Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: F. GARY GRAY / SCREENPLAY: MATT HOLLOWAY, ART MARCUM / STARRING: CHRIS HEMSWORTH, TESSA THOMPSON, KUMAIL NANJIANI / RELEASE DATE: 21ST OCTOBER

In 1997, shortly after Batman & Robin sunk the comic book genre down to new lows, director Barry Sonnenfeld and screenwriter Ed Solomon teamed up to deliver Men in Black. Based on the limited comic series by Lowell Cunningham, Men in Black defied all expectations, proving to be a smash hit both commercially and critically, as well as catapulting Will Smith into mega-movie star status. The success of the first film inevitably led to franchise potential and, since then, we’ve had Men in Black II (which is up there with Ghostbusters II and Highlander II: The Quickening as one of the worst sequels ever made) and Men in Black 3 which, though not great, was at least a perfectly serviceable sequel.

Now, we have Men in Black: International, a sequel that attempts to move away from both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, expand the organisation, and have new characters steer the ship in a new direction. All of this sounds like the sequel a lot of people have been wanting ever since the first film, so it has to be good, right? Wrong.

Men in Black: International is a soulless sequel / reboot that adds nothing new, fresh or exciting, failing to comprehend what it was that made the franchise so successful to begin with. F. Gary Gray was brought on board to direct this film and yet there’s nothing to differentiate this from the films that Barry Sonnenfeld made, lacking any of the style and pace that made Gray’s previous flicks like Friday, Set It Off or Straight Outta Compton engrossing watches.

Imagery and concepts are repeated wholesale from the first film, including a new recruit teaming up with an experienced agent, a mystery that involves a famous landmark, an appearance by Frank the Pug, and so forth, making this movie feel more formulaic as a result. Even when our “plucky” agents are globetrotting around the world, uncovering the larger mystery and getting involved in plenty of action-packed shenanigans along the way, it’s still a chore to watch because the characters and plot are both uninteresting and lifeless, plus it lacks the original’s bite and edge.

There was a dark griminess to the original that helped make it stand out, but here everything feels very polished, sleek and bright, looking too glossy for its own good. There’s nothing even unique, creative or threatening about the aliens involved, coming across like your bog-standard generic creatures that you have seen plenty times before on film or TV, while the CGI ranges from passable to pathetic, especially during the film’s final battle sequence which looks a big budget cartoon.

The biggest problem of all, however, is the humour. Every single joke fails massively, sometimes feeling forced, other times just straight up embarrassing and annoying, resulting in a deeply unfunny experience. You should probably expect more sigh-inducing groans than belly-laughs here, people!

In terms of performances, Tessa Thompson is easily the standout and comes out of it with most of her dignity intact, while Emma Thompson is highly watchable in the few brief scenes she’s in. While Chris Hemsworth has good chemistry with Thompson (especially after having worked with her on both Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame), he suffers badly since he bears most of the execrable comedy on his shoulders, similar to his comedy relief role in 2016’s Ghostbusters.

Once again, Sony has proved how much they can sink a franchise, not learning a single lesson after Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man duology and the 2016 Ghostbusters remake. This is a paint-by-numbers movie that has no unique style or vibe of its own, nor does it have any creative juices pumped into its veins in order to enliven this series once again.

Men in Black: International didn’t do well at the box office, and the reason why is clear. It’s not the worst film to have been released this year, but it is down as there as one of 2019’s biggest bombs. Congratulations Men in Black II, you just found your new best friend!

KURSK: THE LAST MISSION

KURSK: THE LAST MISSION / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: THOMAS VINTERBERG / SCREENPLAY: ROBERT RODAT / STARRING: COLIN FIRTH, MATTHIAS SCHOENAERTS, LÉA SEYDOUX, PETER SIMONISCHEK, MAX VON SYDOW / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The submarine subgenre is one usually associated with dramatic, action-filled suspense as heroically brave men toil with their emotional burdens while sitting on enough firepower to destroy a continent. There have been the political thrills of The Hunt For Red October (1990), the power struggles of Crimson Tide (1995) and the trials of daily life underwater in Das Boot (1981). Thomas Vinterberg’s Kursk, which tells the story of the true-life submarine disaster in 2000 is an altogether different affair, a film dripping with sadness amidst the fury and frustration of forlorn hope.

Our first introduction to the fictional Mikhail (Schoenaerts) and his fellow sailors sees them pawning their watches to raise enough money to provide the drink for a wedding, after their bonuses are unpaid. It is the night before they set off on the Kursk for manoeuvres, a single joyous moment before crippling despair and bristling anger set in.

When disaster strikes, and the few survivors are left imprisoned in a small compartment with dwindling air and supplies, Vinterberg’s focus switches largely to the attempts of the wives and families left behind and the inaction and stubbornness of the Russian command. As seen most recently in HBO drama Chernobyl (2019), the reluctance of the authorities to both acknowledge the scale of the problem while feeding a steady stream of misinformation to all who enquire adds depth to the events unfolding on screen. You feel the desperation of the sailors as they slowly accept their fate, you understand the pain of those at home as they begin to realise that no answers will be forthcoming, and you sense the frustrations of the many – including Colin Firth’s British commander David Russell – offering much needed assistance.

With several heart-wrenching set pieces and some impressive visuals – although not everything quite works as you feel it’s supposed to – Kursk is a thoughtful and troubling film. The speed with which those in charge prioritise their pride and politics over the lives of their own countrymen is tough to watch at times. Schoenarts, Léa Seydoux as his impassive wife, Firth et al all convey just the right amount of stoic emotion in the face bureaucratic incompetence, and even if you know how the story ends, you will be gripped by this tragic tale.

Not a film to schedule if planning an enjoyable Saturday night, and with a downbeat finale that is both appropriate and potentially indulgent, Kursk is a credible tribute to the lives lost in the disaster.

THE DOGS OF WAR (1980)

THE DOGS OF WAR (1980) / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JOHN IRVIN / SCREENPLAY: GARY DEVORE, GEORGE MALKO / STARRING: CHRISTOPHER WALKEN, TOM BERENGER, COLIN BLAKELY / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 14TH

The trailer included on this Eureka release would have you believe that The Dogs of War, an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s novel of the same name, is an epic and action-packed war film. The reality is that director John Irvin’s film is more of a character study with the trappings of a soldier-of-fortune tale.

Narrowly escaping from somewhere in Central America with his mercenary team, it’s not long before James Shannon (Walken) accepts a reconnaissance mission to a small African nation called Zangaro to assess whether its brutal dictator, General Kimba, can be removed in a coup. There are business interests that will pay handsomely for the information as the country is a mine of precious metals. When Shannon nearly dies on his visit to Zangaro it sends him into a tailspin before the opportunity comes along to get revenge.

The film is almost three separate parts. Shannon’s mission to the country is war-torn travelogue, after which he drifts through the wreckage of his life back in America before the opportunity to demolish Kimba’s regime comes his way. It’s proper old-school filmmaking, and in the longer international version (the shorter US original release is also included) in no hurry to get to its destination. Walken’s comrades and almost every other character is thinly drawn because no matter the location or the amount of action on screen (there is a lot in the film’s final third) it’s really all about Shannon. As played by Walken, he’s fascinating, almost like a ghost haunting his own life. There’s fragility there too and he plays it all to the hilt. The Dogs of War is a handsomely mounted film, slow, and deliberate and with beautiful cinematography from Jack Cardiff. It’s not for everyone and arguably doesn’t have enough story to fill its time, but these are minor concerns for a captivating, compelling study of a man who is only truly alive surrounded by death.

It’s not a completely damage-free print but the bright daytime of Zangaro and the nighttime of American and European locations both come out well, detailed, and sharp and clear. There’s nothing else on the disc, no commentary or featurette of any kind, but the first-run limited edition comes with a booklet reprinting Pauline Kael’s original review of the film. If you only want this film in the best shape it’s available in at this time, this is easy to recommend on quality alone but sadly there’s nothing else to make it an essential purchase.

BRIGHTBURN

BRIGHTBURN / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: DAVID YAROVESKY / SCREENPLAY: BRIAN GUNN, MARK GUNN / STARRING: JACKSON A. DUNN, ELIZABETH BANKS, DAVID DENMAN, MATT JONES, MEREDITH HAGNER / OCTOBER 21ST

Special Features: Filmmaker commentary / Three featurettes

It kind of feels lazy to just describe Brightburn as a skewed, darker take on the classic tale of Superman’s origin, but that’s precisely what the movie has been marketed as. Is it any good, mind, or is this just lazily taking an established blueprint and slightly changing a few key details? Let’s find out.

Back in 2006, Tori (Banks) and Kyle Breyer (Denman) happened across a crash-landed spaceship that contained a baby boy inside. Skip forward to the present day, and that boy, Brandon (Dunn), has hit puberty and is full of teenage angst and confusion. The only thing is, unlike most teenage boys who simply grow a dodgy bumfluff beard and start to talk like Zed from the Police Academy movies, Brandon also starts to notice that he’s got superpowers. Unlike a certain Man of Steel, however, this all-powerful youngster isn’t exactly the heroic type.

While the plot may be a tad predictable once the proverbial cat is out of the bag, the tale manages to constantly keep you on the edge of your seat – largely down to how great a job young Jackson A. Dunn does in bringing a ridiculous level of chilling creepiness to Brandon. This troubled teen may have a huge amount of otherworldly powers at his fingertips, but it’s the sheer twisted imagination of Brandon that makes him stand out as a terrifying presence. Adding a level of intrigue to this character, though, is the relationship Brandon has with various people; his mother and her undying love for her boy; his father, who’s more often tasked with being the ‘bad cop’ parent; his high school crush; his childlike fear of his school counsellor telling him off.

From the get-go, Brightburn is a remarkable-looking film, with director David Yarovesky managing to capture the vibrancy of youth, before flipping the switch to grim and gritty terror at a moment’s notice. And speaking of which, the brutality and gore depicted in Brightburn actually makes it a little surprising that the movie was only given a 15 rating. Seriously, some of the acts committed by Brandon are enough to make even the biggest gorehounds get a little hot around the collar.

As the teenager at the centre of the action, Jackson A. Dunn deserves so much praise for a performance that shows so many sides to Brandon. For so much of the movie, this isn’t just a full-on, all-out villain, and Dunn’s versatility and innocence fleshes out Brandon in a fascinating way. Likewise, Elizabeth Banks and David Denman are phenomenal as the parents struggling to deal with how their teenage son is developing.

All in all, Brightburn stands up as one of the most unique genre offerings to come around in many a year, and is one of the most impressive genre films of 2019 so far. At a brisk 90-minute runtime, the script and storytelling makes the most of each and every minute, as fans get a movie that is a straight-up horror ride that turns the superhero genre on its head.

Rounding out this release, the filmmaker commentary from director David Yarovesky, DP Michael Dallatorre and costume designer Autumn Steed is engaging and entertaining, while the three featurettes included largely look at how the film went about balancing superpowers and balls-to-the-wall terror.

CHILD’S PLAY

CHILD’S PLAY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: LARS KLEVBERG / SCREENPLAY: TYLER BURTON SMITH / STARRING: MARK HAMILL, AUBREY PLAZA, TIM MATHESON / RELEASE DATE: 21ST OCTOBER

“Are we having fun now?”

Ironically released around the same time as Toy Story 4, with the lead character even called Andy, prepare yourself for something quite the opposite in this slick remake of the 1988 classic.

Based in Chicago, teenager Andy Barclay (Gabriel Bateman) gets gifted the not-so-recent version of a Buddi doll from his mother, Karen (Aubrey Plaza), which, of course, just so happens to be sabotaged with sinister programming that has a massive obsession trait. Upon opening his new toy, it instantly re-names itself Chucky and starts raining down havoc on Andy’s life in an “I’m only doing this to protect you!” kind of way that you know is going to escalate out of control quickly.

What’s really exciting is getting to see Chucky use all the powerful abilities that modern technology has to offer. He repeatedly uses it to manipulate his victims and, the more he learns from his surroundings, the more extravagant and over the top his murderous schemes become. It’s a gory cocktail that works well.

If you thought Mark Hamill was just known for his career-changing role as Luke Skywalker, then you’ll need to get yourself up to date with his voice acting take on the Joker, which is absolutely twisted. He applies his talent to give us a formidable Chucky, able to spin a light-hearted scene into an extremely creepy moment with just a handful of lines. It adds unpredictability as the story between Chucky and Andy frighteningly continues.

Aubrey Plaza (Parks & Recreation) does an outstanding portrayal of being the frustrated mother who’s just trying to give her child the best life she can, while Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta) as Detective Mike Norris satisfyingly shows throughout what it’s like to have bad luck in both life and his line of profession. With these two characters alone there’s an attempt of build up as their plots weave around the manic main heart of the narrative. It feels like director Lars Klevberg and writer Tyler Burton Smith have done their best to ensure that the characters are given screen time that you’ll benefit from, they aren’t cast aside or underused, and the balance is just about right.

Flawlessly adding another layer is the realistic puppetry work on display with the Chucky doll. Chucky’s big eyes and human-like facial movements are extremely freaky to behold, and they provide a real sense of unease. Finally, composer Bear McCreary must be commended for successfully adding a dynamic pulse with his orchestral compositions.

Although the pacing is a bit sluggish at times for a rather short film, Child’s Play is a decent return to a familiar horror world that shows potential for the future of its franchise. If you’re looking for an entertaining horror to watch over the Halloween season, this should hit the spot.

Special features: Audio Commentary by Lars Klevberg, Bringing Child’s Play’s Chucky to Life, Lee Hardcastle Claymations: Toy Massacre & A.I. Mayhem, Gallery

THE PREY

THE PREY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: JIMMY HENDERSON / SCREENPLAY: JIMMY HENDERSON, MICHAEL HODGSON, KAI MILLER / STARRING: GU SHANGWEI, BYRON BISHOP, SAHAJAK BOONTHANAKIT / RELEASE DATE: 7TH OCTOBER

Prisoners run and fight for their life in The Prey, marketed as Cambodia’s first $1 million budget action movie.

After getting caught in an armed police drug bust, Xin (Gu Shangwei) is taken to prison. But the warden (Vithaya Pansringarm) of this establishment is running an illegal money-making scheme, inviting select rich friends to hunt the deadliest game of all – man. Xin isn’t just a regular drug runner though – he’s an undercover cop, and soon his handlers are looking for him. Xin has to do everything he can to survive in the forest while being chased by friend and foe.

The Prey is a little bit Battle Royale, a bit Hostel, and a smattering of many other crime movies where a cop winds up in jail. It’s not the most original setup, but that doesn’t mean The Prey isn’t a largely enjoyable and tight 90 minutes of entertainment. The film has a strong, functional style that actually lets you see what’s happening during the fight scenes without resorting to the usual trick of hyperactive editing. Though not The Raid levels of originality, the action itself is entertaining and some of the fight scenes are tense enough. It also tries to do a little more than just show you violent action, the film makes a couple of attempts at showing the bloody truth. The sight of a man screaming in agony as he drags his body across the floor after his legs have been blown off sticks with you and undercuts the usual action genre glorification of violence. It’s not a grand anti-violence message, but at least it’s reaching for something more than revelling in blood and pain.

The assembled cast is also enjoyable. Vithaya Pansringarm, probably most well-known here for being the policeman from Only God Forgives, is an entertaining screen presence and brings a dominant performance to his villain. The other bad guys, the rich hunters, are also able to make an impact, with one’s tormented past coming back in full flow during the last act. The weakest link is unfortunately the lead, Gu Shangwei, who makes much less of an impact on screen than his fists do against the bodies of his attackers.

The Prey probably isn’t going to stick in your memory and it doesn’t win points for originality, but it’s entertaining and well put together. Based on this evidence, Cambodia’s action genre is something to look forward to.

OLDBOY – 4-DISC LIMITED EDITION

OLDBOY – 4-DISC LIMITED EDITION / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: PARK CHAN-WOOK / SCREENPLAY: PARK CHAN-WOOK, LIM JOO-HYUNG, HWANG JO-YUN / STARRING: CHOI MIN-SIK, KANG HYE-JUNG, YU JI-TAE / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 7TH

Special Features: Old Boys documentary / Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance / Lady Vengeance / Audio commentary tracks / Featurettes / Interviews / Deleted scenes / Trailers / Image gallery / Double-sided poster / 100-page hardbound book

Really, where to even begin with this one. This new release from the ever-fantastic folks at Arrow Video may be pegged as Oldboy, yet this release is so much more than Park Chan-wook’s 2003 movie. First and foremost, of course, let’s focus our attention on that ’03 offering.

Starring Choi Min-sik, Oldboy is a tale of brutal and bloody vengeance. Based on the manga of the same name, the film sees businessman Oh Dae-su kidnapped and held captive for 15 years. A seemingly random act, the plot thickens once Dae-su is released back out into the world. Having spent over a decade stewing in isolation, this is man who has changed from happy-go-lucky drunk to a disciplined, focused badass who has a major axe to grind as he looks to find out who held him captive and why. Along the way, Dae-su falls for a young sushi chef (Hye-jung) who helps him in his quest, but this quest is far from an easy one. For the questions that Oh Daeu-Su has, though, sometimes it’s maybe better to not know the answers…

There really is no doubting Oldboy’s place as one of Asian cinema’s finest achievements. From the way the movie is shot, the way the plot is paced, the stunning central performances, the wince-inducing violence, and a monumental twist, so much of Oldboy is nothing short of exemplary. And now, with this 4K restoration of the film, Oldboy has never looked so fantastic. But not just looking great, the movie itself still holds up as a true tour de force that is just as fresh and hard-hitting in 2019 as it was upon its release 16 years ago.

As alluded to, however, this new Oldboy release is far more than just Oldboy. A four-disc package, this new Arrow release includes a frankly ludicrous amount of bonus material. Not just are there some fascinating featurettes, commentary tracks, and other behind the scenes content, but this release also includes the stunning 2016 Old Boys documentary and the Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance movies that make up Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance maybe don’t quite hit the heights of Oldboy, yet both are great pictures in their own right and their inclusion here only makes this new Oldboy release even more jaw-dropping.

Seriously, Arrow Video has a reputation for knocking it out of the park with their releases, but Oldboy is one of their very best overall packages to date. With four discs of glorious content to devour, this limited edition Oldboy release is something that fans of cinema, period, simply have to pick up.

SUSPIRIA

SUSPIRIA / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: LUCA GUADAGNINO / SCREENPLAY: DAVID KAJGANICH / DAKOTA JOHNSON, TILDE SWINTON, MALGORZATA BELA, ANGELA WINKLER, CHLOË GRACE MORETZ / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Berlin, 1977. While the German autumn rages, American dancer Susie Bannion (Johnson) auditions to join the prestigious Helena Markos Dance Company. The odds of approval seem stacked against her, especially since the company’s artistic director Madam Blanc (Swinton) is too busy to attend… until something about the energy of Susie’s dancing draws Blanc into the room. Susie is accepted and it doesn’t take long before she is, quite literally, under Madam Blanc’s spell; so under her spell that, when another dancer accuses the teachers of witchcraft and tries to leave the company, Susie’s dancing unconsciously prevents her departure in the grisliest way possible.

Meanwhile, the elderly psychiatrist Josef Klemperer (Swinton again, under lots of makeup) investigates the disappearance of a young patient who also happened to be the company’s star performer. The last time he saw her, she told him the company was a hotbed of witches and she feared for her life.

Susie’s new friend Sara (Mia Goth) – another dancer in the company – is also trying to find out what happened to the missing girl, and she’s growing increasingly uneasy about the bond that’s forming between Susie and Madam Blanc. But what she discovers in the labyrinthine chambers beneath the dance company’s studios is more horrible than she could dare to imagine.

With the blackest of black magics coalescing around them, Susie, Sara, and Klemperer are inexplicably drawn into a brutal and bloody ballet of death that will change each of their destinies forever.

For this reviewer, Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria was the best film of 2018. When it was released, it divided audiences. Those of us who loved it really loved it, those who hated it hated it with a passion. The haters are wrong, and I say that as someone who would always blurt out something extremely rude whenever anybody dared to suggest that Argento’s classic should be revisited. After all, you can’t improve upon horror perfection. Except Guadagnino proved you can.

Yes, the new Suspiria doesn’t have the original’s legendary colour palette and fairy tale trappings, nor does it have a soundtrack that’s precision-engineered to send chills up your spine. But what it does have is a grim sense of reality and a fierce intelligence in its writing, directing, performance and design, all underpinned by Thom Yorke’s perfectly pitched musical score. This is a Suspiria that takes its witchcraft seriously, especially where sympathetic magic and the interconnectedness of dance and magical ritual are concerned, and that makes us genuinely intrigued and fearful about the threat the central characters are facing. In total, it’s a mesmerising and visceral cinematic experience.

It would be thrilling to see what Guadagnino could do with the other two entries in Argento’s Three Mothers trilogy, but since Amazon Studios seemed to lose interest in the film even before it was released that seems unlikely to happen. Still, why the UK has had to wait almost a year for this Blu-ray when the US got theirs in January and Germany got a fantastic 4K edition in April is a mystery that only Mother Suspiriorum herself could solve. The good news is that this UK version looks and sounds terrific and, visually, seems marginally better than the US presentation. It would have been nice to get more special features and a 4K alternative, though. But we’re not complaining. Even without high-spec bells and whistles, Suspiria is compellingly potent dark magic and extremely highly recommended.

DER PASS

DER PASS / CERT: 18 / CREATORS: CYRILL BOSS, PHILIPP STENNERT / STARRING: JULIA JENTSCH, NICHOLAS OFCZAREK, FRANZ HARTWIG / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

High in the snow-topped Alps, a corpse is discovered straddling the border of Germany and Austria. The body has been deliberately staged and is found clutching hair from a horses’ tail. Two detectives are assigned to the case, the ambitious young German Ellie Stocker (Jentsch), and the dishevelled, world-weary Austrian Gedeon Winter (Ofczarek). Not only are they from two different countries, with one in the twilight of his career and the other commencing hers, but Stocker is a country girl, used to its ways and customs, whilst the city and its violence has taken its toll on Winter.

Winter is only too happy for the Germans to take on the case entirely, but when more crime scenes are discovered following the same modus operandi with more overt pagan trappings, and recordings of the victims final moments are sent to a reporter, Winter takes more of an interest. Winter and Stocker are soon drawn into the dark world of the Celtic wood god Cernunnos, the Green Man, pagan rites and Krampus.

Der Pass is yet another reworking of the hit Scandi-Noir drama The Bridge, but the similarities between the shows are confined to the body being found on the border between two countries. From there Der Pass becomes its own beast. Comprising of eight episodes, the first four delve deeply into pagan lore and how, even in this technological age, pagan customs can still exert a tight hold in rural communities. The second act diverges into a more generic police procedural drama, albeit a well-executed one. It could be viewed that the first act is in fact Ellie’s story, as she was raised in the country, but as the hunt for the killer continues she becomes more jaded.

The second act is Winter’s story. As the case develops he becomes more invested, more resolute, revealing the sort of policeman he once was. He wants to see justice done. It’s a juxtaposition that, while seemingly obvious that both characters would take on each other’s traits, works well. That is down to the excellent performances of Julia Jentsch and Nicholas Ofczarek. There is a tangible chemistry between them, and if this had been an American network show you’d be sure the chemistry would be sexual. Not so here. There is never a hint of any attraction between Stocker and Winter, only a growing mutual respect and admiration.

The cinematography is gorgeous capturing both the stark beauty and harshness of the snow-covered mountain forests, whilst the urban scenes are suitably bleak and drab.

The series has been granted a second season, and as the first ended on a cliffhanger with regards to a characters arc, it will be interesting to see where it will go.

ANGEL HEART

ANGEL HEART / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: ALAN PARKER / STARRING: MICKEY ROURKE, ROBERT DE NIRO, LISA BONET / RELEASE DATE: 14TH OCTOBER

Angel Heart belongs to a group of films which failed to find an audience back in the 80s, thanks in part to reviews which suggested that they were all style and no content, films such as The Hunger and Blade Runner. Like those films, Angel Heart is a striking visual experience, a noirish thriller in which the cinematography and production design play as significant a role as the script and performances. And, like those films, it’s now considered to be something of a genre classic. It’s an obvious choice for 4K restoration, and this new release provides a great chance to see the film in all its glorious, sweaty, bloody, hot, cold and sordid detail.

Micky Rourke, at the height of his attractiveness as a dangerous, unpredictable screen presence, stars a 1950s private dick, hired by the elegant and mysterious Robert De Niro to find a missing man who owes him a debt. But a trail of grisly murders takes Rourke across New York and New Orleans, deep into the southern heartland of voodoo territory until the supernatural elements that have been leading events hurtle Rourke towards a hellish climax.

While what’s actually going on in Angel Heart doesn’t take Hercule Poirot to figure out – you’ll see the twist coming a mile off – the journey towards it is a thrilling, twisty, superbly-composed one. The film simply looks stunning, director Alan Parker allowing every noir opportunity and cliche into his visual palette. Parker has always been a strong visual storyteller, much like his contemporaries the Scott brothers, and never mores than in Angel Heart.

As a horror film, it’s not exactly terrifying but it still grips, the detective elements of the story and the array of interesting characters propelling you along. Rourke, De Niro and a young Lisa Bonet are superb (one particularly effective scene mixing sex, blood and violence ran into considerable censorship trouble back in the day), making Angel Heart an essential part of any genre fan’s collection.

With this new release comes a host of extras, only a few offering anything new from previous releases. There are a tiny number of glimpses behind the scenes plus a stills gallery, a curious documentary about voodoo, and, best of all, a commentary from Parker plus a lovely recent interview with him. Parker hasn’t made a film since 2003 so it’s safe to say he’s retired. This new release of provides the chance to evaluate where Angel Heart sits within his impressive cannon – from hits like Bugsy Malone, Midnight Express, Fame and The Commitments to smaller works of great beauty like Shoot the Moon and Birdy (why does nobody talk about that film any more?).

Angel Heart sits somewhere in the middle of Parker’s career and proves, quite literally, that with this director, the devil really is in the detail.