Customer Reviews

52 Pick Up [VHS]

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

I've been waiting for this movie to be released on dvd in widescreen with extras for years. I hope Roy Scheider knows about this non release. The movie has been forgotten or hung up for whatever reason and it's a damn shame. The acting is superior all around. John Glover plays one of the best weird, cleverly evil criminals of filmdom. Yes I'd go that far. The movie has a mixture of many elements. One element captures perfectly the decadent street sex of the eighties. Also mixed in between Roy Scheiders affluent fish out of water charactor are drugs, kidnapping, revenge, love, lust, redemption and betrayal. Also added to the boiling pot are an unusual assembly of actors. Some are the epitome of the eighties. Others are old screen stars, decent tv actors, then unknown names, great charactor actors and even a "cameo" by a renowned porn "star". This caldron, well paced and plotted really nails it. Some may say I'm overratting it, and maybe I am a bit, but hey, I'm the reviewer. 52 Pickup is well done, particually now in a nostalgic way. Forget the VHS tape(even laserdisc). DVD only. Hang in there sport. [UPDATE 6/9/07: Im sure Roy Schieder does know what happening with this film. I have a multi region dvd player and have finally seen this classic on dvd. It can be purchased through Amazon as a region 2 disc. Several web sites have also pointed out that it will be released in the good old USA this summer. The region 2 disc picture and audio are just ok. Im hoping the region 1 release will be much improved with seriously needed extras. "She still cooks." ]

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.

This is my all-time favorite thriller and one of the best movies that deals with (as a subplot, at least) the subject of porn. I highly recommend it as a companion piece to Brian De Palma's BODY DOUBLE. The acting is impeccable, especially John Glover as one of the slimiest bad guys in film history, and John Frankenheimer's directing is flawless. It's sad to see that this film, which was a hit in 1986, was not appreciated by most critics at the time and is almost entirely forgotten by most folks today. Having appeared in porn myself once upon a time, this film is much closer to the truth than the disappointing and much-Hollywoodized BOOGIE NIGHTS. Two big thumbs up from this ex-porn actor!

This is a great thriller. The two leads Scheider and Glover, have never been better than here. I still rate the performances as their best ever. -This I'm sure, is partly because everything is right around them; the script, the directing, etc. It's just a very exciting movie. The rest of the actors involved are interesting too, but I found the wonderful Doug McClure sadly underused in this movie. -What a waste. Also look out for some famous faces from the adult film world; like Amber Lynn, Jamie Gillis, Tom Byron, and Frankenheimer-regular Ron Jeremy who got cut out of the disappointing "Ronin" recently. (Probably the reason it was so boring.) See this one instead.

52 pick up is a tightly woven film noir that builds the suspense right from the outset. Harry and Barbara
Mitchell (Roy Scheider and Ann Margret) play an upscale professional couple in their mid fifties. Harry owns a steel manufacturing business while Barbara is an evironmental oversight board chairman with political connections. As the film begins Harry is sandbagged by three individuals who entrap him with a video showing
him in an extramarital affair with a young woman named Cinny. (Kelly Preston) As the blackmail scenario
unfolds. Harry is ordered to pay a large sum of money by the ringleader of the trio. Alan Raimey (John Glover)
with sidekicks Leo Franks (Robert Trebor) and Bobby Shy. (Clarence Williams III) After informing his lawyer
Jim O'Boyle, (Lonny Chapman) Harry decides not to be intimidated and dismiss the trio as folly. As the story moves along Harry and Barbara develop a determination to deal with the trio. As in the tradition of original film noir Harry and Barbara are trapped in a Catch 22 scenario with the lowly trio. Frankenheimer builds up the intensity and gets excellent performances from the entire cast.
John Glover is superb as the homoerotic protagonist Alan Raimey as well as Robert Trebor and Clarence
Williams III as the other two components of the trio. Alan's psychosis becomes a fulcrum for destruction.
Meanwhile Bobby Shy's girlfriend Doreen (Vanity) cuts both sides of the fence with equal disdain for Harry and Bobby while concealing the triangle that has developed between Harry, Cinny, and herself. The scenes are fastmoving with crisp and candid dialogue. Frankenheimer holds nothing back with realism and taut direction. This film takes one on an emotional rollercoaster with no gimmicks from start to finish. 52 Pick Up
is a great example of modernist flim noir and I believe that is an excellent film. Transfer to dvd in widescreen format is excellent.
Audio in 5.1 surround sound is really incredible and adds a new dimension
to the viewers experience. All of these factors engage the viewer
at an incredibly intense level.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE ..............FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS IN WIDESREEN BLISS & THE GOD OF DVD, PLEASE RELEASE THIS ON DVD !!!!!

I bought this movie on advise from my husband. It's not bad, the plot is rather easy to follow and is suspenseful enough to keep you guessing what's going to happen next. It is a movie I would recommend to someone looking for a break from the hi-tech, high budget flicks of today. This movie doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it has a great plot and relatable characters that you find yourself routing for in the end.

Yeah I was happy to receive this when I was in Afghanistan...movie watching was my pass time there because there is not much els to do. Well, DVD arrived with no scratches or other petty problems.