उपयोगकर्ता समीक्षाएं

And the moral of the story is... If you're an aging fairly well to do business-owner with a wife running for city council, might be a good idea to keep it in your pants. I mean, hey, thats what the porno theaters are for and all, right?

52 Pick Up is sleazy, practically X rated (I imagine it got edited down to an R) and would be an excessive neo noir, practically an exploitation flick with the grit it's spitting out, if not for Elmore Leonard being a cracker-jack master at s***bag sometimes-smart-but-also-stupid characters (you know, f-ups), and the delicious twists and turns this takes, which are ultimately all about how Mitchell (Scheider) manages to get the upper hand just enough to keep things moving his way.... Until it doesn't. And good God do John Glover and especially Clarence Williams III own their roles so complerely and make them equally terrifying and campy (Williams's squeaky voice, one for the ages, man).

There are some odd/off technical beats early on - maybe it was because I was seeing it on 35mm on a big screen, but certain tracking shots seemed ragged, and I dont know if that was by design or because Frankenheimer had a lax crew - and I can't shake that Ann-Margaret's character is too smart, or seems to be, to make some of the dumb choices she does at times. Like say, I dunno, leave the house for a while and don't stay where you know these dummy porn jackals will come by since they know where your husband lives - hell, he shouldve moved them out after the first video, but whatever, not a killer to the whole story. So moments like those where logic leaves for plot convenience aren't solid.

For all the illogic and flagrant disregard for good taste that this as (many real world porn stars appear, including Ron Jeremy), this is a helluva good movie because Frankenheimer understands what Leonard is going for: nobody here is exactly likeable, but it's more about watching how one guy will scheme with the other, and Scheider nearly becomes a Sanjuro among these three dangerous boobs. Not to mention on top of everything there is that 80s synth score that I believe is playing the Melodies of the Pile of Cocaine from Scarface. My only regret was not having a glass of scotch to go along with it.

(PS: .... Too bad we didnt get the denouemont where Ann-Margaret divorces his jazz-convertible self and takes him for everything he's got (I mean, you cheat on Ann friggin Margaret, youre lucky she doesnt beat you in the head with roller skates like Roller Girl in Boogie Nights, but I digress).

Lean, mean and explosively dangerous sordid thriller (with a noir vibe) by director John Frankenheimer and penned by gritty crime writer Elmore Leonard who's details plaster in an authentic charge. Roy Scheider's head-strong performance is creditability good and Ann-Margret favourably so. Where they play a married couple Harry and Barbara Mitchell, as their work commitments seems to come first in their decaying 22 years old marriage. What comes to blows is that Harry is having an affair and soon finds himself being blackmailed for it. Instead of giving in to the blackmailer's demands, he sorts out to play their games which lead him and his wife in to uncertain turmoil.

But in the end what makes the film are three prominent bad guys; John Glover (charismatically manipulative scumbag), Clarence Williams III (coldly intense) and Robert Trebor (seamlessly twitchy). Each adding their own distinguishable traits and clashing personalities that would go on to become their eventual downfalls, which Scheider's character perfectly sets out to achieve. As they soon turn on each other and watch as the tables are constantly turn in who's actually in control of the situation. Leonard's dedicated material is highly engrossing in its impulsive layout (no one is truly spared from its cruel and sleazy tone), and Frankenheimer's tough-as-nails direction is brisk, leering and intensely full-blooded in its conviction to the premise. Some set-pieces truly stand-out mixing morbidly uncomfortable humour with blaring violence.

Rounding off the cast you have a young Kelly Preston who's believably naïve and Vanity is palatable as one of the strippers working in the seedy LA backdrop. Also popping in are porn stars Ron Jeremy and Amber Lynn. Jost Vacano's burnish cinematography is on the spot, the editing is tidely spliced and Gary Chang's electrifying score packs a consuming rhythm.

Simply put this has got to be one of the best harrowing thrillers of the 80s (probably Cannon's most commendable production in its typical staples), that even harks back to the searing roughness of the benchmark 70s hard-boiled fodder.

Leonard's source material was used two years earlier in director J. Lee Thompson's middle east political thriller 'The Ambassador'.

I've always liked this John Frankenheimer film. Good script by Elmore Leonard and the main reason this wasn't just another thriller is because of Frankenheimer. His taut direction and attention to little details make all the difference, he even hired porn star Ron Jeremy as a consultant! You can make a case that its the last good film Roy Scheider made. I've always said that Robert Trebor gave just a terrific performance. Clarence Williams III got all the publicity with his scary performance and he's excellent also but I really thought Trebor stood out. Frankenheimer may not be as proud of this film as others but it is an effective thriller full of blackmail, murder, sex, drugs, and real porno actors appear in sleazy parts. What can you say about a film that has Ann Margaret being shot up with drugs and raped? A guilty pleasure to say the least. Vanity has a real sleazy role and a very young Kelly Preston makes an early appearance. A classic exploitive thriller that shouldn't be forgotten.

Seems out of place in time where the main emphasis in American films were on action and horror. 52 Pick Up(1986) is a film that's more suited to the middle years of the film noir genre during the mid 1940s. Many old and modern themes are put together to create a gripping and well acted thriller. Its roots are deep in Film Noir traditions and notions.

The main villain is one of the most memorable heavies in thrillers of the last twenty years. What makes the film so compelling are the realistic behavior of the villains who are into to something that's way over their heads. The main villain, Alan Raimy is a cool talking but vicious blackmailer and murderer who goes into a war a nerves with nemesis, Harry Mitchell. He is truly a frightening villain unlike in many crime thriller who's can explode at anytime or any second.

52 Pick Up(1986) is based on a novel by Elmore Leonard whose work has been adapted into the big screen or television. In the 1980s most of the Elmore Leonard based features were noirish, serious, and violent films..I.E., 52 Pick Up(1986), Stick(1985), Glitz(1987), and Cat Chaser(1989). During the 1990s films based on Elmore Leonard's work tended to be more lighter and less sleezy and serious like for example, Get Shorty(1995), Jackie Brown(1997), Touch(1996), Out of Sight(1998), and the made for TV movie Pronto(1998). 52 Pick Up(1952) is one of my favorite films based on the crime novels of Elmore Leonard.

The snuff murder sequence involving the murder of Cini played by Kelly Preston is chilling presented. Similiar to the scenes of snuff that the main character sees in 8MM(1998). A disturbing moment as disturbing as the Family massacre and torture home video of Henry:Portrait of a Serial Killer(1986) from that same year. Realisticly directed with emotional impact by director, John Frankenheimer.

Filled with a good or excellent plot twist at every turn of the story. The Plot twists in 52 Pick Up(1986) unlike in Reindeer Games(2000) are more believable and well toned. Its the kind of plot twists shown in 52 Pick Up(1986) that shows Elmore Leonard's strengths as a writer and a master of surprising plot twists. My favorite plot twist ocurrs at the end of the motion picture.

Many of the actors of this motion picture give tight convincing performances that supplements the brilliantly crafted direction of John Frankenheimer. Roy Scheider gives his character of Harry Mitchell a combination of human vererability and mental toughness. Ann Margret pulls some surprises as the dissappointed but understanding wife, Barbara Mitchell. John Glover puts on a charismatic performance as the ruthless but suave Alain Raimy.

Carried by mood and attitude for the whole duration of the motion picture. Strong mood is what makes or breaks a Film Noir or crime thriller. 52 Pick Up(1986) has enough mood to last two films. The mood in here is so tense to the point of glass breaking and walls shaking.

There are no heroes in the world of 52 Pick Up, only Criminals and survivals. Harry Mitchell is the ultimate anti hero that is part of Film Noir lore. He is akin to many anti heroes played by Robert Mitchuim, Kirk Douglus, and other tough guys of the Film Noir period. The toughest of tough guys portrayed by Roy Scheider in his long career.

Clarence Williams 3 plays a character which he would do a varation of in the horrible Reindeer Games(2000). He was much better in 52 Pick Up(1986) than he is in Reindeer Games(2000). The blackmail aspect of 52 Pick Up(1986) appears in Reindeer Games with pathetic results. Directed with gritt and intensity by the talented but inconsistent John Frankenheimer.

Kelly Preston brings to her role a sense of naivity and tragedy all in one package. The final moments are nail biting in the tradition of nail biting crime thrillers. Overlooked film that is the type of film rarely made today in Hollywood in our PC world. 52 Pick Up(1986) shows that a crime thriller is more than action set pieces and flashy actors.

I've only read one of Leonard's crime novels and it didn't impress me much with its style. The guy writes as if he's producing a technical manual with people instead of parts. But the plot was interesting and dense, as it is in this movie.

Roy Scheider never turns in a bad performance, and here his face is beginning to look comely and battered with time. He's also from Orange, New Jersey, which is a good place to start from. Scheider is Harry, a morally flawed businessman with a mechanical bent. Ann-Margaret is breathtakingly good looking, and her performance is exceptional. The same could be said of Vanity, but her part is rather small. The villains are all superb. John Glover is a delight to watch on screen -- and to listen to -- with that slimy smile and midlands Maryland accent that descends into working-class vulgar when the situation calls for it. He's the kind of villain who would enjoy pulling hooks out of fish. He and Scheider played well off one another in "The Last Embrace." Clarence Williams is a sort of doggedly cunning and brutal muscleman, done quietly but effectively.

There's something oddly amusing about Williams' villainy. After Scheider and Ann-Margaret have clobbered him following a botched murder attempt (a little hard to believe), he sits in a chair having his picture taken while Scheider implants in his mind a few seeds of doubt about the probity of his partners in crime. An expression of dumb comprehension creeps slowly over his face and his eyes squint over his bleeding nose.

Robert Trebor (terrific name, by the way, a palindrome) gives a nearly perfect imitation of a guy who is a sweating, shaking, desperately twitching nervous wreck, but still with his eye pinned on profit and, mostly, survival. What a trio of villains.

The plot is, as I say, dense, but not difficult to follow. The story is in a style that Northrop Frye called low mimetic: Scheider is no hero, and in fact no better than the rest of us. That's what makes his outwitting of the trio so interesting. Frankenheimer's direction is fine, no flashy shots or dazzling fireworks. The story pulls a viewer along on its own terms. Not a masterpiece, but a cleverly done genre piece, it's worth seeing. Can't imagine why people flock to schlock while a movie like this goes by mostly unnoticed.

By all accounts, 52 Pick-up is a nasty piece of cinema; a thriller that wholly benefits from Frankenheimer's direction, Elmore Leonard's characters and a hateful edge.

This is a movie that grabbed me fairly quickly and pulled me right in as Roy Scheider's industrialist had to outsmart his blackmailers. The players both behind and in front of the camera are expert, the plot turns are wicked and while the ending is ... unique ... this tawdry little crime movie delivers.

Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) is a wealthy specialty manufacturer in L.A. with beautiful wife Barbara (Ann-Margret) running for city council. Hooded blackmailers with a video tape of Harry and his mistress Cini (Kelly Preston) want $105k. Harry has a cold relationship with his wife. Cini and her friend Doreen (Vanity) are porn strippers under the thumb of Alan Raimy (John Glover) and his underlings Bobby Shy (Clarence Williams III) and Leo Franks (Robert Trebor). Harry doesn't go to the cops but also refuses to pay. The situation escalates as Alan elevates the blackmail and demands. However Harry counters with negotiations and schemes which pitch the blackmailers against each other.

The three bad guys are terrific. There are some dark things going on in this movie. There is a snuff film of Cini. Vanity has a memorable stripper scene. She has a great line after Harry says her picture is a little dark. "That's me, honey." Roy Scheider is a little bit too cold and distant. He needs some more emotions. In a way, he is overpowered by the dark crazy villains because they are such compelling characters.

The acting, dialogue, and casting was about perfect for this material. The big Hollywood studios apparently wouldn't accept this script so Elmore Leonard had to go to Cannon (a.k.a., that company made all those horrible films in the Eighties). It has the feel of a low budget film, with a lot of rising stars, falling stars, people bumping into the camera by accident, and a director long past his prime, but it holds up pretty well. There's not one stereotypical L.A. landmark or establishing shot, the film is better than to try and look generic.

Clarence Williams is a believably scary murderer, and the other villains equally repulsive and hateable in their own unique ways. If any character is underwritten, it is the protagonist and his wife, who just seem boringly bland and familiar, but that is sort of inevitable in these types of movies where everything hinges our needing to identify with the victim.

The film is entertaining as any other genre piece of the era, by far one of the better crime dramas of the Eighties, and easily the best of Cannon's direct-to-video cheapos. I'd have liked it even better if it had stuck to its strong suit and went all in with its dark humor (as the film was flirting with the entire run-time but never committed to). The ending was kind of predictable, maybe other films have over-used the idea since but it doesn't date well. Seemed like a throwaway climax.

52 Pick-Up is directed by John Frankenheimer and written by Elmore Leonard (adapting from his own novel) and John Steppling. It stars Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, John Glover, Vanity, Clarence Williams III, Robert Trebor and Kelly Preston. Music is by Gary Chang and cinematography by Jost Vacano and Stephen Ramsey.

Successful business entrepreneur Harry Mitchell (Scheider) finds himself the victim of blackmail by three pornographers who have video evidence of his extramarital affair. With his wife about to embark on a new stage of her political career, the last thing Harry needs is a scandal, but when things take a turn for the worse Harry decides to use unorthodox methods to deal with the blackmailers.

A nifty neo-noir this, certainly deserving of being better known in neo- noir circles. The presence of Leonard at the writing table ensures that the story doesn't drift too far away from his own source material, though location is moved to L.A. as opposed to the Detroit of the novel. Thematic thrust centres around Mitchell being caught for his indiscretions and what the consequences of his actions means for all around him, quite often with devastating results.

Mitchell has to move about a seedy world of pornography, of cheap peekaboo bars, strip joints and snuff movies, he has to get to the level of his blackmailers so as to enact his plans with conviction. The three weasels played by Glover, Williams and Trebor are in turn slimy, menacing and a twitchy neurotic, an off-beat trio suitably framed by Frankenheimer's sleazy and cold world.

It may not be prime Frankenheimer but the director knows his noir onions, both in performances garnered from his strong cast and via his visual ticks. Characters are more often than not smoking or drinking liquor, sweating or looking pained as the camera gets up close and personal, the director even finds place for a bit of slatted shadow play in one sequence and menacing angled shards for another.

Some contrivances are more annoying than hindrances, it's a bit bloodless for a picture not lacking in action scenes, and although the finale is signposted without due care and attention, it is still sufficiently rewarding. Decadence, sleaze, greed, paranoia and moral decay come crashing together to create a sadly neglected piece of 1980s neo-noir. A yuppie revenger where there are no heroes, just sinners and victims. 7.5/10

Elmore Leonard died recently, and so I decided to watch this movie based on one of his novels. John Frankenheimer directed Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret in "52 Pick-Up", about an industrialist whose affair leads to severe consequences. It seems that the movie is simultaneously testing your willingness to watch a lot of nasty stuff and making you feel as if you want to watch ever more of it. Gross as a lot of it is, Frankenheimer's slick direction keeps even the most unpleasant scene relevant to the story. Mired as the characters are in a world of sleaze, there's sort of no nice way for the story to progress.

"52 Pick-Up" continues the string of serious movies in which Ann-Margret started appearing in the '70s ("Carnal Knowledge", "Tommy", "Magic"). No doubt she realized that it was time to move away from her sex kitten image. A really different role for her was the 2006 suspense thriller "Memory". Above all, "52 Pick-Up" is a movie that I recommend. It's definitely not going to be for everyone, but I liked it.

This is definitely a Guy Flick, though the kind of guy who really enjoys this probably isn't somebody you'd feel good about trusting with your sister or daughter. Not being a guy myself, the appeal is elusive. Not that it isn't a well-crafted thriller; what points I gave it are an acknowledgment of that, but since it's my personal review I'm giving my subjective opinion. That can be pretty well summed up with a few adjectives: VIOLENT, SLEAZY, REPULSIVE. It probably made money, though, and in the film industry that counts for a lot. Age restrictions were created especially to spare impressionable young minds the kind of imagery presented here. Makes you yearn for good clean sex and violence... Definitely on my list of films to never see again.

Spoilers!

From the very moment I saw a local film critic trash this movie in a review on the 10:00 news, I wanted to see it. I don't remember who it was, or which local Omaha newscast carried the review, but the critic was very insistent that this film was way too sleazy for the average church-going Nebraskan. They showed a snippet from the scene where John Glover is about to kidnap Ann-Margret when she's swimming in the pool. Glover's character is commending her on how nice her body is and so forth, using many words that the local station felt necessary to edit out. I was hooked. There was one problem, though. I was only 13 years old at the time, and I had to wait a year until it came out on cable. Let's just say, it was worth the wait!

If ever there was a guilty pleasure of mine, this movie is it. To call this film sleazy would be a huge understatement. The film centers around a successful businessman who is blackmailed by three small time scumbags after an affair with a young woman. Roy Scheider, who is as effective as ever, plays the poor guy who just wanted a little fling and now finds himself at the mercy of three terrific villains. John Glover's character is one of the most memorable scumbags of all time. He's sleazy, funny at times, and always on the brink of doing something crazy. Then there's Robert Trebor's (nice name, by the way!) character Leo who is clearly in over his head with this blackmail scheme. He is a whimpering, sweating, coward who runs a peep show place with live nude models. Then, you have Clarence Williams III as Bobby Shy, a brooding sociopath who everyone is afraid of with good reason. Who could forget the wake-up call he gives Vanity with the giant teddy bear?

After dealing with the initial shock of realizing what he's up against, Scheider turns the tables on these creeps and takes control of the situation, that is until Glover goes after his wife! The conflict is played out brutally, with virtually the entire cast getting shot, raped, or blown up.

I don't know why I love this movie so much. It really should creep me out, but it doesn't. Maybe it's because these characters are all interesting, and the story takes plenty of chances that most films today would never try. It's scary to think that the adult film industry probably has more than a few characters like Glover's running around out in L.A. looking for trouble. Just thinking about his voice is enough to make me chuckle. "Hey sport, have a nice day!"

This film has plenty of shootouts, cool cars, great dialog (like the line in my opening statement), and decent acting. Plenty of cameos by real life porno stars. Look for Ron Jeremy frolicking around in a hot tub with two chicks in a party scene at Glover's place.

Another thing I must add: How hot are the women in this film??? Wow! Travolta did right by marrying Kelly Preston. Yum! We also see Vanity get nude in a time before she became a born again Christian. And Ann-Margret. What else could you say about her except that she is the quintessential American Beauty.

9 of 10 stars.

So sayeth the Hound.

Added Feb 14, 2008: RIP Roy Scheider!

Perhaps worth the watch but as usual does the novel no justice. However, the casting of the 6 primary characters was excellent relative to Leonard's depiction of them.

This is the kind of movie where you want to take a shower afterwards. So much degradation, slimy characters, and dirty-looking locations. Scheider does what Scheider always does, Glover does what Glover always does, Williams does what Williams always does. You see a pattern? The musical score must have been performed on a Commodore 64, and cost $1.98 to produce. While the production is competently lensed, whatever production "value" is overwhelmed by the sordid plot and predictable execution. Tiresome, pedantic, and shopworn, this thing is a pass.

I must have passed this movie in my local video store a dozen times without picking it off the shelf, thinking from the packaging, the era the movie was released in, and the presence of Ann-Margret and Tiffany, that it was just another generic "action" movie like an 80s Stallone, or 'Action Jackson'. Luckily a savvy movie buff recommended '52 Pick-Up' to me, for which I will be forever indebted. Closer inspection reveals the team behind this hard boiled thriller to be underrated director John Frankenheimer ('The Manhurian Candidate', 'Seconds') and crime fiction master Elmore Leonard. (hits forehead! "WHY didn't I already KNOW this?!").

Apart from the aesthetic LOOK of this movie, and a cheesy score, it in no way resembles your standard 80s action fare. It is a lot grittier, morally ambiguous and less predictable than that, and closer to the best 70s crime movies.

Roy Scheider is solid as usual as a blackmailed businessman who decides to fight back, and Ann-Margaret surprises with a strong portrayal of betrayed wife. But the real stars here, and what makes this movie essential viewing, are the brilliantly realized bad guys - John Glover, Clarence Williams III and Robert Trebor.

Trebor is perfect as the slimy, nervous "weak link" Leo. Williams III stunning as the amoral bad ass killer Bobby. And John Glover is simply perfect as their double-crossing, deliciously evil leader Raimy. '52 Pick-Up' is brutal and rivetting viewing that shines out as a beacon of 70s cool from an ocean of 80s dumb thrillers. Don't miss this one whatever you do!!

This movie is about making the wrong decision(s) after making the wrong moves with the wrong people, almost a classical Hollywood theme. But it does just that in an artistic and stylish way with excellent actors and I have to add that it's a very good and entertaining movie that kept me glued to the screen then. At the time this movie came out, Roy Scheider already looked an old man - especially seeing him now, starts me wondering what's his age now, anyway. Still, his acting performance is almost a classic one and Ann Margret is cast excellently as his wife that he betrayed. Frankenheimer directs how the best do: so seamless and subtle and unobtrusive, you never notice him tightening the screws right up until a white-knuckle climax.

The film reminds me of "The Desperate Hours" (Wyler) in that higher reasoning and sound judgment triumph over the corruption and stupidity of criminal behavior, so it delivers the powerful message concerning societal morality that "crime does not pay", and proceeds to demonstrate that contention with riveting precision. There is a provocative synergy at work here because the mind-numbing stupidity and criminal thought process of the extortionist contrasts so well against the Scheider character's higher intellect, resourcefulness and self-confidence. These proceedings remind us of how difficult it is to stay on the top in our competitive society. Certainly hard work and innovation can get you to the top, but then you become a moving target for greedy miscreants looking for a quick buck. The film has brief interludes of normality, punctuated by explosive violence and debauchery, somewhat like "Frenzy" (Hitchcock). Frankenhiemer was a disciple of Hitchcock and this harrowing film really shows it.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10.

John Frankenheimer is avant-garde director mainly on the sixties and seventies, somehow he is decaying process when get involved in this thriller picture with Cannon Group and Golan Globus Production, both focuses in low profile offerings hoping huge box-office instead upper-class pictures, that is the truth, the director no longer was asking for to direct great productions.

The overstated story is based in the Elmore Leonard's novel which he adapted to big screen, about a successful steel manufactory Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) with a well-stablished marriage with Barbara Mitchell (Ann Margret) involved in politics being nominee for running for a chair in Los Angeles, in the meantime Mitchell starts an affair with young girl Cini (Kelly Preston) around three months, whereby he knows her in night club as a snapshot dancer, soon he turns out be blackmail by a underworld gang engaged in pornography connected where Mitchell meets Cini.

The value of the racketeering builds upon Mitchell's factory annual turnover 105.000 bucks at first moment, when Mitchell refuses to pay, aftermaths they framed him through Cini's murder using his gun and clothes aiming for to have proves that own Mitchell perpetrated such murder including taped, call the police wasn't a choice due he afraid it became a huge scandal and thereafter strikes Barbara's political career, worst due his first refusal the gang leader Alan Raimy (John Glover) now wants 105.000 bucks a year, thus Mitchell got finds them to postpone the deadline, one by one.

How I said before it was far-fetched plot to start, also the screenplay enforces a strongest sexploitation oriented to draw attention, however the clever Elmore pass on a underneath message about taxes when Alan Raimy being a bookkeeper analyzing Mitchell's steel factory accountings books he realizes even having a high budge around 12 millions a years he owes delayed taxes which the own Mitchell claims "Everybody owe to government", actually this gone unnoticed by the critics and viewers but sounds as criticizes to tax system, the outcome is a blast to leave a hint, fine entertainment.

Thanks for reading.

Resume:

First watch: 1991 / How many: 4 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 7.5.

The stage curtains open ...

When I saw that this movie was based on an Elmore Leonard novel and that he had a part in the writing of the screenplay, I knew this was one I had to watch. Despite the appeal, the snazzy title, and the strong cast, "52 Pick-Up" doesn't quite measure up to expectations and leaves a little to be desired. The other problem with this film is that it really hasn't aged all that well.

Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider) has a successful and innovative industry and his wife is well known in the community and is running for city council. Things are going well in his life ... until. One night, he comes home to find 3 masked men waiting for him and against his will he is forced to watch videos they've collected over time that is undeniable proof that he is having an affair. To keep things quiet and from ruining his wife's chances at office, he agrees to pay their fee of $105,000. But when he changes his mind and goes on the offensive, events are set into motion that will take them all past the point of no return.

I watched this one once years ago when it first came out and found it to be rather drawn out and boring. Now, over 30 years later, I decided to give it another chance. I'd forgotten most of what happened and thought that perhaps having the perspective of an older person, I might appreciate it more. After watching it again, I still found it to be rather drawn out and boring. Yet, I found I did appreciate it more. Had this film been made today using Elmore Leonard's script and forward acting, I think it would have been a much better film. Hence, why I feel it did not age well and seemed rather dated.

This wasn't a bad movie. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it, but I also wouldn't warn anyone against it. It is a decent crime film with good performances. It was fun to see Kelly Preston in an early role, and Vanity when she was at the peak of her popularity. I may or may not watch this one again. Perhaps if the mood strikes me.

Based on Elmore Leonard, this is a violent and intelligent action film. The story: a business man is blackmailed by some 3 criminals. Roy Schieder does great job as the leading character and special credit's got to go to John Glover who plays sort of a naughty psychopath. I must mention that the villains characters are very complex and interesting - something that is very rare for an action film. also features some beautiful and sexy women - most notable are Kelly Preston as the young bate for Schieder's character. Vanity gives a very good performance and appearance as the hooker who is connected with the three blackmailers. I'm glad to say that Ann-Margaret still hasn't lost it - this lady is a true babe. Don't look at the rate of this film. I really don't know what the public and some critics have against this film but my suggestion is to ignore them and watch this truly gripping and under-rated film. You will enjoy it, that's a promise. Recommended A+.

"52 Pick-Up" is weakest at the end, where it seems totally out of character that the crafty Roy Scheider resorts to not outwitting his opponent, but pulling a "Rambo" stunt. For that reason, what precedes the finale, gets better and better, the further you get away from the ending. Roy Scheider is reserved, while his main adversary, John Glover, is unpredictable and threatening. Ann Margaret really is mostly wasted, and a no name actress could have played her part. Although I can't put my finger on it, the film leaves you with the feeling that there are a lot of loose threads dangling uncomfortably. "52 Pick-Up is a worthwhile watch, but somewhat unsatisfying because of the out of character ending. - MERK

First of all, how plausible is this? In 1986 L.A., the most jaded town in the world, we are asked to believe that a businessman who is not even running for office would be a credible candidate for blackmail because his proto-Hillary-esque wife IS running for office. The sleazeball blackmailers honey-trap him using a love-interest cohort and assume, rightly (this is unbelievable in my opinion), that he will want it covered up to protect his WIFE's political ambitions. Would the average voter in L.A. in 1986 have given a damn about a political candidate's spouse being caught in an extramarital affair? OK, so this piece of nonsense is the MacGuffin to set the plot of this full-of-itself, not-as-clever-as-it-thinks-it-is, self-consciously 'neo-noir' flick in motion.

Next, we get a full-bore tour of the world of L.A. porn (complete with cameos by many porn stars from the era), nudie peepshows, and dive bars, the world the sleazeballs (a smirking white pedophile sociopath, a scowling crackhead black sociopath, and a sweaty, cowardly, fat, gay alcoholic non-sociopath who realizes too late that the two other scumbags are heartless creeps who play for keeps and that he is in too deep) inhabit. Long sections of the movie revel in every gamy, seamy nuance of this tawdry subculture- cheap voyeurism dressed up as "realism."

Finally, we have our protagonists: Harry ("Mitch") Mitchell (a Korean War vet, tough as nails, etc.- so tough he has not one but two nicknames; you can imagine all the other clichés that attach to this character) who we are asked to believe is really a good-hearted, honest businessman who made one mistake, played with by-the-numbers machismo by Roy Scheider, previously so good in "The French Connection," "Jaws," and "All That Jazz." And his wife, who, when Harry finally tells her about the affair (he has to- the blackmailers have upped the ante in a horrible way that implicates him in things far worse than adultery- to say more would be a spoiler), doesn't care about the human cost or potential victims but only about how it may affect her political ambitions. This character is played by Ann-Margret. She too is supposed to be tough as nails, but her early scenes are simply by-the-numbers wronged-wife haranguing and in her later scenes she is a drugged, submissive, moaning victim- a cliché of female subordination rescued by the macho man in her life. Neither character expresses a whit of compassion, empathy, or love toward each other or toward the third-party victims of their actions or those of the blackmailers.

In other words, there are no sympathetic characters in this film, apparently something all the positive reviewers on this thread find commensurate with noir. Maybe they should take another look at classic noir, whether 1946's "The Big Sleep" or 1974's "Chinatown" or 1941's "The Maltese Falcon." All have sleaze and human ignobility galore, but all also have sympathetic protagonists whom we root for in spite of their flaws.

The redeeming features of this film are the performances of John Glover, Clarence Williams III, and Robert Trebor as the three blackmailers. All eventually get their comeuppance. There is also one terrific scene of a car and its occupant being blown to smithereens in a satisfying act of vengeance. But otherwise this movie is an over- long, over-blown, full-of-itself, unpleasant waste of time. If this is indicative of Leonard and his literary and cinematic view of noir, then the genre is degraded and devoid of wit since the days of Chandler and Hammett. But then there are people who think that Stephen King's hyperventilated "horror" is fine art and entertainment, and that Joyce Carol Oates is a novelist and essayist who can actually write. There is no accounting for taste and critical judgment.

52-Pick Up never got the respect it should have. It works on many levels, and has a complicated but followable plot. The actors involved give some of their finest performances. Ann-Margret, Roy Scheider, and John Glover are perfectly cast and provide deep character portrayals. Notable too are Vanity, who should have parlayed this into a serious acting career given the unexpected ability she shows, and Kelly Preston, who's character will haunt you for a few days. Anyone who likes action combined with a gritty complicated story will enjoy this.

Sleazy neo-noir with an excellent cast and arguably the last great directorial effort from John Frankenheimer. Great turns from John Glover and Clarence Williams III as the villains. Roy Scheider makes a character not that likable into someone you can root for. This is a story about unpleasant people who do unpleasant things. That the female characters get the worst of it is almost certainly the headline in most modern reviews. It's the kind of movie they would not make today in a number of ways. But if you have the stomach for it, it's an effective thriller.

Possibly the worst adaptation and horribly directed movie in the last 50 years with an A list actor. Disgraceful! Roy Scheider was the only one on screen who knew what the hell was going on and the number of porn stars in the film was laughable. It was like watching a train wreck. For some reason, I forced myself to see the end. Save you time and watch anything else.