Angel, Angel, Down We Go

Exactly why this berserk horror/musical/satire about the cult lifestyle in Hollywood never caught on like Wild in the Streets or Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is anybody's guess. Jennifer Jones stars as an aging porn star whose closeted husband and loopy, overweight debutante daughter (folk singer Holly Near) are thrown into turmoil at a party one evening with the arrival of a charismatic rock singer (Jordan Christopher) and his band, including a tripped-out Roddy McDowall(!) and Lou Rawls(!!). Husband-and-wife songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil ("We Gotta Get Out of This Place") supply the unforgettable songs including the great title tune, "Lady, Lady," "Mother Lover," and of course, "The Fat Song," plus an instrumental score by Fred Karger. AIP released this shortly after the Manson murders and tastefully retitled it Cult of the Damned (the title still used on some TV screenings). Oh, and it's the only directorial effort for the great Robert Thom, the mad screenwriter who brought you Wild in the Streets, The Witch Who Came from the Sea, Death Race 2000, and the incredible Legend of Lylah Clare. Watch for it!

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