Film noir/horror movie, released in 1987. It was directed and written by Alan Parker, based on William Hjortsberg's novel "Falling Angel."
Stars of the film included:
The plot focuses on 1950s private eye Harry Angel, who is hired by wealthy weirdo Louis Cyphre to track down a missing crooner named Johnny Favorite, who has broken a contract with Cyphre and gone into hiding.
Angel follows Favorite's trail from New York City to New Orleans, where he runs into a number of Favorite's associates, including a jazz musician, a few occultists, and Favorite's daughter. And most of them have a terrible habit of turning up dead not long after Harry talks to them. Eventually, Harry finds out some terrible secrets about Favorite and about himself.
The film received considerable controversy after the MPAA gave it an X rating, due to a sex scene between Rourke and Bonet. Parker eventually cut about 10 seconds from the movie to get an R rating. Additionally, Bonet's presence in the movie caused its own problems for her career -- she played one of Bill Cosby's daughters in "The Cosby Show," and though the comedian initially claimed to be fine with her appearing in the movie, she was soon fired from the show over creative differences.
Despite all that, this is a wonderfully creepy movie, just soaking in the atmosphere of off-kilter '50s New Orleans. The film is fully immersed in jazz, voodoo, poverty, rain, heat, humidity, and blood. There's always something strange happening, and the recurring motifs of fans and elevators, initially barely noticeable, eventually grow to be themes that can't be ignored.
The acting is outstanding all around. Rourke can be hard to take nowadays, but he's at the top of his game here, playing a smart guy who's in way over his head. Bonet is excellent as a woman who's sexy, independent, and more than a little spooky. DeNiro brings creepiness, charm, and a barely concealed joy at getting to play such a wild role. Of the more minor characters, Stocker Fontelieu's Ethan Krusemark is a particular delight as the wealthy, enthusiastic Satanist.
If you get a chance to watch it, please do so. It's a wonderful supernatural treat.