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Pretty Good

A different way of telling a story

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

This film doesn't come off entirely what it sets off to do. Moriarty in two brother roles, shows us what a fine actor he is. It's good Moriarty versus Moriarty, where good Moriarty's life, is becoming a living hell, thanks to his Siamese twin brother, who's fortunately a psychotic, who's committed a sting of brutal murders, one not so brutal, involving punching an ex boxing star (lovable veteran actor Cameron Mitchell). Bad Moriarty is parading as good Moriarty doctor, which he isn't as it isn't helping his good brother's chances, when the cops get hold of him. When growing up, our psychotic one wasn't given the same love and attention, as the good one, hence, part of his reasons for becoming a knife thrashing lunatic. His good brother has it all, successful, likable, and a really nice piece of female a..e The ain't half bad film offers some nice servings of nudity and some nice slappings of venesection (gore) and Moriarty, who's acting presence is always something viewable, especially after seeing in Q. The problems with the film, overall, I felt, were there were a few stops, a little dullness, and not enough story poured into what is otherwise, an interesting film, that really doesn't really fall above the ranks of average.

Blood Link stars Michael Moriarty as a respected scientist who studies dreams with his lab/bedroom partner Penelope Milford. Moriarty is having visions of himself murdering women and comes to understand that he is seeing murders committed through the eyes of his psychopathic lost twin brother--also played by Moriarty. So the good doctor packs his bags and heads to Germany where his brother is engaged in his murder spree.The doctor believes that if he can find his brother before the police locate him, he can shuttle him back to the States and get him some psychiatric treatment. But brother has other ideas in mind--namely taking his place in the lab and more appropriately, in bed with Penelope Milford.STORY: $$ (The story doesn't offer anything new to the genre. Who hasn't seen one of these good/evil twin thrillers before? The personality quirks (Moriarty playing with his hair) were forced plot details and hindered the film).ACTING: $$ (Rather weak. Michael Moriarty and Penelope Milford are both talented thespians but they have no chemistry and at times seem to sleepwalk through their roles. One gets the impression that on set things weren't tightened down and the actor's work suffered because of it. The great Cameron Mitchell gives a quality performance as former prizefighter Bud Waldo who mistakes the murderous Moriarty for the doctor who treated him once. Sarah Langenfeld is serviceable as Bud's daughter).NUDITY: $$$$$ (Lots of skin here, folks. Most of the women that Moriarty kills are topless. Martha Smith, who played the eager-to-please sorority gal in ANIMAL HOUSE, spends her entire screen time topless--and she is on screen quite a bit. Sarah Langenfeld has a bedroom tryst with Michael Moriarty because ol' Mike is so blasted irresistible. For fans of petite beauties, Penelope Milford has a couple nude scenes as well. A lovely little lady, Penelope bares her breasts early in the film in bed with Moriarty and near the close of the film she is stripped to her birthday suit by the evil Moriarty. The credits roll with Penelope getting her pajama top removed for a final shot of breasts just in case the viewer forgot what the movie was all about. The story of twins in trouble is just filler between the breast shots. But when they're supplied by the well put together Miss Milford, who can complain?)

"Blood Link" is a suspenseful and pretty scary thriller.The plot: Craig Manning (Moriarty) is a doctor. But for some nights now he's been having horrific visions of murders. It turns out he has a Siamese brother (also played by Moriarty) who lives in Hamburg. Craig tracks him down to unravel the mystery."Blood Link" is worth watching for the usual excellent performance by Moriarty. He puts a lot of energy and character into the role. The direction by De Martino is fast-paced and the music by Ennio Morricone is always worth a listen.In the end: If you can find it, "Blood Link" is an interesting horror movie worth watching.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

This obscure Italian film – made in the English language – mixes typical elements of the giallo with a few sci-fi trappings, and adds to them a doppelganger theme. Incidentally, given that it deals with Siamese twins who haven't been in contact for years but are able to 'see' what one another is doing, it somehow feels like the long-lost sibling of two Brian De Palma films itself – coming, as it does, in between his SISTERS (1973) and RAISING CAIN (1992)! Anyway, it's mildly interesting (even more so for me, being a twin myself!), good-looking (the film was shot in the U.S. and Germany) and features an understated Ennio Morricone score – but, in the long run, emerges as nothing especially remarkable. Besides, even if the supporting cast is decked out with veteran presences – Geraldine Fitzgerald, Virginia McKenna and Cameron Mitchell – they're all basically wasted (McKenna, for instance, is already dead within the first 5 minutes!).The lead is played by Michael Moriarty, an actor noted for his intense performances – and, here, we get double the dose (with the star, predictably, hamming it up particularly in his serial-killer characterization)! However, he's flanked by two lovely ladies whose contribution is above-average for this sort of thing – Penelope Milford (ex-Oscar nominee for COMING HOME [1978]!) as the good Moriarty's girlfriend and Sarah Langenfeld (in one of only 4 films she did) as the daughter of has-been prizefighter Mitchell, whose cold-blooded murder at the hands of the bad Moriarty she witnesses. By the way, the film features a surprising amount of nudity (by the two girls and others) – but it's not done in an overly sleazy or exploitative manner.The 'face/off' situations between the two brothers provide the expected fireworks; the climax, then, sees Milford distracting the villainous (and impotent) Moriarty by letting him rape her – thus enabling the police to track him down through his brother's ability to recognize the surroundings! This is followed, however, by a far-fetched CARRIE (1976)-like twist set in the city morgue...but which leads to an effectively unsettling 'curtain' where Milford is literally unable to tell which brother she's ended up with! P.S. If all goes well, I should be getting to another of De Martino's horror films – HOLOCAUST 2000 (1977) – in the near future, which is one I've missed out on numerous times in the past...