-cult leader, Jordan Christopher (the young hip actor who married Sybil Burton after Richard left her for Liz), worms his way into the household. He brings along his entourage, too -- which includes Roddy McDowell and Lou Rawls! Slowly Christopher amps up his mind games, and, with the aid of plenty of psychedelics, seduces everyone in this rotten-to-the-core family. Imagine Thom remaking Pasolini's TEOREMA in the AIP drive-in mindset with Southern California literary/theater pretentions and you'll get a pretty good idea of what to expect. I won't throw in any specific spoilers but Christopher wreaks havoc with all concerned. Suffice to say a couple of characters shuffle off this mortal coil (in other words, die!). Although not possessed with as much manic energy as the previous film Thom had written for AIP -- WILD IN THE STREETS (directed by Barry Shear) -- this is much more uncompromising in its bad trip vision of Southern California upper-crust-show-biz hypocrisy and the poisonous underbelly of the then-current youth culture. An appropriate movie to come out in 1969, the same year that brought us Altamont and the Manson-killings.
WILD IN THE STREETS had done really well at the boxoffice and I suppose that's how Thom had convinced AIP to let him direct. Unfortunately ANGEL, ANGEL... flopped dismally finally rereleased as CULT OF THE DAMNED (under which title I recorded it on video off a censored, commercial interrupted USA Network showing back in the mid-80s -- it hasn't been on TV since, at least on the west coast). Apparently this wasn't one of the titles MGM/UA picked up from Orion (who in turn had picked up most American International Pictures rights). So, this is close to being a lost film -- although hopefully the producer, Jerome Katzman (?) may be out there somewhere with elements. If anyone's out there who knows him you should tell him this would probably do extremely well with a DVD release through someone like Anchor Bay or Image, companies who know how to promote great retro sixties trash.
Jennifer Jones is a washed up (though rich) movie star and former porn actress married to cynical, houseboy-shtupping Charles Aidman. Overweight and screwed up Holly Near (soon to enjoy moderate folksinging fame) is their daughter. Through her, machiavellian wannabe popstar and unstated mini-cult leader, Jordan Christopher (the young hip actor who married Sybil Burton after Richard left her for Liz), worms his way into the household. He brings along his entourage, too -- which includes Roddy McDowell and Lou Rawls! Slowly Christopher amps up his mind games, and, with the aid of plenty of psychedelics, seduces everyone in this rotten-to-the-core family. Imagine Thom remaking Pasolini's TEOREMA in the AIP drive-in mindset with Southern California literary/theater pretentions and you'll get a pretty good idea of what to expect. I won't throw in any specific spoilers but Christopher wreaks havoc with all concerned. Suffice to say a couple of characters shuffle off this mortal coil (in other words, die!). Although not possessed with as much manic energy as the previous film Thom had written for AIP -- WILD IN THE STREETS (directed by Barry Shear) -- this is much more uncompromising in its bad trip vision of Southern California upper-crust-show-biz hypocrisy and the poisonous underbelly of the then-current youth culture. An appropriate movie to come out in 1969, the same year that brought us Altamont and the Manson-killings.
WILD IN THE STREETS had done really well at the boxoffice and I suppose that's how Thom had convinced AIP to let him direct. Unfortunately ANGEL, ANGEL... flopped dismally finally rereleased as CULT OF THE DAMNED (under which title I recorded it on video off a censored, commercial interrupted USA Network showing back in the mid-80s -- it hasn't been on TV since, at least on the west coast). Apparently this wasn't one of the titles MGM/UA picked up from Orion (who in turn had picked up most American International Pictures rights). So, this is close to being a lost film -- although hopefully the producer, Jerome Katzman (?) may be out there somewhere with elements. If anyone's out there who knows him you should tell him this would probably do extremely well with a DVD release through someone like Anchor Bay or Image, companies who know how to promote great retro sixties trash.