Search - 52 Pick-Up on DVD

View This one...SPORT!

Hillary | Brooklyn, New York | 11/12/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

A nasty little gem..."Hey SPORT"

G. Mitchell | Los Angeles, CA United States | 08/10/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Still the best Frankenheimer.

Birthe Jrgensen | Odense, Denmark | 11/30/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Definitely entertaining suspense film has a great cast.

ajsteele | 09/26/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"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."