Angels of the City. PM Entertainment has given me nothing but joy with every single flick I've seen from them. It all started with Skyscraper, which I didn't even know it was them, just that [NOBABE]Anna Nicole Smith[/NOBABE] got nude in it. Then Shotgun, which is one of the best bad movies ever made.
I think now it has a competitor within the PM Entertainment camp, and it's this movie. Directed by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs of all people. I didn't think he was capable of this, even though he was a regular with the film company, as well as directing himself in some of their films. Quiet Fire for example, that was pretty wacky, but grounded in comparison to this. I didn't expect this kind of bonkers, especially when he's an actor first. He makes a "special guest appearance" as Jon Chance, a character that as far as I know and have seen, been in 3 movies centered on the character.
I had no idea what the plot was, and I assumed since LHJ directed the film, that he'd be the star, but no. "Special guest appearance." He co-wrote the film too, and now I question his sanity. The movie's absolutely crazy. At first it looks like the plot, such as it is, was about a sociology student getting into trouble. He fucks a prostitute named Carmen in the funniest sex scene ever. No question about it, the faces he makes are hilarious. Mick is the guy's name, and his friend Richie watches and said if she's too stretched out from him. Yeah he shagged her before, but you don't see that scene. From the start you're introduced to those two guys and two opposing prostitution rings, one ran by Lee (black guy) and another by Gold. Yep. So one would think it becomes a crazy battle between groups, silly kid is caught in the middle. By the way, that kid, Mick, is dating a blonde named Wendy. When she and Richie's girlfriend, Catherine, are introduced, it's some sorority girl pledging ritual that resembles a witch meeting. I thought it was just a random scene, the two girls are potential pledges, they have to dress like hookers and I guess survive a night in Los Angeles. They didn't have to screw.
By the time the prostitution rings meet face to face, the movie just goes completely mental. The girls stole Gold's car, it becomes all about them trying to find a phone. A fucking phone to call, because they can't find their way home, Los Angeles is too big a city to trace back I guess. They go by a black hobo, an underage group of kids that talk foul, where one of them grabs Cate's butt. A club that's a hotspot for hookers, and throughout there's a car chase, a freaking dog chase!
When the movie's first climax came in the form of an inexplicable car explosion, I was pretty much laughed out. I was so drained, it's like the movie took me by the ears, gave me a private show, and I came out broken, yet satisfied. I haven't had a movie watching experience like that since Samurai Cop a few months ago. And that's not to say other similar crazy bad films didn't live up, they did, but something about this movie puts it above many other similar films I consider absolute classics in entertainment.
After the car explosion, the movie continues the crazy, and surprisingly I laughed! I felt so exhausted, but they throw more crazy shit that it's unbelievable. Fucking black guy with glasses, dancing while presenting the delivered Chinese food. Goddamn harpoon introduced as some possession of Catherine, and you have to expect that it will be used. A love scene and relationship coming so quickly after a quick dumping of Richie, Catherine fucks her protecting officer! The harpoon is used and that's it.
I didn't mention everything, it would take too long. It's just bonkers. It's absolutely amazing. LHJ did make his special guest appearance, talking to Mick and Richie. By the way, the latter's an asshole, when arguing with Cate, he said that she makes the fact he fucked a hooker a big deal. Of course it's a big deal, dickface. And Wendy considering marrying Mick or something? The lightweight in bed cheated on her, and come on, he can't be a good lay. Oh, Wendy goes catatonic on account of a swing of a pipe by Gold, one swing, boom, her brain's gone. Cathy said she didn't do anything to Gold. You stole his fucking car! See, there's so many illogical things that have obvious logical explanations, that it's funny to correct the characters. And minor characters are just that, but then they'd add some backstory or whatever, and it's ridiculous. By the way, Wendy kisses the hooker club owner, the same Wendy that wanted to marry Mick. There's some hooker named Mary that gets her fantastical story told by Cate as part of her sociology project, she's 16, and boy did she really look like that. I don't know the actress' actual age, but damn she looked young. I don't think she's even credited, I couldn't find her on the end credits.
This is bad because now the movies I have and will see today after this won't make me laugh. Well, they might, I saw a German sex comedy that had a bit going, but this movie totally drained me. It sucks there's no extras to this, I would kill for audio commentary, especially by Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs. What the hell was he thinking?! Ah well, amazing bad film. It now joins the holy circle of entertaining bad movies: Samurai Cop, Shotgun, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, Deadly Prey, Troll 2, The Room, Miami Connection. Right now, I put it third behind The Room and Samurai Cop, it's that awesome.
I forgot to mention one of the best parts, the music! While the credits list a few different people like LHJ himself performing a song, the one voice I heard in every single song was Jastereo Coviare, who plays Gold's heavy. You wouldn't suspect a big boy like him would have an 80s girly man voice, but he had it. It was hilarious to pick up on his voice, knowing that he did the theme song to Shotgun.
