Angel Heart (1987)
I'm pretty sure your all familiar with Alan Parkers film,I felt it needed to included because it does cross from film noir to horror.Ive always considered it more of detective thriller than all out horror movie and it does start out with the hard boiled detective on the trail of a missing person.Mickey Rourke's Harry Angel is pretty well moulded in the style of Mike Hammer or Philip Marlowe with maybe a touch of Columbo for good measure,obviously being set in the 1940's and 1950's adds to the feel of film and harks back to those earlier movies and gives it story more gravitas.Its based on Falling Angel horror novel by William Hjortsberg which ive never read but from what I can gather it is pretty faithful to the book.I think this is the kind of film that's splits horror fans,you either hate it or love it (I love it) especially when during the late 80's period allot of directors would call there film anything apart from a horror movie,psychological thrillers I think was the buzz phrase during this period.But ive always considered it to be more of a modern noir,with a supernatural edge.And cast wise you don't get much better than Robert DeNiro when he was good and ever luvly Charlotte Rampling,even Mickey Rourke (pre plastic surgery) probably hasn't done anything quite this good since.And as for Lisa Bonet,well we certainly see a side to her we never saw on the Cosby Show.Ill certainly never look at a chicken the same again.The film has its detractors,but its a stylish well directed movie by Mr Parker and I see the film as the The Big Sleep gone voodoo.
out 5