Review: ‘Angel Blade’ offers seedy view of Vegas

Geoff Carter

Friday, April 5, 2002 | 10:15 a.m.

Angel Blade

Grade: *

Starring: David Heavener, Marc Singer, Margot Kidder and Louis Mandylor.

Screenplay: David Heavener.

Director: David Heavener.

Rated: Not rated; graphic violence, nudity, strong sexuality and language.

Running time: 94 minutes.

Movie times: http://www.vegas.com/movies/

The good news is that Bob Stupak makes his scene work. Our Bob has one line in David Heavener's very, very B movie "Angel Blade," playing some mysterious, wealthy weirdo, and as much as I hate to invite comment, he's a natural. I could stand to see a lot more Bob in my movies, playing roles ranging from mysterious casino owners to weirdos who may be casino owners. Or something.

Bob aside, "Angel Blade" is kind of an insult, though it's hard to say to what or whom. I mean, it's a schlock piece about a serial killer who's knocking off pregnant hookers; I didn't go into this thing expecting Mamet. It was filmed entirely in and around downtown Las Vegas, and made it look a lot more interesting than it really is: I liked the way Pierre Chemaly's camera weaved around the decaying motels of East Fremont.

And yes, Mayor Oscar Goodman makes an appearance, but it's no more demeaning than his taste for Beefeater. That stuff is, like, Dad gin. No one I know drinks it, unless every bottle on the top shelf is empty.

I guess if "Angel Blade" insults anyone, it's Heavener himself. The writer, director and star of "Angel Blade" seems a good cat, funny and smart: He introduced the film at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival (at Palms' Brenden Theatres through Wednesday) as an "erotic family movie," and scripted certain, er, punishments to his character that have to be seen to be believed. I don't know if the audience was supposed to laugh, but laugh they did, and Heavener didn't seem to mind.

It's just that the movie is so dang stoopid. You've seen dozens of films similar to this on Showtime, so-called "erotic thrillers" that should have been pornographic movies, if they had any integrity. A passel of faded actors, including Margot Kidder (who herself is an erotic psychological thriller) and Marc "The Beastmaster" Singer, chew up each other's scenery; when it comes time for the background plot elements to come forward, there's none left. The actors have eaten them all.

At this point I should mention that the film was produced locally. Revolution Filmworks, Heavener's production company, is based in Vegas, which kinda makes me wonder why he'd want to make the town look so bad: corrupt, overrun with leggy hookers and patrolled by an inept police department. Say what you will about Metro; at least they have uniforms. Heavener's character, a broken cop, only seems to own two shirts.

"Angel Blade" has a twist ending I will not reveal, because I didn't believe Heavener tried to pull it off. It's similar to pretending that a friend didn't pass gas. And I'd make a friend of anyone whose script boasted the line, "What's a slick Ph.D. like you doing in this part of Vegas?" Here's hoping that Heavener's next trip downtown won't stink up the joint.