Story Line: A disturbed Las Vegas detective (Heavener) is called out of suspension to investigate serial killings involving pregnant prostitutes. Everyone is a suspect, including his new knife-wielding lover (Righetti).
Bottom Line: Lurid from the get-go and filled with orgiastic nudity and ominously glinting knives, Angel Blade creates an aura of nasty suspense uncommon among cop thrillers. Multi-hyphenate Heavener (writer, director, producer, star) aims low and hits his mark, keeping things very dark and brooding until the final plot twist in the last reel. The movie benefits from the off-the-Strip Las Vegas setting--there’s nary a slot machine in sight--and the highly videogenic cast. Things would have played a bit better with a snappier pace and cleaner transitions, but that doesn’t seem to be the point here. Nothing can redeem the dopiest plot contrivance of all (why would a pregnant woman voluntarily climb out on a roof?). The piece is punctuated with convincing sex scenes, including several with Righetti, who has a growing fan base from her regular TV appearances, The O.C. and Reunion among them. Forgiving genre fans looking for twisted thrills and copious nudity need look no further.
Erotic thriller
Color, NR (mature themes, language, violence, alcohol use, nudity, sexual situations), 95 min., DVD only $24.95
DVD: no extras
Street: May 23, Prebook: May 2
First Run: DVD premiere
Cast: David Heavener (Curse of the Maya), Amanda Righetti (TV’s The O.C.), Marc Singer (Beastmaster), Louis Mandylor (The Game of Their Lives), Richard Moll (Scary Movie 2), Margot Kidder (The Last Sign)
Director: David Heavener
MTI
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