This week's Tuesday's Overlooked Film is the 1986 film 52 Pick-Up.
The film, an adaptation of an Elmore Leonard novel and directed by John Frankenheimer, stars Roy Scheider as businessman Harry Mitchell, whose wife (Ann-Margaret) is running for local office in Los Angeles. Harry is blackmailed by crooks threatening to reveal evidence of his extramarital affair, but he refuses to pay. The crooks then murder his mistress and threaten Harry for even more money. Harry counters with a down payment of $52,000, but he has a plan up his sleeve to take the blackmailers down.
I'm sure the original novel tells the tale better than the film, but it's still entirely enjoyable and watchable. I'm a fan of Scheider's, so it's fun for me to see him in a film that doesn't star a giant mechanical shark.
Here is the film's trailer. Thanks!
5 comments:
I like this film a lot and in fact it improves on the book in many ays, not least by expanding the role of the wife quite considerably.
Haven't seen this for ages, but as I recall it was basic, simple, cheap and to the point. I truly mean that as an endorsement.
Thanks Anders!
One I keep meaning to see, and have yet to get around to.
Todd: my parents both loved the movie, so if you need further endorsement...
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