Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Angel Eyes Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 18, 2022

Gary Graver's "Angel Eyes" (1993) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Retromedia. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; archival program with the director; an archival episode of Fred Olen Ray's Nite Owl Theater; and bloopers. In English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The newcomer

Angel Eyes has a very particular, slightly weird sense of humor, so if you do not instantly detect it -- and I mean almost as soon as its opening credits disappear from your screen -- hit the stop button on your remote control because it is not for you. If you force yourself to endure the rest of it, you will end your day with a massive headache. This isn’t a guess. It is a warning because the headache is as inevitable as the sun rising in the East.

I don’t recall seeing Angel Eyes in the past. If I did, I forgot about it, which is an extremely unlikely scenario for a couple of different reasons. Reason one is Fred Olen Ray’s involvement with Angel Eyes. He is listed as an executive producer, which is information I immediately translate as “prepare yourself to see one of those so-bad-it-is-actually-great late-night ‘90s projects.” Reason two is the cast. Mr. Diabolik a.k.a. John Phillip Law paired with Raven a.k.a. Rachel Vickers and Monique Gabrielle? In a film titled Angel Eyes and directed by Gary Graver? This is information that sets up my expectations pretty high as well. (If you do not know who Graver is, I am sorry, but back in the days your local independent video store must have been pretty mediocre). Reason three is the production period, which is the early ‘90s, the golden era of LA boob-noir, the misunderstood offspring of LA neo-noir. The first LA boob-noir films arrived in the early ‘80s, but it took some time before guys like Andy Sidaris and Jim Wynorski perfected their appearance in the ‘90s. Ray’s name was attached to a lot of the good ones as well, so if I had seen Angel Eyes in the past not only would I have remembered it, but it is practically guaranteed that I would have kept a DVD copy of it. I checked my catalog. I don’t have any record of it, which means that I had not seen it before.

Well, now I have, and it turned out to be exactly the type of LA boob-noir gem I thought it might be. It is utterly ridiculous, fully aware that it is, and at times indescribably funny. But, as I mentioned earlier, you have to be able to appreciate its sense of humor. Here’s a quick summation of the story Angel Eyes tells:

In a quiet LA neighborhood, Steven (Law), a middle-aged real estate investor, is living the good life with his younger and seemingly sexually insatiable girlfriend Michelle (Vickers). The two have some issues, but instead of working to resolve them spend their time burning calories under the sheets. Then one sunny day, Angel (Gabrielle) rings their doorbell, announces that her mother has passed away and she is Steven’s stepdaughter and unpacks her bags in their spare bedroom because she has no other place to go. Barely able to contain her anger, Michelle urges Steven to kick her out, but he fires off a series of questions to ensure that she isn’t an imposter and agrees to let her stay a day. The day becomes a week and then, despite Michelle’s resistance, another week. Meanwhile, Steven is summoned by local drug dealer Johnny (Erik Estrada), who has been collecting debts on behalf of a big loan shark with unexpected financial troubles, and given a week to pay back what he owes. When Steven suggests that he may have to delay his payment yet again because his investments in Palm Springs have not produced the desired result, Johnny cuts the week in half. One of Steven’s business associates offers a solution -- a loan from another real estate investor -- and after a quick business dinner where Michelle makes the right impression Johnny’s money is secured. But Angel decides to permanently fix Steven’s problem in a most unexpected way.

As you can tell, the story isn’t exactly original, but this is essentially irrelevant because it is a giant ruse that allows Graver to shoot various erotic scenes. However, the participants in these erotic scenes were clearly instructed to behave as if they are in a contemporary film noir, which means that the acting is supposed to be serious but looks borderline surreal. Now, here’s the other crucial twist, which in my opinion makes the film work. Law, who is supposed to be the most experienced actor, is completely overshadowed by Vickers and Gabrielle, even though they are not doing much else other than dropping their clothes as often as possible. Needless to say, the result is a hilariously weird ‘90s LA boob-noir gem.

Angel Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Angel Eyes arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Retromedia Entertainment Group Inc.

The release is apparently sourced from a new master that was struck from the original camera negatives. On my system, Angel Eyes looked quite good, often actually very good, but I think that ideally its visuals could be even more impressive. For example, there are some areas with light but noticeable black crush (see screencaptures #5, 14, 15). Some background nuances could struggle to reveal themselves as well, though I must also mention that the limitations of the production probably contribute a bit as well. Still, in an ideal world the original camera negatives should be able to produce a superior end product, which in this case would have been the new master. Color balance is very good. However, this is another area where the effect of the black crushing I mentioned above is very easy to recognize. Density levels are very good. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. The encoding could have been better, but even on a larger screen the visuals hold up rather well. I did not notice any large cuts, debris, warped, or torn frames to report in our review. My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Angel Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are not provided for the main feature.

Angel Eyes has a predictably moody soundtrack that strengthens its odd atmosphere but does not produce any memorable contrasts. I am not at all surprised that this is the case because these types of '90s soundtracks were done with limited resources and then mixed as quickly as possible. The dialog is very clear, clean, and easy to follow.

Angel Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Gary Graver Remembers - in this archival program, director/cinematographer Gary Graver discusses his early days in the film business and various experiences with the legendary Lon Chaney Jr. In English, not subtitled. (12 min).

• Blooper Reel - a couple of hilarious bloopers. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Nite Owl Theater - an archival episode of Fred Olen Ray's Nite Owl Theater promoting Angel Eyes and other exciting goodies. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Nite Owl Theater Bloopers - in English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Trailer - a newly remastered trailer for Angel Eyes. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Angel Eyes Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you have enjoyed the various Andy Sidaris and Jim Wynorski genre films that have appeared on Blu-ray, it is practically guaranteed that you are going to have a good time with Gary Graver's Angel Eyes. It comes from the '90s and it is a hilariously weird sexy thriller starring Mr. Diabolik a.k.a. John Phillip Law as a real estate investor running out of time to repay a large sum of money to a local loan shark. This recent release from Retromedia is sourced from an exclusive new master struck from the original camera negatives and is Region-Free. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.