Pink Angels (1972). Tagline: “It's New!
It's Wild! Catch the Pink Angels ... if you can!”
I’m using this period of
enforced social isolation to explore the weirder corners of YouTube for long
forgotten and obscure movies. (my boyfriend Pal is accompanying me only semi-willingly). Now
this is a real oddity: an el cheapo grindhouse / exploitation road trip comedy
about an outlaw gay biker gang crossing the coast to get to Los Angeles in time
for a drag queen ball and the wacky mishaps they encounter along the way (getting
harassed by pigs – I mean, cops; clashing with “straight” establishment society;
feuding with a nastier rival heterosexual biker gang).
Quick thoughts: the
film-making is cheerfully inept (the weird “cold opening” seemingly bears no
relation to the rest of the film, for example. The scenes of the buffoon-ish
far-right military general are clearly spliced-in from a completely different
movie which explains why he never interacts with any of the main characters), but
it has a nice sun-kissed look, the dialogue feels improvised, the cast is
certainly game for a laugh, and it packs a loopy, meandering and amiable charm
for most of its 81-minutes.
Having said that: while Pink Angels’ representation
of homosexuality is broadly positive, its tasteless, tone-deaf embracing of swishy
stereotypes, the preponderance of bare female boobs (but zero male nudity) and
the fact that the gay bikers bicker queenily among themselves but don’t seem
to have sex lives reveals it was never intended for a gay audience and was definitely
made by heterosexuals for heterosexuals. Also: the soundtrack of generic groovy
hippie rock music grates after a while.
One major caveat: the abruptly violent (if
obviously fake) shock-o-rama ending completely at odds with the tone of the preceding
film concludes things on a “what the fuck?” downer. (One plausible theory
floating online: the money ran out before a “proper” ending for Pink Angels was
filmed, and this grimly downbeat Easy Riders-influenced conclusion was “tacked-on”
afterwards). One major plus: the commanding John Alderman (1934 – 1987) as side-burned,
leather-jacketed leader of the Pink Angels is a smouldering hunk and John
Hamm-level handsome. Apparently, his wayward acting career encompassed theatre,
low-budget exploitation flicks (including 1973 blaxploitation film Cleopatra
Jones), mainstream movies (Escape from the Planet of the Apes) and even
hardcore (hetero) porn! Sadly, he died aged 52 of a heart attack.
/ Screen grab via /
Watch Pink Angels here.
No comments:
Post a Comment