Bad Blood
(Umbrella Entertainment DVD/Region Zero/0/PAL Format)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Film: C+
PLEASE NOTE: This DVD can only be operated on
machines capable of playing back DVDs that can handle Region Zero/0/PAL format
software, and can be ordered from our friends at Umbrella Entertainment at the
website address provided at the end of the review.
When Stan Graham (Jack Thompson) will not give up his .303
rifle for the New Zealand war effort, he finds himself fighting his country and
many around him in Mike Newell’s intriguing film Bad Blood (1981) telling the true-enough story of the refusal that
became a manhunt when Graham kills three police officers and inadvertently
becomes a national hero!
Newell is best known for the fluff films he has made in
the U.S. with the likes of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, so it was a big
surprise indeed that he could not only handle mature, serious, challenging
adult material, but do it well enough that he finishes what he started. The cast is also good and this turns out to
be a key piece of New Zealand cinema along with the likes of Once We’re Warriors. The film is not perfect and it may take some
patience to understand the country and its politics, but Bad Blood is rewarding enough to go out of the way to see;
especially if you want something different.
The letterboxed
1.85 X 1 image can be weak, lacks some detail, depth, has some problematic
color and even has a tad of aliasing here and there, but Director of
Photography Gary Hansen gives this an authentic look with enough density that
this DVD can still be enjoyed. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono is a generation or two down affecting dialogue and the Richard
Hartley score. The film needs some
restoration work and deserves it. Extras
only include Umbrella DVD trailer and an interview with Thompson.
As noted
above, you can order this import exclusively from Umbrella at:
http://www.umbrellaent.com.au/
- Nicholas Sheffo
