World Famous Comics: Angel Heart (Special Edition)
Angel Heart (Special Edition)
Starring: Mickey Rourke, Robert De Niro, Lisa Bonet, Charlotte Rampling, Stocker Fontelieu Directed By: Alan Parker Average Rating: Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Audience Rating: R (Restricted) Binding: DVD Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC Number of Items: 1 Region Code: 1 Release Date: May 18, 2004 Running Time: 113 minutes Studio: Lions Gate Theatrical Release Date: March 06, 1987
Product Description: HARRY ANGEL IS A TOUGH NEW YORK DETECTIVE PITTED AGAINST THEMOST FEARSOME ADVERSARY POSSIBLE. IT IS A PROVOCATIVE AND CHILLING STORY ENTWINED IN THE WORLD OF THE OCCULT, SET INBACKWOODS NEW ORLEANS.
Amazon.com: Set in Harlem and New Orleans in 1955, this supernatural thriller stirred a brief controversy when released in 1987 because some scenes featuring Lisa Bonet (then a popular cast member of The Cosby Show) were considered too sexually explicit to be rated R. The edited material was restored for the unrated video release, and the movie now makes a fitting double bill with Fallen, with its similar plot about a sullen detective (Mickey Rourke) who is hired to find a missing person by a shady client with pointy fingernails named Louis Cyphre (Lucifer, get it?), played with subtle menace by Robert De Niro. Rourke's investigation leads him into an underworld of voodoo and forbidden desires, and as the mystery unfolds director Alan Parker fills every scene with conspicuous style and atmospheric excess, compelling critic Pauline Kael to observe that, "Parker simply doesn't have the gift of making evil seductive, and he edits like a flasher." And yet, this movie does cast a spell of its own (Roger Ebert's review was considerably more charitable), and the performances of Rourke, De Niro, Bonet, and Charlotte Rampling are well suited to the ominous mood. --Jeff Shannon
two thumbnails up ^ I am rating this movie simply for volume (there were only three other reviews). "Angel Heart" is a dandy. There's really no other movie quite like it.
A Dark, Deliciously Entertaining Masterpiece of the Macabre. ^ One of the forgotten gems of the 1980s', "Angel Heart" attracted a great deal of controversy due to its violence and sexual contebt (mostly because it involved a squeaky clean Cosby kid). 23 years later, the film remains a stylish, tightly scripted and marvellously acted combo of horror and neo-noir.
Mickey Rourke gives the most layered and dynamic performance of his career as Harold Angel, a sleazy Brooklyn private eye hired by the mysterious Louis Cyphre (a creepy, bearded Robert DeNiro) to find Johnny Favorite, a famous 1940s' crooner who mysteriously dissapeared some time ago. Apparently, Favorite backed out on a business deal with Cyphre, and Cyphre is intent on getting back what is his.
What starts out as a routine 'missing persons' case becomes a more sordid, darker affair. Those involved in Favorite's disappearance seemingly wind up dead not long after Angel interviews them. Things take a turn for the worse when Angel ventures out to New Orleans, where he encounters a voodoo preistess (Lisa Bonet) whose mother had a romantic liason with Favorite. As bodies continue to pile up and Angel becomes increasingly implicated in their murders, the truth about Favorite and Cyphre is revealed in a devasating and unpredixtable climax - one that does not bode well for Angel.
As stated earlier. "Angel Heart" is a dynamite movie. What could've been a messy attempt at combining genres works flawlessly thanks to a solid script. Rourke gives an Oscar worthy performance. He appears in every scene and is dynamite from start to finish, perfectly showcasing the evolution of Angel from confident, streetwise detective to a frightened novice in way over his head. DeNiro gives one of his most underrated performances as Louis Cyphre, and Bonet proves to be a surprisingly adept romantic interest.
Alan Parker does an amazing job as director, with lush cinematography that makes the grimy streets of Brooklyn and the dark, dank swamps of New Orleans come alive, allowing them to add as much to the development of the story as the three leads.
"Angel Heart" is a chilling supernatural thriller, and a high water mark for all those involved in its prosuction.
very good Movie ^ Great movie I already had regular DVD had to get the blu-Ray version really supenseful
Underated Period Drama in Blu ^ Set in the mid-1950s, sleazy private investigator Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) is hired by mysterious Louis Cyphre (Robert De Niro) to find a singer who owes him money. Enticed by a $5000 retainer, Angel's search leads him to a hospital which covered up the singer's release years ago, and then to New Orleans and bayou country where Angel's probe leads to voodoo worshipers and a trail of brutal ritualistic killings. Along the way, Angel manages a brief but raw encounter with the singer's young, sexy daughter played by Lisa Bonet.
The movie is entertaining to watch if you don't mind a little brutality and gore now and then, and has an interesting plot twist of deja vu and self-discovery. I did think that the glowing, piercing eyeball display on several characters at the end was silly and unnecessary, since an assoociation with the darker side of things had already been established. While De Niro's character appears mostly at the beginning and end, Rourke carries the film and gives the movie it's vitality. Charlotte Rampling also appears in a minor role.
The blu-ray transfer is mosly excellent but with typical grain in the blue/grey skies. Special features include comments by Rourke and director Alan Parker.
Tidbits: Following this 1987 film, Rourke moved on to do the sleazy Barfly with Faye Dunaway. Alan Parker, who had previously directed Midnight Express, completed the successful Mississippi Burning the following year.
Worthy Blu-Ray release of this excellent, and little known 80s gem! ^ Film: 5.0/5.0; Video: 4.0/5.0; Audio: 3.5/5.0
Obviously due to Mickey Rourke's well-earned success and critical acclaim with last year's "The Wrestler", we now receive a fairly expedient release of Alan Parker's "Angel Heart" on the Blu-Ray format, released on the long-defunct Carolco pictures from 1987.
First off I must mention that I am a big fan of this title. It is not a movie which will appeal to everyone, but I really enjoy the overall visual style and the feel (of impending doom) together with the scenery and the truly awesome music and sound cues which makes this a very original piece, and not in any way reminiscent of a typical 80s film. Coupled with a compelling story based on William Hjortsberg's novel "Falling Angel" and top-notch performances throughout makes this one well worth watching over again.
Ironically, this movie was released just before Mickey Rourke intensified his self-destructive process (which coincidentally is what makes "The Wrestler" so good as well, since it parallels Mickey's own strides in life over almost the same period of time covered in that film), a time which--according to his interviews--he was in the process of losing his house (the interviewer actually repeats himself over and over asking Rourke about "why he chose to make the film"). :)
I don't know if it was this pressure which brought out his performance, but nevertheless it is something to behold--especially near the end where he goes all out and almost loses his voice.
The rest of the cast is excellent as well. Lisa Bonet and Charlotte Rampling offer memorable performances, not mentioning the scene in which Bonet almost got kicked off "The Cosby Show" for doing. ;)
As for the technical quality of this release, it is quite decent. The film does show its age in certain scenes and background detail, but it is overall quite acceptable. Not much tinkering has been done to make it artificially sharper or "smoother" using DNR, edge enchancement, et al.
The sound (which is afforded a DTS HD Master Audio track) is quite good as well. Obviously the music really benefits (Courtney Pine's saxophones sound glorious). One small negative point is that it has a little muddy bass (which the original DVD also had), and some scenes did not deliver as much punch as I would have wanted to. Other than that, it was given a quite respectable treatment overall.
Dialogue was also intelligible throughout the feature--better so than many newer 90s releases which have made it onto Blu-Ray.
All in all, I can highly recommend this title if you are looking for something a little out of the ordinary. It has quite a few memorable scenes and the performances and music alone makes this a strong buy.
One of Alan Parker's best.
(On an a related note, I see to my horror that this is scheduled for a remake to be released in 2011. Why do these so-called "moviemakers" always feel the need to subject the most unique & iconic masterpieces to this abhorrent practice? Create something thoughtful & original instead. Oh wait, you're unable to as that would require some ounce of talent. My bad.)
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