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Came a Hot Friday

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6.5/10 • 4

1985-10-041h 41m

DramaComedy

Set in post-war (1949) rural New Zealand, this film traces the efforts of two con men to run a betting scam in a small town (Tainuea) already rife with illegal gambling corruption, and eccentricity.

Directors
Ian Mune
Writters
Dean Parker, Ian Mune
Editors
Ken Zemke

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Peter Bland

    Peter Bland

    Wes Pennington

  2. Phillip Gordon

    Phillip Gordon

    Cyril Kidman

  3. Michael Lawrence

    Michael Lawrence

    Don Jackson

  4. Billy T. James

    Billy T. James

    The Tainuia Kid

  5. Marshall Napier

    Marshall Napier

    Sel Bishop

  6. Don Selwyn

    Don Selwyn

    Norm Cray

  7. Marise Wipani

    Marise Wipani

    Esmerelda

Reviews1

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SierraKiloBravo Avatar

SierraKiloBravo

Jun 12, 2020

4/10

Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/U7wjcSD3iE The early 80s was a time where the New Zealand film industry began to really bud and grow. One of the classics to come out of that time was Came a Hot Friday. Much like Goodbye Pork Pie that came before it, this is a screwball comedy full of larger than life characters and general silliness. So what exactly is the story here? Set in post-war rural New Zealand, this film traces the efforts of two con men as they run a betting scam in a small town already rife with illegal gambling, corruption, and eccentricity. There really isn't a lot of story here and the movie is a bit of a shambles, but in a way, that's what gives it its charm. Its poorly acted and edited, but you 100% get a real sense of 1980s New Zealand, even though the movie is set in 1949. It's hard to say whether or not I recommend this. From a strictly story and quality point of view, its a bit of a disaster looking at it through modern eyes. As a slice of what we in New Zealand call "Kiwiana" though, its a treasure trove. It was a delight to see the legendary Billy T. James in this as, no less, and Maori Mexican bandito, and along with him, there were a few other familiar, albeit, much younger, faces from the NZ film and television alumni. I came across this in full on YouTube, and apart from that, I'm not sure where on earth you would be able to find a copy these days. It's not a great movie, but does have a ton of nostalgia value.

Media

  • Came a Hot Friday poster
  • Came a Hot Friday poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
new zealand