Mortal Sins (1989) Poster

(1989)

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3/10
Lifeless thriller
Leofwine_draca24 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this one on Amazon Prime under the title DANGEROUS OBSESSION. It comes as little surprise that nobody has bothered reviewing it before because it really isn't worth reviewing. The whole thing is a waste of time, a non-starter right from the outset. The only thing going for it is that it has a background of TV evangelism and religion-as-business, which is never really covered in the movies all that well. The Moonies also seem to be a big inspiration here.

The story is about the murder of a TV preacher and the subsequent investigation. There's a lot of stuff about a rich and ruthless businessman with scenes set in his offices and the like. It's very low budget with no action or incident. The main character is just a lackey who goes around romancing a couple of women before the big twist at the climax, which really isn't worth waiting for. The worst thing about this one? It's a toss-up between the lifeless characters and the static shooting style.
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TV-style whodunit
lor_4 June 2023
My review was written in October 1990 after watching the film on Academy video cassette.

Scandals involving televangelists provide fodder for the mild whodunit "Mortal Sins". That's the video title; theatrical release moniker is "Dangerous Obsession".

Filmed in Gotham two years ago as "God's Payroll', pic has James Harper hiring Jewish private eye Brian Benben to investigate the murder of his partner, Korean televangelist Park Sung (James Saito). Trial leads to a corrupt rival preacher Billy Beau Backus (played by Brick Hartney as well as Harpere's beautiful daughter (Debrah Farentino).

Producer Allen Blumberg's script is constructed like a tv movie/pilot with plenty of emphasis on Benben's ethnicity and untenable changes in tone. Some ridiculous subplots, notably when a nude woman and a geek toting a chainsaw accost BenBen in an abandoned church, destroy credibility. Low point is a tasteless scene of a villain dying on the steps of a Harlem church, insulting he black parishioners who try to help him.

Benben is colorless in the lead role, and Farentino is outshone by Maggie Jakobson (of Henry Jaglom's "New Year's Day") in a support role. Anthony LaPaglia, who subsequently aroused attention in Alan Alda's "Betsy's Wedding", has a nothing p;art as one of Benben's pals, but has been upped to third billing.

Tech credits are okay, but soundtrack pointlessly features golden oldies that have nothing to do with the visuals or mood.
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