ANGEL HEART - DVD review

Sometimes a film is famous for all the wrong reasons. A great example of this is 1987's "Angel Heart", a supernatural thriller that is a fine movie on its own but unfortunately had its good virtues clouded by the notoriety of one of its stars. As a young teenager coming of age in the 1980's, hearing that one of television's biggest idols was to take her clothes off in front of the camera was to say the least, the biggest news since Wham! broke up (hey you, in the back, stop snickering!). Lisa Bonet, wholesome teen star of "The Cosby Show" caused a major stir among Cosby fans (not to mention her self-appointed father figure, Bill Cosby himself) when she appeared nude in a notoriously explicit sex scene with her co-star Mickey Rourke on "Angel Heart". Bonet's stunt got her booted off "The Cosby Show" for a brief spell but she did make a return to the TV series later on. However, her movie career did not take off as expected and she has only managed to land bit parts in just a handful of movies ever since. Whatever her motivations were, whether to further her acting career into motion pictures or just to shock her fans, Bonet unwittingly relegated "Angel Heart" into a movie about her rather than have it stand on its own merits.

It is a big shame, really. English director, Alan Parker, who has possibly worked on every conceivable film genre known to man--he directed such diverse films as "Fame", "Midnight Express", "Pink Floyd: The Wall", "The Commitments", "Evita", "Mississippi Burning" and "Angela's Ashes"--is literally on fire in "Angel Heart". Parker playfully mixes up a potent dose of mysticism, eroticism and voodoo culture that manages to keep the audience on a knife's edge throughout. A supernatural thriller that keeps you guessing until the end, "Angel Heart" is based on a novel titled "Falling Angel" by a relatively unknown writer by the name of William Hjortsberg. William who, you say? Well, a little known claim to fame for Hjortsberg is that he also wrote the original screenplay for Ridley Scott's "Legend".

In paying homage to detective stories from yesteryears, Parker casts the highly underrated Mickey Rourke in a role that is tailor made just for him (another guy that I can certainly imagine in this role is Bruce Willis). Rourke easily looks as if he just woke up on the wrong side of bed without bothering to wash up or even change. Unshaven, disheveled, greasy and perhaps reeking of alcohol, Rourke is Harry Angel, a shady private dick in desperate need of a job. After receiving a call from a lawyer named Herman Winesap (Dann Florek), Angel agrees to meet with Winesap and a client of his, who wishes to engage Angel's services. Meeting in a spooky building in Harlem that is used by a devil-worshipping cult, Angel is introduced to a mysterious gentleman by the name of Louis Cyphere (Robert De Niro). Now, De Niro's role here is certainly more than peripheral, even though at first it might seem like a brief walk-on role for him.

In a setting that hints of a post-World War II era, Cyphere wants Angel to track down a man by the name of Johnny Favorite, a popular wartime-era crooner, who owes him a great debt but has been missing for years. Angel jumps at the job when Cyphere offers him $5,000, a big chunk of change for this downtrodden detective. It is a simple job, really, except for the fact that Favorite's trail has gone icy cold and Angel has to start at the last place that he was last seen in, an asylum. This is where the movie gets fascinating. We carefully follow Angel as he tracks down Favorite's last known acquaintances, from a retired doctor at the asylum to a New Orleans debutante who is a practitioner of the black arts to Favorite's former band members and finally, to a voodoo priestess. Starting his journey in snow-laden New York, Angel winds up the jazz clubs of New Orleans and then in the muggy Louisiana bayou, peeking through bushes watching a voodoo cult in sacrificial action. All this while, every clue that is revealed seems to make a strange but logical sense except for the fact that every person that Angel comes into contact with ends up meeting a horrible and gruesome end. Harry Angel suddenly finds himself embroiled in a larger and more dangerous situation that he had ever bargained for when he first took the job. Is somebody trying to clean up the mess that they left behind or is Favorite himself trying to cover his own tracks? Whatever the answer is, I assure you that it is sure worth waiting around for.

Instead of sticking to one genre, "Angel Heart" offers a fine mix of genres. Starting with a detective story in a film noir-like opening, it slowly morphs into a more familiar horror theme with bits of psychological mystery added in for good measure. The audience will certainly be captivated by this point and will be inclined to go along on a trip with Angel that turns an old-fashioned missing persons case into something far more sinister and devious.

Parker handles "Angel Heart" beautifully, imbuing it with a style that plays on both our psychological and intellectual minds. Blood flows freely throughout the film, not to mention the depiction of graphic violence, which is sure to pinch an unpleasant nerve in many of us. However, what may be seen as gory back in 1987 when the film was first released, may now be common images found in many of today's cinema fare. Jaded theatergoers today might not even flinch at the sight of the removal of a human heart or other organs. And to get our blood pumping even more, Parker infuses the film with raw and unbridled eroticism, as daringly exhibited by Bonet's character, the voodoo priestess Ephiphany Proudfoot. Watch her dance while killing and then smearing the chicken's blood across her bosoms and watch her passion rise while having sex in a leaky motel room during a blood soaked rainstorm. If I had not known beforehand that Alan Parker had directed "Angel Heart", I would have ventured a guess that it was a Paul Verhoeven film. Gratuitous sex and nudity, now that's right up Verhoeven's alley.

Other than the story, "Angel Heart" is also blessed with great performances from its leads as well as the supporting cast. Rourke is very effective in his role, getting jerked around like a helpless pawn in a supernatural game of chess. The deeper Angel's investigation goes, the more bizarre the entire premise becomes. And with it goes Angel's sanity, which Rourke channels almost perfectly. Then of course, who can forget the creepy Louis Cyphere, a role that De Niro obviously jumps on like a kid in a candy store. With an appearance and performance that clearly sets the tone for the horror portion of the film to begin, De Niro's Cyphere is a hoot to watch and admire. As for Bonet, given her short but successful TV history, moving as far away from her TV character is perhaps a good decision, which gives her a chance to prove herself beyond the small screen. Sultry and seductive, Bonet's portrayal of Epiphany Proudfoot is the epitome of womanly desires.

"Angel Heart" is clearly one of those underrated movies from the 1980's that unfortunately, never found its footing. Now re-released as a Special Edition DVD by Lions Gate Entertainment, this new version of "Angel Heart" should quickly find new homes on many DVD aficionados' movie collections. After a lackluster and bare bones release from Artisan years ago, Lions Gate (who now owns Artisan) has given "Angel Heart" a new lease in life with great improvements in every area. The devil, as they say, is in the details.

Video:
Artisan's previous release of "Angel Heart" left much to be desired. The transfer was too dark and the video non-anamorphic. This time around, Lions Gate is making amends, releasing "Angel Heart" in a special edition DVD that features a remastered video transfer. Presented in an anamorphic image that measures in at its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, "Angel Heart" looks as good as it will ever get. To better manage the film's dark atmosphere, black colors appear deep and it mixes and contrasts well with the other colors of the palette. Skin tone details are also nicely reproduced at a natural level. All told, this DVD contains a solid transfer of the film. Subtitle options include English and Spanish.

Audio:
In a creepy and atmospheric film like this one, music plays an important role in conveying the right mood. With its new English language Dolby Digital 5.1 audio track, the movie's eerie aural reproduction is highly effective in setting the right tones. The surround channels are actively engaged with voices and sounds coming from the sides at the right moments. Apart from the music, which is cleanly reproduced at the front speakers, dialogue is also clear and accurate. The only other audio option includes English Dolby Surround 2.0.

Extras:
The extra features section starts with an Alan Parker DVD introduction, which is then followed by brand new interviews with Alan Parker and Mickey Rourke. Parker's interview is short but at the same time quite comprehensive and contains quite a lot of information about what went on behind the scenes in the making the movie. Parker concentrates on how the film was made, his adapted screenplay from Hjortsberg's novel and other aspects of the film. In Rourke's interview, he talks about how he got into acting, the various films he has appeared in throughout his acting career and also his boxing career. It has been a long time since I've seen Rourke appear in any kind of interview and in this one, he somehow seems to have mellowed over the years.

Next is a whole section about the practice of voodoo, called "Vodoun Truths". This feature is divided into five parts: "Voodoo...The Truth", "New Orleans Voodoo Connection", "Dance As Worship", "Ashe!" and "Voodoo Macumba Dance Ensemble". In it, you will watch interviews with real-life voodoo practitioners and how they compare and contrast the Hollywood depiction of voodoo and its actual uses.

Up next are an audio commentary by Alan Parker and a bizarre video commentary by Mickey Rourke on this DVD. Even though Parker's audio commentary was recorded only recently, he is still able to provide some great insights into the making of the film. Rourke's video commentary is basically more of an interview session interlaced with footages from the movie. In it, Rourke gives a lot of nonchalant answers to questions from an unseen interviewer behind the camera. You have to watch it to believe it.

The "Behind The Scenes" feature is a large section that is further divided into several more sub-sections. Under "Making Of", there are a further two features titled "Creating the Look" and "Choreographing a Voodoo Ritual". These are old documentaries that were recorded during the making of the film. "Featurette" is a dated exclusive interview with Parker in which he explains about the making of "Angel Heart". Next is "Personality Profiles", which are two brief looks at Lisa Bonet's and Alan Parker's careers. Finally, under this section is "Interviews", a set of one-on-one interviews with Alan Parker and Lisa Bonet. Parker's interview here seems to be part of the same one that we have seen earlier in "Featurette".

Rounding up the extra features are trailers for "Godsend" and "The Punisher".

Packaging:
This Special Edition release of "Angel Heart" comes in a regular single disc case that is packaged with a cardboard slipcase. Also included is a 2-page glossy insert.

Film Value:
Initially, "Angel Heart" was slapped with an ‘X' rating but after some editing, it managed to squeak by with an more acceptable ‘R' rating. It has been reported that only a brief 10-second portion of the Bonet-Rourke romp was removed to obtain the new rating. Whether it has been reintroduced in this home video release is unknown. What I do know is that "Angel Heart", with or without Lisa Bonet's infamous nude scenes, is still a terrific little movie that should give the younger generation of horror fans plenty to dote on. Even with new advances in special effects technology that many of today's horror movies depend on, there is still no substitute for a good old-fashioned scary story with an unexpected twist at the end. "Angel Heart" takes the (devil's) cake on all accounts. And Lisa Bonet is just the scrumptious icing on that delicious cake.

NOTE:
Anyone interested in reading John's review of the previous Artisan release of "Angel Heart" should click here.