This pioneering gay New Zealand movie was made six years before the Homosexual Law Reform Bill was passed, so much in it was "criminal" at the time, and certainly deeply frowned on by most "respectable" society. This is the context in which it needs to be viewed. The makers were daring to portray Auckland's gay community as normal, and faced the wrath of the Society for the Promotion of Community Standards.
That said, the story is somewhat limp, and (considering it was made three years after "Sleeping Dogs") limply told. Bisexual 3-piece-suit-wearing - we never learn what he does - Grant (Robert Shannon) is engaged to Joy (Donna Akerson) but plays around with men, including slim, camp young Paul (Paul Eady), just coming out, who falls in love with him. Grant intends to choose respectability at the cost of Paul's feelings, but an unprovoked attack on him by police in a toilet, followed by the gaybashing of Paul in a gay club, forces him to face up to himself. Paul meanwhile, has found love, or at least companionship, sex and fun, elsewhere.
Editor Jamie Selkirk went on to edit the entire Peter Jackson oeuvre, but in the seven years until "Bad Taste" he must have learnt a lot. Much of the cutting here is slack, adding to the aimless feel of the movie.
The print I saw was the worse for age, with a pronounced red-orange cast and blurry soundtrack. It was apparently shot in 16mm.
That said, the story is somewhat limp, and (considering it was made three years after "Sleeping Dogs") limply told. Bisexual 3-piece-suit-wearing - we never learn what he does - Grant (Robert Shannon) is engaged to Joy (Donna Akerson) but plays around with men, including slim, camp young Paul (Paul Eady), just coming out, who falls in love with him. Grant intends to choose respectability at the cost of Paul's feelings, but an unprovoked attack on him by police in a toilet, followed by the gaybashing of Paul in a gay club, forces him to face up to himself. Paul meanwhile, has found love, or at least companionship, sex and fun, elsewhere.
Editor Jamie Selkirk went on to edit the entire Peter Jackson oeuvre, but in the seven years until "Bad Taste" he must have learnt a lot. Much of the cutting here is slack, adding to the aimless feel of the movie.
The print I saw was the worse for age, with a pronounced red-orange cast and blurry soundtrack. It was apparently shot in 16mm.
