Pick-up

I am beginning to think that I wasted my money on the Drive-In Cult Classics set!!!! This is the third movie that I watched from this 8-pack set and they are just getting worse and worse. I am not expecting academy award winners but I was expecting something at least watchable. The only good thing about this movie was the cool bus!!! I've seen hotter soft core porn on the late night Oxygen Channel show "Bliss". I do have to admit that the two lead women are 70's exploitation HOTTIES and that's why I'm giving this film 2 stars for obviously naked reasons. I sure do hope these movies in this set get better.

Don't let the abundance of positive votes for glowing reviews fool you. Packaged with other exploitation movies like Superchick and Malibu High, Pick-Up is nothing but pretentious wanderings filled with metaphysical mumbo-jumbo dialogue by Bernard Hirschenson who, no surprise, never directed again. Free spirited Carol and deep thinking Maureen hitch a ride with Chuck who must deliver a large RV from Miami to Tallahassee but somehow gets stuck in the Everglades where they prance around naked or partake in suedo-sacrificial ceremonies with Greek deities. Yeah, pure grindhouse experience there. At least the two young beauties bare their bodies consistently which is the only saving grace of this film. At some points in the movie a backstory is provided for the three travelers, albeit disjointedly, providing little insight into why they are at this particular station in life. I'm perfectly fine with the notion that Pick-Up has bigger meaning than I might give it credit, however this is not a movie that belongs in an exploitation collection. The cumulative score of 5.0 as I write this is more indicative of the fact that this is seen by most as an average at best film. This certainly is not an awful film, just not as good as some might make this out to be. Decide for yourself.

This is essentially a movie with no story. What starts out as a road trip movie turns into some bad dada-esque, head trip.

Carol and Maureen, two sexy and carefree girls, are hanging out in Florida out in a field near the highway. Along comes Chuck, a good-looking California surfer stud whose driving a RV (they were called mobile homes back then). He offers them a ride and they can't resist. Carol takes to Chuck immediately and flirts with him while they travel. Meanwhile, in the back of the trailer, the dark and mysterious Maureen is deep into her tarot cards and astrology. She's foreseeing danger ahead.

Instead of any real kind of story, what we get is Chuck and Carol running naked through a field and having lots of sex while Maureen looks on envious of the couple. But then eventually she gets her turn with the stud too. Interspersed in all this sex is lots of trippy, psychedelic imagery, groovy music, nude women, sinister clowns and other confusion. It's perfect for a drive-in where hardly anyone is paying attention anyway cuz most of the audience was making out or socializing or a lot of stoners will get a trip watching. Otherwise, this is a complete waste of time unless you want to catch some T&A.

When I selected this film out of a Drive-In Classics set, I was expecting a typical "don't hitchhike" exploitation / horror movie. What I actually got was something far more bizarre and interesting. Long story made short, two girls hitch a ride on a mobile home and end up stuck in the Everglades. Lots of sexual hijinks ensue.

What separates this film from any number of exploitation movies are the bizarre visions experienced by one mentally disturbed character. Although they border on the nonsensical, these sequences show a level of creativity not usually associated with this genre. Furthermore, whether by careful restoration, good quality film stock, or sheer luck, the film looks far better than many mainstream films from the 70s now on DVD.

That said, this film is not the work of art some fans make it out to be. The dialogue is often laughable, particularly in the case of the exasperated boss of the mobile home driver. Furthermore, the "Everglades" looks like it is actually an amusement park's safari ride- highly manicured and obviously not really wild. The sex scenes are basically soft core, and go on for so long that they become boring.

Overall, I cannot recommend this movie, but at the same time, it is just weird enough to be worth a rental.

What can I said about "Pick-Up" that hasn't been said already? It's sad to see the negatives that were posted on here about the movie....how about you think outside the box?

Anyways, another reviewer pretty much told you what the film was about, so I won't repeat that here. What I will tell you is the film is just great. The film is obviously low budget...but not in a bad way whatsoever! They made with what they had...the acting (for that time), was very good, the directing was great, and I would just like to point out the editing...excellent! You know, back then it wasn't easy like it is now, and there's some trippy stuff you see in between shots as well. Oh, and both of the girls...absolutely beautiful.

The film, like one reviewer said, plays like a "trip"....and I absolutely gotta agree with them! Definitely a trip I would love to be on that's for sure. I WILL NOT give away the ending, but to this day it's stuck with me and I always think about it. The pacing is great, both of the girls are excellent (as characters and actresses)...the guy that owns the RV place always cracks me up lol

Seriously though, the other reviewer did a top notch job, and I can't think of anything else to say other than this:

Want to see a film that is original and unlike any other film you have seen? Tired of the films that try and pass as "grindhouse" films nowadays and want the real thing? Pick up "PICK-UP" today and go on one hell of a ride =)

But to agree with one of the other reviewers....YES!!! This, if no other movie, needs a special edition!!!!