Film Review: 52 PICK-UP (1986, John Frankenheimer)

Stars: 4 of 5.
Running Time: 110 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, John Glover, Vanity, Robert Trebor (TALK RADIO, UNIVERSAL SOLDIER), Clarence Williams III (PURPLE RAIN, I'M GONNA GET YOU SUCKA), and a cameo by Ron Jeremy.
Tag-lines: "Greed. Extortion. Revenge."
Best exchange: John Glover: "I could be walking into something." Roy Scheider: "Buddy, you could be walking into surgery!"

Along with JACKIE BROWN, OUT OF SIGHT, and Ferrara's cut of CAT CHASER, I would place 52 PICK-UP high on the list of Elmore Leonard novel adaptations. John Frankenheimer specializes in thrillers that make you uncomfortable by invading both your public (THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE) and private (SECONDS) spaces, and 52 PICK-UP, as usual, combines both of these unnerving proclivities with a sharp screenplay and an exceptional cast.

Unfortunately, the ending is a tad corny and abrupt (thus robbing the film of its fifth star), but it's still endlessly satisfying in an 80's action way. But on to the performances: Roy Scheider is intense, and the anchor of the film.

He's always great, and here is no exception. Ann-Margret is better than usual, particularly nailing a scene where she's forced to take heroin. Clarence Williams III is terrifying; exuding a menacingly vacant, emotionless stare one rarely sees outside of a real-life psych ward. Vanity isn't even bad, and I thought I'd never say that.

But the real star here is John Glover, a man usually confined to small, charactery roles.

Here he embodies a bubbly sleaziness, a penchant for nicknames ('Sport,' 'Slim,' 'Slick'), and a cheerful, hateful sense of entitlement. He's a villain worthy of the best of David Lynch (say, Dennis Hopper in BLUE VELVET or Willem Dafoe in WILD AT HEART). Every moment he's on screen, the viewer is held rapt, never knowing if outbursts of laughter or eruptions of violence await them. His smarmy narration of the two VHS cassettes played in the film could be a master's class in vocal nuance, inflection, and purpose.

Bravo, Mr. Glover. Four stars. For comparably-toned thrillers with similarly high stakes, see Michael Mann's MANHUNTER, William Friedkin's TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A., and Mann's THIEF.

-Sean Gill

Film Review: ACTION JACKSON (1988, Craig R. Baxley)

Stars: 4 of 5.
Running Time: 96 minutes.
Notable Cast or Crew: Carl Weathers, Sharon Stone, Vanity, Craig T. Nelson, Robert Davi (SHARKY'S MACHINE, THE GOONIES), Thomas F. Wilson (Biff from BACK TO THE FUTURE), Sonny Landham.
Tag-line: "NAME: Jericho Jackson. NICKNAME: "Action." HOME: Detroit. PROFESSION: Cop. EDUCATION: Harvard Law. HOBBY: Fighting Crime. WEAPON: You're looking at 'em."

Best exchange: Craig T. Nelson: "You have this nickname - what is it, excitement, enthusiasm, esprit de corps...?
Carl Weathers as ACTION JACKSON: [cutting him off] -It's ACTION!

Though COACH is merely being facetious, I feel as if ESPRIT DE CORPS JACKSON would have been a film well worth seeing.

"How ya like your ribs?" FOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH. Carl Weathers just roasted a dude with a flamethrower. Watching this film is kind of like peering into an alternate dimension where Carl Weathers, not Schwarzenegger, Stallone, nor Gibson, was king of the 80's action flick.

Weathers is a benevolent monarch in this dimension, and ACTION JACKSON is just one work in his enviable oeuvre. Unfortunately, in our dimension, after ACTION JACKSON, Weathers was no longer seen as a qualified driver of star vehicles. In my mind, however, Weathers justifies his legend yet again. Weathers IS Action Jackson. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School who frequently disregards the limits of acceptable use of police force. Like this one time he jumped over a taxi that was trying to kill him. And this other time he proved his mettle in a fight the DVD chapter stops called: "Getting Ballsy in the Poolroom." Once he drove a sports car through a black-tie affair, wrecked it, and then started whaling on dudes- just to make an entrance. Craig T. Nelson is evil incarnate. At one point, you get to see him kung fu fighting Weathers as they both don tuxedos.



Vanity finally gets to show off her years of vigorous training under Stanislavski and Prince. Sharon Stone's around, too, but she's playing second fiddle to Vanity, which I think marked the last time anyone or anything was playing second fiddle to Vanity. All in all, a solid flick. I mean it's no TO LIVE AND DIE IN L.A. or LETHAL WEAPON, or even a KUFFS, or even a RED HEAT or a DEAD HEAT. Actually, I'm kind of puzzled as to why I gave this four stars. Oh, yeah. Carl Weathers. "How ya like your ribs?" FOOOOOOOOOOSSSSH.


Important side note: note the eerie similarities in cover art between ACTION JACKSON and BLIND DATE.

-Sean Gill