Angel Heart (1987)

Director:

Alan Parker

Writers:

William Hjortsberg (novel)
Alan Parker (screenplay)

Release Date:

6 March 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

It will scare you to your very soul.

Plot:

Harry Angel has a new case, to find a man called Johnny Favourite. Except things aren't quite that simple...

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Freight Elevator | Cane | Corpse | Restaurant

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Mickey Rourke	...	Harry Angel
Robert De Niro	...	Louis Cyphre
Lisa Bonet	...	Epiphany Proudfoot
Charlotte Rampling	...	Margaret Krusemark
Stocker Fontelieu	...	Ethan Krusemark
Brownie McGhee	...	Toots Sweet
Michael Higgins	...	Dr. Albert Fowler
Elizabeth Whitcraft	...	Connie
Eliott Keener	...	Det. Sterne
Charles Gordone	...	Spider Simpson
Dann Florek	...	Herman Winesap
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Nurse
George Buck	...	Izzy
Judith Drake	...	Izzy's Wife
Gerald Orange	...	Pastor John (as Gerald L. Orange)

Also Known As:

Aux portes de l'enfer (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | Canada | UK

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1992) | Finland:K-18 (1987) | Canada:18A | Portugal:M/18 | Brazil:18 | USA:R (Certificate #28544) (Cut) | USA:X | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Chile:18 | France:-12 | Germany:16 (re-rating 2001) | Norway:18 | Singapore:R21 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:X (original rating) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Iceland:16 | Netherlands:16

Filming Locations:

Albany, New York, USA

Company:

Carolco International N.V.

Trivia:

Johnny Favorite's birth day is the same as director 'Alan Parker''s (14 February).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: Supposedly set during 1955, modern day traffic signals can be seen in New Orleans.

Quotes:

Louis Cyphere: No matter how cleverly you sneak up on a mirror, your reflection always looks you straight in the eye.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Face Eater (2008)

Soundtrack:

I Cried For You

Dark, complex and depressing...an outstanding film!!

Good supernatural thrillers with the incarnation of Satan himself as a pivot figure….we don't see enough of these films, if you ask me. Alan Parker's `Angel Heart' is one of the chosen few! Complex and confusing at times, but warmly recommended to fans of the occult and mysterious cinema. Mickey Rourke shines as protagonist Harry Angel. An unshaved, chain-smoking private eye with a chicken-phobia! The year is 1955 and the place is Brooklyn when Harry is hired by a malevolent Mr. Louis Cyphre (pronounce this name aloud a few times in a row) to find a missing crooner, who got severely traumatized in the war. The money is good and the job doesn't seem that risky, so Harry accepts. Pretty soon, the search takes him to all kinds of poverty, human misery, superstition and alternate religions. Every important figure in the search for Johnny Favorite (the crooner) finds a violent death after Harry talked to them and, apparently, our private detective is a lot more involved than he initially thought. As mentioned before, Angel Heart is a darn complex and very coherent film. One viewing is enough to understand the entire premise and main storylines, but a second (third or fourth) viewing sure isn't redundant. It would be a shame if any of the carefully worked out details and character-connections would go unnoticed. `Angel Heart' (and especially cinematographer Michael Seresin) also receives a huge plus for the dark and depressing portrayal of the film's surrounding. Angel Heart looks unattractive, vile and ominous which creates a superb horrific atmosphere. The supernatural aspects about the story are a bit overly stressed by clichés like silent and staring nuns or foggy New York suburbs. But this small negative element is largely made up by the subtle violence and compelling mystery this film features. The acting is outstanding with Rourke at the absolute top of his career. During the second half of the 80's, Mickey was the unforgettable star of several brilliant films such as `Barfly', `Year of the Dragon', `Nine ½ Weeks' and of course this `Angel Heart'. Robert DeNiro as Louis Cyphre was a downright brilliant casting idea! There isn't that much De Niro content in this film but, when he's on screen, evilness nearly drips from the screen. Bobby De Niro is probably one of the only actors who can make it look eerie to eat an egg! Lisa Bonet, in conclusion, isn't the world's most talented actress but Angel Heart sure is her best film. All in one, Angel Heart is a very good film that'll be appreciated by thriller fans and the admirer of slightly more intelligent horror.