1985 found Cecil Howard producing exceptional films on film (SNAKE EYES) and video (DANGEROUS STUFF) mediums. He would continue pressing forth mixing the two mediums throughout the rest of the decade, but Howard's one film of 1986 is a 35mm offering, and it's perhaps his strongest dramatic work outside of the FIRESTORM series. The alluring poster and video campaign of a smiling Angel gives no hint at the dark, psychological power of STAR ANGEL, the last great film to emerge from the East Coast before the industry migrated almost completely to California.
Lola Rain (Chelsea Manchester, aka "Tigr", Sharon Mitchell's real-life lover) is the world's biggest female rock singer, but her frequent boozing and sex with groupies reflects a deep unhappiness with her fame and fortune. Her manager husband, Luke Frame (Jerry Butler delivering a typically intense characterization), fears the destruction of his business because of her unprofessional behavior, and has no choice but to murder her with a mix of booze and pills. Successfully fooling the public, press, and courts into believing she committed suicide, he becomes the music industry's hottest talent manager, raking in the clients and the cash, but finds himself persistently haunted by nightmares and visions of Lola wherever he goes. His assistant-turned-lover Kate Fredericks (Colleen Brennan in perhaps her greatest adult performance, and on her way out of the biz to boot) struggles to understand why his conscience continues to play tricks on his mind. Shapely hitchhiker Terry (beautiful Angel, given a chance to kinda act) hitches a ride with Luke, and ingratiates herself into the lives of Luke and Kate, hoping to become a superstar with Luke's help. But Luke sees in her the spirit of Lola, eventually sending him spiraling over the deep end. In an almost unnecessary subplot that provides for several sex scenes, Luke's chauffeur Mario (Ron Jeremy) ponders pursuing a commitment with his loud-mouthed girlfriend Franny (always endearing Taija Rae) while he desires a few more evenings with whore Phoebe (Bambi, as Tammy Lamb). {Note: The Jeremy-Bambi footage is padding created by scenes from Howard's 1983 masterpiece SCOUNDRELS}
Anchored by a solid script by Howard's muse Anne Randall (with a story provided by adult magazine writer/SEXCAPADES and GLITTER scribe R. Allen Leider), STAR ANGEL's one fault is that it's too short! At 73 minutes, the viewer is drawn into the drama easily and while the sex indeed sizzles, one wishes there was more time spent focusing on the fascinating characters and their individual neuroses. However, even with the short running time, this is an impossible to forget viewing experience. Shot in a high scale neighborhood in New Jersey, the film, as with many Howard films, establishes an unnerving atmosphere through the eyes of its main character, Luke Frame: isolated, haunted, schizophrenic, in danger of losing his mind and his soul. Even more unique about Luke is that he's really an anti-hero. He's unlikable from the get-go. His ambitious drive for success has destroyed the one woman he has ever loved, in mind, body, and soul. Luke isn't haunted by the crime he committed, he's haunted by the love he obliterated from existence, essentially losing his soul and ensuring he will never love again. As he so eloquently puts it, "You stick one finger in Hell and it sticks to you". The hero of the movie is really Kate. All she wants is to be loved. She even pursues a lesbian encounter to fulfill her craving for affection. But it is Luke she really wants, who she will do anything for, and who she will stick by even though there is no chance he will ever return her allegiance. In the film's especially potent finale, as Kate sits with her arms around an emotionally broken Luke, there is no hope promised for any of the characters. Lola gets the last laugh.
As Luke, Jerry Butler is given a great monologue detailing his struggles to become a success in the music business. He sits by an incoherent Lola and tells her the story of a young punk kid going after his dreams, but as he looks at the star he helped to create, he realizes she will in turn become his professional destruction. Butler won acclaim and awards for his turn in Howard's SNAKE EYES the previous year, and would receive equally deserved attention for his work in STAR ANGEL. On the flip side, Colleen Brennan, in her 16th year in the film industry, really nails a rare dramatic performance in a career made up primarily of comic roles. She handles the dialog beautifully here, portraying a complex character with apparent ease, and while she is perfect in her trademark sexually insatiable moments, she also conveys a vulnerable pain as she tries to understand the love of her life. Her heartbroken facial expressions as Butler berates her and she realizes there is no hope to save him proves that in addition to being a top-notch sexual performer who delivered the goods, she was an actress who was rarely given this kind of role to exercise her thespian prowess. It's no wonder she would retire from the industry within a couple of years. She probably realized it wouldn't get much better than this.
Seek out this rare Cecil Howard film without hesitation! It's a career highlight for sure.
Lola Rain (Chelsea Manchester, aka "Tigr", Sharon Mitchell's real-life lover) is the world's biggest female rock singer, but her frequent boozing and sex with groupies reflects a deep unhappiness with her fame and fortune. Her manager husband, Luke Frame (Jerry Butler delivering a typically intense characterization), fears the destruction of his business because of her unprofessional behavior, and has no choice but to murder her with a mix of booze and pills. Successfully fooling the public, press, and courts into believing she committed suicide, he becomes the music industry's hottest talent manager, raking in the clients and the cash, but finds himself persistently haunted by nightmares and visions of Lola wherever he goes. His assistant-turned-lover Kate Fredericks (Colleen Brennan in perhaps her greatest adult performance, and on her way out of the biz to boot) struggles to understand why his conscience continues to play tricks on his mind. Shapely hitchhiker Terry (beautiful Angel, given a chance to kinda act) hitches a ride with Luke, and ingratiates herself into the lives of Luke and Kate, hoping to become a superstar with Luke's help. But Luke sees in her the spirit of Lola, eventually sending him spiraling over the deep end. In an almost unnecessary subplot that provides for several sex scenes, Luke's chauffeur Mario (Ron Jeremy) ponders pursuing a commitment with his loud-mouthed girlfriend Franny (always endearing Taija Rae) while he desires a few more evenings with whore Phoebe (Bambi, as Tammy Lamb). {Note: The Jeremy-Bambi footage is padding created by scenes from Howard's 1983 masterpiece SCOUNDRELS}
Anchored by a solid script by Howard's muse Anne Randall (with a story provided by adult magazine writer/SEXCAPADES and GLITTER scribe R. Allen Leider), STAR ANGEL's one fault is that it's too short! At 73 minutes, the viewer is drawn into the drama easily and while the sex indeed sizzles, one wishes there was more time spent focusing on the fascinating characters and their individual neuroses. However, even with the short running time, this is an impossible to forget viewing experience. Shot in a high scale neighborhood in New Jersey, the film, as with many Howard films, establishes an unnerving atmosphere through the eyes of its main character, Luke Frame: isolated, haunted, schizophrenic, in danger of losing his mind and his soul. Even more unique about Luke is that he's really an anti-hero. He's unlikable from the get-go. His ambitious drive for success has destroyed the one woman he has ever loved, in mind, body, and soul. Luke isn't haunted by the crime he committed, he's haunted by the love he obliterated from existence, essentially losing his soul and ensuring he will never love again. As he so eloquently puts it, "You stick one finger in Hell and it sticks to you". The hero of the movie is really Kate. All she wants is to be loved. She even pursues a lesbian encounter to fulfill her craving for affection. But it is Luke she really wants, who she will do anything for, and who she will stick by even though there is no chance he will ever return her allegiance. In the film's especially potent finale, as Kate sits with her arms around an emotionally broken Luke, there is no hope promised for any of the characters. Lola gets the last laugh.
As Luke, Jerry Butler is given a great monologue detailing his struggles to become a success in the music business. He sits by an incoherent Lola and tells her the story of a young punk kid going after his dreams, but as he looks at the star he helped to create, he realizes she will in turn become his professional destruction. Butler won acclaim and awards for his turn in Howard's SNAKE EYES the previous year, and would receive equally deserved attention for his work in STAR ANGEL. On the flip side, Colleen Brennan, in her 16th year in the film industry, really nails a rare dramatic performance in a career made up primarily of comic roles. She handles the dialog beautifully here, portraying a complex character with apparent ease, and while she is perfect in her trademark sexually insatiable moments, she also conveys a vulnerable pain as she tries to understand the love of her life. Her heartbroken facial expressions as Butler berates her and she realizes there is no hope to save him proves that in addition to being a top-notch sexual performer who delivered the goods, she was an actress who was rarely given this kind of role to exercise her thespian prowess. It's no wonder she would retire from the industry within a couple of years. She probably realized it wouldn't get much better than this.
Seek out this rare Cecil Howard film without hesitation! It's a career highlight for sure.