HARRY'S ANGEL

I watched Mickey Rourke on Netflix in the 2015 movie, WAR PIGS. That would have made him 63 years-old. He played an Army Colonel with his usual swagger, but I still couldn't get over his face, which had been disfigured years before from reconstructive surgeries during his second career, boxing. It is a far cry from the handsome detective Harry Angel in ANGEL HEART (1987). Ironically, he was also the lead in the film, JOHNNY HANDSOME (1989).

Besides its dark and mysterious storyline, ANGEL HEART was mostly known for its controversial nude and sex scenes with Lisa Bonet. You will remember that Miss Bonet played Bill Cosby's daughter in his sitcom and was depicted as a wholesome young teenager. Whether or not it advanced her career, her decision to play the role of Epiphany Proudfoot would forever change her image.

This article from SIGHT AND SOUND (November 2019) reviews the DVD release of ANGEL HEART and reminds us of its place in the long history of Satanic Cinema.