tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post357911754698397761..comments2024-01-31T18:37:07.424+00:00Comments on The Agitation of the Mind: PERSONAL FAVES: Angel HeartNeil Fulwoodhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-32759966981204793602015-08-07T04:59:58.850+01:002015-08-07T04:59:58.850+01:00And the music, remember the themes. And the music, remember the themes. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-62977857437156952192010-07-10T19:27:34.518+01:002010-07-10T19:27:34.518+01:00Bryce - the egg scene is awesome. Even though Harr...Bryce - the egg scene is awesome. Even though Harry says "I've got a thing about chickens" apropos of Cyphre offering him the egg, you just <i>know</i> Cyphre's aware of his phobia already is simply toying with him.<br /><br />Francisco - agreed: the baby with the glowing eyes is an odd touch and thematically doesn't make much sense. Evangeline is Harry/Johnny's daughter, therefore the baby is his grandson, so why do his eyes glow like Cyphre's? I have two theories: (i) the balance of Harry's mind is disturbed at this point and he hallucinates the baby having eyes like Cyphre's; (ii) it may have been something the producers foisted on the film to emphasise the supernatural element and deliver one final twist.Neil Fulwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-84932489683422437342010-07-08T19:36:46.425+01:002010-07-08T19:36:46.425+01:00Agree with you on this one Neil, Angel Heart is an...Agree with you on this one Neil, Angel Heart is an awesome supernatural film. What I like about it is how subtle it is with its supernatural elements. <br /><br />The scene where he is going down on the elevetor, it felt as if he was going down to hell...<br /><br />The only scene I didnt like was the scene with the babies demonic eyes..they looked cheesy, but everything else in the film, perfect!Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-49346576657839164752010-07-07T20:10:40.555+01:002010-07-07T20:10:40.555+01:00Excellent write up, Neil. Alan Parker spent the la...Excellent write up, Neil. Alan Parker spent the last decade making so many spotty films, and Angel Heart is often unfairly lumped in with them. <br /><br />Love the scene in the Harlem church. And of course, the Egg bit.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-36438785091985855442010-07-07T20:00:41.670+01:002010-07-07T20:00:41.670+01:00Hans - you're right: the performances are spot...Hans - you're right: the performances are spot on. Rourke plays rumpled and morally compromised as well as anyone. His acting - particularly in that wrenching last scene - is fearless.<br /><br />Dave - I think it's the way the realistic and the fantastical meld so well that makes 'Angel Heart' such a fresh and enduring film. Good call on the Lynch comparison, though with Lynch the aesthetic usually becomes so deliriously off-kilter that you realise how much the seemingly ordinarily has been upended. In 'Angel Heart', you never feel that the everyday has suddenly become weird; rather, that you've finally reached the truth of things.<br /><br />J.D. - I've never read the source novel, but I'll certainly make the effort on your recommendation.<br /><br />Thanks for your comments, guys.Neil Fulwoodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14686296295535235988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-37796178345441847292010-07-07T16:39:52.489+01:002010-07-07T16:39:52.489+01:00"The period recreation is grimy and naturalis..."The period recreation is grimy and naturalistic."<br /><br />I think that this is what I love most about the film. There is a real authentic atmosphere that feels taken from the 1950s that gets me every time I watch this film. The production design in conjunction with the cinematography is something else.<br /><br />The book that this film is based on is quite good too and goes into much more detail about the protagonist and the mystery itself. I was impressed by how faithful the film actually is to the book.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-36713277529172580272010-07-05T13:23:52.287+01:002010-07-05T13:23:52.287+01:00Yes! Glad to see someone else show so much love f...Yes! Glad to see someone else show so much love for this film, which I too am a huge fan of. Everything about I appreciate, but this passage in particular strikes the exact reason why I think it works so well:<br /><br />"But for all the grand guignol excesses, Alan Parker achieves a sense of realism in the first half, allowing the more macabre and grotesque nuances of the story to bleed gradually into the film’s aesthetic."<br /><br />The realistic and the surreal blend together perfectly, which you rarely see happen outside of a David Lynch film (and even then, it doesn't happen in each movie).Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07134196370913749544noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14575780.post-46109485462185359312010-07-05T02:20:41.340+01:002010-07-05T02:20:41.340+01:00Very nice review. I'm particularly fond of th...Very nice review. I'm particularly fond of this one as well. When it premiered here in the States it was by far not appreciated. I supposed Rourke at the time was associated with his sex scenes and his scene with Bonet (who gives a great performance and amazingly beautiful) garnered much of the hype. I was so surprised that De Niro took this role at the time, but today, I'm not surprised. It's such an affecting performance and so soft-spoken yet menacing. Seeing Charlotte Rampling is always a plus. Rourke is a perfect 50s private eye. Once again, great review, Neil, and I'm looking forward to more Shots on the Blog. Hope all is well.Hans A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11328243469224993459noreply@blogger.com