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Wealthy businessman Harry Mitchell falls prey to ruthless blackmailers after having an illicit affair with a young model. Single-handedly, he masterminds a plan to beat the extortionists at their game, eventually facing the foremost crook in a deadly confrontation.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
52 Pick-Up was one of the few rays of light in the dark days when every screen adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel would go horribly wrong and when John Frankenheimer's name on the credits wasn't exactly a guarantee of quality any more, although it sank quickly due to a botched marketing campaign (the producers decided to play up the good reviews by touting it as `The best film this season from Cannon,' which is a bit like boasting about having the least contagious form of VD). A riff on his earlier Western The Tall T, this sees businessman Roy Scheider set up by a trio of blackmailers who, not taking kindly to him confessing his affair to his wife rather than pay up, murder his girlfriend with his gun so as not to miss out on their payday, only for Scheider to turn them against each other. While it's no Out of Sight, it's an effectively seedy L.A. thriller with a couple of outstanding supporting turns by John Glover and a seriously mucked-up and dangerous Clarence Williams III.
No extras, but it does have a decent 1.85:1 widescreen transfer.
No extras, but it does have a decent 1.85:1 widescreen transfer.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This low brow favourite from Elmore Leonard's pen is I must confess a novel I've not read-I found Leonard's writing impenetrable--but to the movie.
A Cannon opening starts it(that is enough to send shivers up the spine of any movie fan!!).
It is quickly established that the lead character Harry Mitchell is having an affair with a younger woman, concisely that he is a self made man, and that he is been blackmailed and decides to take action against his tormentors.
Lit by Jost Vacano and having a lurid and sordid set-up, and environment of Los Angeles.
Roy Schieder was always an underrated actor and made this as his fame was fading in the eighties-he gives a terrific performance as a man desperately salvaging his marriage and attempting to turn tables on his blackmailers.
Ann Margaret as his betrayed wife-holds her own.
The movie really belongs to John Glover-as a sleazy pornographer/murderer-(the second time he and Schieder worked together as well, with The Last Embrace, being the 1st).
Clarence Williams 111 is superb as Bobby Shy-a truly vile human being.
Frankenheimer brings all theses diverse elements together to make a realistic (within the realms of movies), sleazy revenge thriller-Schieder is superb as a man out of his element, whom is willing to fight back-on his terms.
Frankenheimer restores faith in his abilities after the abberation of "The Holcroft Covenant", he was a truly talented director, whom went adrift in the 1970's. This at least restored him partially.
Pick it up cheap-and be surprised
A Cannon opening starts it(that is enough to send shivers up the spine of any movie fan!!).
It is quickly established that the lead character Harry Mitchell is having an affair with a younger woman, concisely that he is a self made man, and that he is been blackmailed and decides to take action against his tormentors.
Lit by Jost Vacano and having a lurid and sordid set-up, and environment of Los Angeles.
Roy Schieder was always an underrated actor and made this as his fame was fading in the eighties-he gives a terrific performance as a man desperately salvaging his marriage and attempting to turn tables on his blackmailers.
Ann Margaret as his betrayed wife-holds her own.
The movie really belongs to John Glover-as a sleazy pornographer/murderer-(the second time he and Schieder worked together as well, with The Last Embrace, being the 1st).
Clarence Williams 111 is superb as Bobby Shy-a truly vile human being.
Frankenheimer brings all theses diverse elements together to make a realistic (within the realms of movies), sleazy revenge thriller-Schieder is superb as a man out of his element, whom is willing to fight back-on his terms.
Frankenheimer restores faith in his abilities after the abberation of "The Holcroft Covenant", he was a truly talented director, whom went adrift in the 1970's. This at least restored him partially.
Pick it up cheap-and be surprised
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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30 reviews
34 of 38 people found the following review helpful
View This one...SPORT!
12 Nov 2001
That's what Alan Raimy, played by John Glover, nick-names his blackmailing victim, played by Roy Scheider, in this highly entertaining film.
This movie features a trio of of bad guys that is unsurpassed. Roy Scheider finds himself meeting them face to ski mask after a brief affair with stripper "Cindy" played by a young Kelly Preston. Cindy worked at a strip club with Prince protege Vanity, as Doreen. Doreen just happens to be dating Bobby, part of the trio. Bobby is brought to low-life by a thoroughly demented Clarence Williams the Third (Mod Squad). There is a great scene where Bobby comes into Doreens apartment while she's asleep. Bobby thinks Doreen gave Scheider the info to find out who and where they are. To insure she's telling the truth when she says she never told him, he almost suffocates her with her own giant teddy bear. Then hilariously, after she is completely terrified, and he satisfied she's been truthful, he tells her to "get some rest." Sure!
There is also the pathetic Leo, third man in the trio, but he's more like Alan and Bobby's gofer. He's weak, and folds easily under pressure.>Meanwhile, Scheider's affair ends up video-taped by the trio while in a hotel with Cindy, and the trio then gets a hold of him to show him a video tape where they use his stolen gun to shoot and murder her. From there, the trio tries to extort money from Scheider, but all he and politcal wife Ann-Margret can afford is $52,000...hence the title.
This movie has a great feel, pacing, and really keeps you interested throughout. John Glover as Alan Raimy, leader of the gang, and porn king who runs an X-rated movie theatre, is highly amusing. He enjoys video-taping homemade porno movies, and calling Scheider "Sport." He thinks he's got Scheider just where he wants him, but finds out soon enough, his is a losers game.
This is a great John Frankenheimer masterpiece, and like many great films, will end up missed by most. If you've read this review though, maybe I've convinced you to check it out. You'll be riveted beginning to end, guaranteed.
This movie features a trio of of bad guys that is unsurpassed. Roy Scheider finds himself meeting them face to ski mask after a brief affair with stripper "Cindy" played by a young Kelly Preston. Cindy worked at a strip club with Prince protege Vanity, as Doreen. Doreen just happens to be dating Bobby, part of the trio. Bobby is brought to low-life by a thoroughly demented Clarence Williams the Third (Mod Squad). There is a great scene where Bobby comes into Doreens apartment while she's asleep. Bobby thinks Doreen gave Scheider the info to find out who and where they are. To insure she's telling the truth when she says she never told him, he almost suffocates her with her own giant teddy bear. Then hilariously, after she is completely terrified, and he satisfied she's been truthful, he tells her to "get some rest." Sure!
There is also the pathetic Leo, third man in the trio, but he's more like Alan and Bobby's gofer. He's weak, and folds easily under pressure.>Meanwhile, Scheider's affair ends up video-taped by the trio while in a hotel with Cindy, and the trio then gets a hold of him to show him a video tape where they use his stolen gun to shoot and murder her. From there, the trio tries to extort money from Scheider, but all he and politcal wife Ann-Margret can afford is $52,000...hence the title.
This movie has a great feel, pacing, and really keeps you interested throughout. John Glover as Alan Raimy, leader of the gang, and porn king who runs an X-rated movie theatre, is highly amusing. He enjoys video-taping homemade porno movies, and calling Scheider "Sport." He thinks he's got Scheider just where he wants him, but finds out soon enough, his is a losers game.
This is a great John Frankenheimer masterpiece, and like many great films, will end up missed by most. If you've read this review though, maybe I've convinced you to check it out. You'll be riveted beginning to end, guaranteed.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
A nasty little gem..."Hey SPORT"
10 Aug 2005
I saw this in the theaters when it first came out in the 80s, not expecting much, but then - BAM! - this nasty little gem of a thriller delivers thrills in spades. JOHN GLOVER creates one of the most chilling, yet hilarious, villains in film history - and the film's most infamous sequence - the videotape replay of Cindy's snuff-movie murder that Glover forces Scheider to watch in horror SITTING THE SAME CHAIR WHERE SHE WAS KILLED! - still never fails to disturb the viewer. Frankenheimer directs how the best do: so seamless and suble and unobtrusive, you never notice him tightening the screws right up until a white-knuckle climax. I cannot quite believe this film is still NOT ON DVD, even though the shelves are crammed with lesser product. C'mon, guys, get with it! Once you see 52 PICK-UP, you will never forget it.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Definitely entertaining suspense film has a great cast.
26 Sep 1999
Ignore the critics' griping and groaning about how boring and awful this movie is. How can you go wrong with Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret? It turns out that Sceider's affair with a young Kelly Preston is being survelanced by a gang of thugs who plan on blackmailing him for about a 1/2 a million bucks. He is forced to take matters into his own hands when he cannot go to the police, and the thugs go after his wife Ann-Margret. (Honestly, who could cheat on HER? Leonard Maltin said this was cruddy, but it's actually very good.
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