Tuesday, May 31, 2016

52 PICK-UP

Really enjoyed re-watching 52 Pick-Up last night, John Frankenheimer's 1986 adaptation of Elmore Leonard's 1974 novel of the same name. A story of betrayal, blackmail and murder in 80s L.A., the film is certainly one of the classier productions to come from the infamous Cannon Films Group, and features another standout performance from Roy Schieder, and great supporting turns from John Glover and Clarence Williams III as the main bad guys. Ann Margaret doesn't get a whole lot t...o do with her role but still adds a touch of class to the film, and the late Prince protege Vanity shows up as a stripper/nude model. A party scene also features a lot of famous adult film stars from the day, including Tom Byron, Amber Lynn, Sharon Mitchell, Herschell Savage, Jamie Gillis and others. Let down only by a rather over-the-top climax, Leonard co-wrote the screenplay, and the film does a good job at capturing the seedy 80s LA underbelly, though not as well as William Friedkin's masterful To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)