Angel Heart : Influences Pt1

Directors often talk about the films that influenced them in some way so I wanted to tell you all about a film that influenced me like no other. Angel Heart (Alan Parker, 1987) was probably the biggest influence on me as a film maker. I know that's a bold statement to pin it down to just one film. But I really can't think of another film that had that effect on me. Mickey Rourke is Harry Angel, a private detective, assigned to a missing persons case by a mysterious lawyer Lou Sypher (geddit?) played by Robert 'God' DeNiro. Well, it all turns out badly for Angel as the devil gradually tries to get back the soul he was promised and Angel falls deeper into psychosis. I loved that fact the Devil was playing a game (for BLOODSHOT read Angel, Tom Melesky) and that Angel (read Joe, Ali Jaffer) had no idea who he 'really' was, ie; a deranged razor blade wheeling psycho. The loss of identity and the seemingly unstoppable force of a supernatural being were the two main themes of BLOODSHOT and in many ways my short is a homage to Alan Parker's masterpiece.


The torment of looking in the mirror and being unaware of your real identity is explored in both Angel Heart and BLOODSHOT. Check out the bathroom scenes (x2) in my film.

"I know who I am!"