Remake Alert: Angel Heart

I know that Remake Alert is usually one of Jason's topics but I feel like taking it over for tonight.

Earlier this week, the news was announced of producer Michael De Luca securing the rights to remake Alan Parker's 1987 film noir / voodoo horror / psychological thriller Angel Heart. According to the announcement, the remake of the film will be closer to the original novel that the first film was based on- Fallen Angel.

Although the movie did not get a lot of good reviews upon release and was mostly known due to the controversy surrounding then Cosby show star Lisa Bonnet being featured in a really extreme sex scene, it has definitely gotten a strong fan base over the years. I am part of that fan base.

I was first introduced to Angel Heart right after the release of Sin City. I was so impressed with the acting job that Mickey Rourke did in that film as Marv that I started to look through some of his older films from the 1980's. The one that I kept hearing about from the movie sites that I frequented back then was Angel Heart.

Angel Heart is basically a combination of all of my favorite film genres. It's a film noir, a horror film, and a psychological thriller all in one. That may sound like too much but it really does work. Mickey Rourke (who looks nothing like he does today) stars as Harry Angel, a New York City gumshoe who takes up a job to find a missing musician that owes a debt to one Luis Cyphre (played by the great Robert DeNiro). The investigation gets crazy when it takes him to New Orleans and the world of voodoo. Soon, bodies start to drop all around Angel as he conducts his investigation and it appears that the Devil himself may be involved. Check out the creepy trailer below.

Angel Heart really is one creepy movie. It's one of the few movies that really manages to get under my skin and make me very uncomfortable. For one reason or another, director Alan Parker manages to make a very stylized film that works on multiple levels and is hard to get out of your head after seeing it. They just don't make movies like this anymore. This movie also has one of creepiest scores that I've ever heard. That piano theme still gets to me. And who knew that shots of fans moving in darkened rooms could be so scary?

As for the controversial sex scene that got Bill Cosby's panties in a wad- yeah, it's really, really weird and uncomfortable to watch. It's all ready pretty intense to begin with but then when you add in all the voodoo and blood... yeah... I usually find myself fast-forwarding through this scene. It's some really weird stuff.

Oh yeah, Mickey Rourke is the man in this movie.

So, as you can probably tell by now, I'm a pretty big fan of this movie. Therefore, I'd prefer a remake to not be made. However, since it is based on a novel, I do suppose it is fair game. I just hope they go with the name Fallen Angel instead of Angel Heart. To me, this movie is a classic in it's own way.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out. Just be wary of that crazy, voodoo sex scene. It's out there.

Source: Cinematical