Just like New York's Times Square, Sunset Strip in Los Angeles suffered a fall from greatness, the once-glamorous evening destination becoming completely obsolete in the early 80s. Situated just outside of L.A.'s jurisdiction, casinos and nightclubs sprouted up since pre-war years to take advantage of the minimal law enforcement. But in the wake of the economic crisis of the 70s, the area rapidly degenerated into street prostitution, drug dealing and strip clubs. The only cinemas were sleazy local theaters (grindhouses) where junkies and prostitutes found refuge in screenings of exploitation films, some of them depicting the neighborhood's deterioration.

With the enticing subtitle:"High school honor student by day… Hollywood hooker by night!", Angel was one of the biggest hits in the circuit. A 15-year-old schoolgirl leads a seemingly ordinary life making good grades and playing the obedient child. Nothing could be further from the truth: once night falls she slips into an alternate reality of pantyhose and lipstick, stalking the streets of Sunset Strip for clients. But a psychopath killer has a bone to pick with the local prostitutes and suddenly our teenage heroine finds herself in the eye of the storm. The frail Donna Wilkes convincingly portrays a young teen despite her mature 24 years of age. Dark as the subject may suggest, the film actually has a comedic edge thanks to some colorful supporting characters.

On an entirely different note, there's the sinister Vice Squad, written by the director of Angel. Aside from a few similarites between the two films, this time the director opts for uncomprimisingly brutal violence. The prostitutes of Sunset Strip suffer a reign of terror under the ultra-violent pimp Ramrod, terrifyingly portrayed by the excellent Wings Hauser. After he murders one of the girls in a particularly gruesome and bestial way, the prostitute Princess decides to collaborate with the police. They manage to corner him only for him to escape and, with the cops at his heels, chase after Princess through the neon-lit underbelly of Los Angeles.