If you think the movie is underrated, read the book! If you
have any interest in the occult sciences Hjortsberg must have
researched for years to have all this obscure and accurate
information he pours into that book. I'd say it is the best
occult novel I've ever read including MOONCHILD and DIARY OF
A DRUG FIEND. Crowley presents interesting characters and
information, but his stories are flimsy. FALLING ANGEL is
tight as a drum with a creepy and satisfying ending. I
followed Hjortsberg's work after that, but his other books
are contrived by comparison.
Patrick King
--- On Mon, 6/9/08, Mark R. Harris <
brokerharris@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Mark R. Harris <
brokerharris@gmail.com> Subject: Re: RARA-AVIS: occult
PIs To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com Date: Monday, June 9, 2008,
6:49 PM
I think that Angel Heart is a rather under-rated movie. It's
well directed by Alan Parker, and has one of the better
creepy atmospheres on film since the heyday of Val
Lewton.
Mark
On 6/9/08, Patrick King <abrasax93@yahoo. com>
wrote:
>
> --- On Mon, 6/9/08, DJ-Anonyme@webtv. net
<DJ-Anonyme% 40webtv.net> <
> DJ-Anonyme@webtv. net <DJ-Anonyme%
40webtv.net> > wrote:
>
> The book also got me started thinking about other
series that overlap
> the hardboiled and occult worlds, especially loner
investigators who
> bridge the two worlds. I'm thinking of series like
George Chesbro's
> Mongo series, or shows like Forever Knight, Reaper,
the earlier (and far
> darker, more serious, wish it would come out on DVD)
Brimstone, some
> Angel, though much of it takes place only in the
occult world. That
> last reservation would also rule out Charlie
Huston's Joe Pike series.
> As much as I enjoy it, it's almost entirely set in
the politics of the
> world of vampires, even if that world is used to
satirize the real
> world.
> ************ ********* ********* ********* *********
********* ********* ******
> My favorite occult hard boiled is FALLING ANGEL by
William Hjortsberg. It
> follows an investigation by New York PI Harry Angel
in search of a missing
> jazz crooner who disappeared during WWII. It gets
weird very fast. There's
> an amazing scene in one of those abandoned NYC
subway platforms.
>
> A movie based on it called ANGEL HEART, starring
Mickey Rourke as Harry
> with a great supporting cast including DeNiro is
worth seeing, too. Director
> Allen Parker moved the majority of the scenes to New
Orleans for some
> reason. The book begins and ends in New York. The
movie is predominantly
> about VooDoo, the book about ceremonial
magick.
>
> Patrick King
>
>
>
-- Mark R. Harris 2122 W. Russet Court #8 Appleton WI 54914 (920) 470-9855 brokerharris@ gmail.com
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