breakfast-49192 Reviews

Bad Blood (1981)

Better than the scores received on rotten tomatoes

[7/10 · 14 June 2021]

This may be less appealing to American tastes, but to British tastes it is a reasonably well made movie.

The period elements are really well done. It does not try to manipulate you emotionally like a lot (all!) of Hollywood so maybe that is what haters crave along with supersaturated sensory overload.

It is a straightforward tale based on a real life story..

Sometimes slow and that actually was how things were then in NZ, especially I imagine the west coast of the South Island.

I found this for a buck and it's a buck well spent.

For 1981 it is excellent for NZ. Some aspects are begging to be made more tense and this is why is it is a 7.

Mulholland Falls (1996)

Really a 7-7.5

[7/10 · 14 June 2021]

Watched this after Bad Blood tonight, another NZ classic.

I had no idea this was made by the fellow that did Once Were Warriors which I think I've seen 3x in the past.

Watching this, it is striking how the game LA Noire has taken elements of this (not to mention lots of other past noire films).

And to make clear, I absolutely loved that game, x 360 and ps4. That period in time, later 1940s Los Angeles is nicely portrayed in that game and this movie.

It was just chance that led to me picking this up. I like Nick Nolte and this, along with Bad Blood and several other titles, were found for a buck each in a second hand store. This is giving it away.

I would not have reviewed this but for the unwarranted hate it gets. It is NOT a 3. It might be a 5 due to John' Malkovich who is ill cast in the late 40s. He would have been better cast as one of those that got the electric chair for selling the USA nuclear secrets out to the Soviets rather than the general in charge of America's nuclear arsenal. He comes across as oleaginous which is more him than the role, imo.

That said, the rest is pretty good though maybe trying a little too hard to be noir at times at the end.

It's not at all a 3-4 out of 10. It's a 7 and if you are a fan of this time it is a 7.5 or more. For me 7.5 if I could give it. As much as I enjoyed viewing the big assets of the lady in the opening scene, this was ruined by John Malkovich's hands all over them.

Regardless, Thanks for making this film.