vmeveryware Yes it was cheesy throughout many parts, but a great deal of this movie was authentic! The fearlessness of the kids, the clothing (from lumberjack coats to RUN-DMCish leather fur hooded bombers). The abandoned buildings, prostitution on dirty mattresses in an empty lot, people getting thrown off roofs, wild random shootouts, disrespect of the police, dirty police, the music, everything was just authentic! One poster on here tends to think that a lot of what went on in this movie was far-fetched, I have news for you my friend, it wasn't!!! That's how crazy it used to be in the ghettos of NY (although I never knew Alphabet city was just as bad as the Bronx or Uptown Manhattan) before Rudolph Giuliani came into office. It's like an unrated, more violent version of the movie Beat Street, lol. I tell ya, I caught this flick late at night on Showtime and I was immediately taken back to the old neighborhoods that I grew up in (bronx & uptown manhattan, Spanish harlem). Many of the scenes brought back crazy memories of the violence and just plain ghetto activity that used to take place back in those days. The bodies outlined in chalk, the casual demeanor when someone you knew got shot dead, aggggghhhhh, this movie was just crazy. If you want a glimpse of what the Bronx and Spanish harlem (and I suppose Alphabet City) were like pre-mayor giuliani, watch this movie. For those of you who have been there, you know what I am talking about. Cypress Avenue, 141 street, stand up!

Joseph P. Ulibas Paul Morrisey's Mixed Blood (1985)is a grim and bleak look at life on the streets of New York City. Morrisey shot the movie on grainy film stock.By doing so he gives the film a newsreel type aura. This is no Hollywood movie folks. The acting feels real and so does the situations. He pulls no punches in showing how these people survive day by day. The action scenes are abrupt and to the point. There's no staged or choreographed action set pieces. Everything about this film has a feel of true life. Many people will be turned off because of this. What do they know? Mixed Blood is great film that will sadly fade away into obscurity. A shame a great film maker like Paul Morrisey has never gotten his due.Highly recommended. Not for all tastes.

Nick Zak First up, Mixed Blood is no Citizen Kane (Personally, I think Citizen Kane is highly overrated, but you get my point). However, it is a very enjoyable, funny and entertaining. The acting on occasion is poor but in a strange way this adds to the sense of realism. Richard Ulacia is a dreadful actor but due to the fact that he is playing a retarded mummy's boy means that he is perfect for this role!Marilia Pera is excellent as Rita La Punta (she starred in Central Station) and whilst she shows sincere motherly love for all her 'adopted' drug running boys, she still manages to exude a real air of menace for her rivals drug dealers.There are some very funny scenes in this film. I suspect most of them were intentional, although some are not. However, be warned if you like Merchant and Ivory films you will not find any humour in this film! If you hate Merchant and Ivory films, you should have a rib tickling time.On a more serious note, one of the plot lines involves NYC's finest helping the drug dealers eliminate their rivals. In the light of the Larry Davis case (where Larry, a teenager, was allegedly employed by South Bronx police officers to sell drugs) and the fact that, in retrospect, this film was shot in the same year, you really do get a sense of gritty realism.The musical score is excellent and matches the style and look of the film perfectly. The fine use of latin classics from Hector Lavoe and Willie Colon will have you shimmying in your seat.If you like Scarface and Carlito's Way, rent this film on a Saturday night (when there is nothing much on TV) and you will not be disappointed.

emm MIXED BLOOD should pay special tribute to a guru of Andy Warhol who can't pinpoint New York City on a map. This gets cheesy starting at the first few seconds. A good story about "Mommy's" boys running a crime operation is dumped into the city landfill by mistakenly showing off poor production values, and a cruddy place to shoot a movie. I gagged throughout the whole thing, and you will, too. For the actors who were put on minimum wage, learning to use the sixth letter of the alphabet perfectly explains the name of the setting ("Alphabet City"). Godmother Rita is a slightly overweight Fran Drescher who performs a ridiculous singing number, turning this film into a laughable nightmare that later gets silly without even being noticed. You can smell the laughing gas that floats directly at your face! And if you can't stand the bloody violence that is eating our society, well, you most likely will, as poorly choreographed scenes will have you coughing up your fajita. MIXED BLOOD doesn't decide on whether it wants to speak Spanish or English. "Pathetic" is the word that speaks for itself. You might be interested in it if you still love Menudo.