Directed by David Heavener
Review by David Carter


Released by MTI Home Video
Running Time: 90 minutes
Rating: NR
Color format: Color
Audio/Subtitles: 5.1 Dolby Digital Stereo English/Spanish Subtitles
Region Code: 1, NTSC
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen
16:9 Enhanced: No
Special Features: Director’s Commentary, behind the scenes, Bios
Trailer Online: No

Police detective is one of cinema’s most commonly used and excitingly presented careers. The more mundane details like paperwork and traffic duty are left out, so the movies have created a mythos around the profession, giving the detective a place along side such historical good guys as knights and cowboys. As with anything in cinema, what is built up by some will inevitably be brought down by others, and the “dirty cop” was born. The cop who plays by their own set of rules rather than being a bland goodie-two-shoes became a staple of action films in the seventies with films like DIRTY HARRY. Director/star David Heavener plays this type of antihero detective in his films ANGEL BLADE.

Detective Bradley Cooper received a three-month suspension for questionable tactics in bringing down a wanted criminal. Feeling unappreciated and mourning the death of his wife, Cooper didn’t return to work after the end of the suspension. The police force comes to him, though, to ask for help with a potential serial killer on the loose. The “Angel Killer” is hunting young, pregnant prostitutes and murdering them while they wear a particular pair of panties with an angel logo. Their pregnancies are believed to be part of the motive, so the trail leads to the only person who would have known they were pregnant: their social worker, Dr. Gites. Gites maintains his innocence to Cooper, who gets another lead from lingerie store where the panties were bought. While there he meets Sam, a beautiful young stripper with some strange knife fetishes. The investigation keeps leading back to Dr. Gites and one of his patients, Tyrone, who is connected to both of the victims and has a history of violence. With several potential suspects, Cooper and his fellow detectives must race to stop the killer before he can claim another victim.

ANGEL BLADE is not your typical detective versus killer film. Director Heavener has loaded the film with a sexual content rarely seen in this type of film. It’s more than just mere eye candy, however, it adds another layer to the mystery that the film sorely needed. The film does an excellent job of sprinkling red herrings throughout the plot. No less than three characters seem the most likely suspect, and Heavener gives us a shock ending that most viewers won’t be able to see coming. The film at times seems like a vehicle for Heavener, but thankfully his performance is actually quite good, so his presence is a welcome one. The film also has some good cameos from Marc Singer (BEASTMASTER), Richard Moll (NIGHT COURT), and (briefly) Margot Kidder (SUPERMAN). Film Fanaddict was provided with a barebones screener copy, but the official release has a good selection of extras, such as Heavener’s commentary and a behind the scenes featurette.

Sure, the “gritty cop hunting for a killer” scenario has been done more times than most of can remember, but there’s a reason for that: it’s entertaining. ANGEL BLADE doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means, but it will pleasantly hold your attention for an hour and a half. This film could be considered a “guilty pleasure” for film lovers. You feel like you shouldn’t enjoy it, but for some reason you do.