Mickey Rourke is a private detective drawn into a sinister web spun by Robert DeNiro (as the proverbial 'mysterious stranger') in Angel Heart. Writer/director Alan Parker creates an "unrelenting mood of doom" with this supernatural thriller based on the novel Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. It seduced the critics and translated into big box office receipts on its initial release in 1987.

Investigating The Underworld

Unfortunately this two-disc Special Edition doesn't offer much in the way of new behind-the-scenes information (compared to the original single disc release). But it does provide a context for the film, including lots of information on Voodoo practices. We also get a friendly introduction from Parker who asks us to forgive him for any lapses of memory during his commentary. Happily his recollections are quite detailed and lucid, eg he talks about Rourke bringing little props to the set to help him get into character and having to hide them because they didn't match the 50s period. He also remembers chasing the snow across New York and New Jersey and shooting in crime-ridden Harlem against all warnings.

As usual, DeNiro doesn't give any interviews, but the Personality Profiles section does hear from Parker, Rourke and co-star Lisa Bonet between takes. When asked about working with De Niro, Rourke explains that it required fierce concentration and, "At the end of the day, I was drained." Bonet, who was best known for her role in sitcom The Cosby Show, reveals that she sought advice from onscreen dad Bill Cosby about doing a racy nude scene. Not surprisingly he was pretty grudging about it.

Three 'Making Of' featurettes run at around two minutes each. These, along with a short reel of behind-the-scenes footage, afford just a teasing glimpse of production. Regarding the look of the film, Parker explains that he's effectively "making a black-and-white movie in colour" to give a sense of the old-school noir aesthetic. The remaining featurettes deal with the choreography of an intricate Voodoo dance and give Parker a chance to say that he's being "very careful" not to offend followers of the Voodoo faith.

The Voodoo That You Do

Apparently Parker didn't do a great job of observing the sensibilities of Voodoo practitioners. A featurette titled The Truth hears from modern priests and priestesses of the faith who explain that sticking pins in dolls and raising the dead is just Hollywood bunkum. Their take on Voodoo and the history of the religion makes up the bulk of extras on disc two and includes demonstrations of traditional dances used to worship ancient African deities. In a Guided Tour we're given the full lowdown on these deities such as Ellegua, who offers easy-to-follow directions for anyone stuck at a crossroads in life.

The bonus disc also includes a second interview with Parker where he talks a bit about the process of adapting Hjortsberg's novel. Initially, he says, he was drawn to "the fusion of detective story and Faustian tale," but chose to take certain liberties with the text. For instance, he set the film in 1955 as opposed to 1959 because there would be a palpable hangover from the 40s that made it more appropriate for film noir. He recalls that casting was also a tricky procedure, ie DeNiro was initially offered the part played by Mickey Rourke, but asked to be considered for Louis Cyphre instead. Apparently what followed was an endless series of meetings where DeNiro refused to commit and during which time Parker offered the role to Jack Nicholson.

It's disappointing that there isn't a comprehensive account of the making of the film to include new interviews with Rourke and De Niro (and everyone else who made it happen). Still, there's enough curiosity value in both discs to make it a worthy purchase for those who've yet to see the film along with those who have.

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