On P List of Movie Reviews
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Prime Cut (1972)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
4/21
4/21:
One year after the British theatrically released Get Carter, America's answer
to it was Prime Cut.
Instead of Michael Caine going to Newcastle, it's tough guy Lee Marvin who takes on tough guy Gene Hackman in the underworld
of narcotics and prostitution that's behind the façade of a giant meat company. Amidst this, there's a lot of weird stuff
happening like the guy named Mary Ann, the beef-laden dialogue, the drugged-up girls who are auctioned off like cattle,
and the army of blue-eyed, blond-haired Kansas boys in overalls with long rifles.
Although the editing is terrific especially during one scene with a combine harvester, Prime Cut is a sometimes
slow-paced picture that's short in running length. I hate the ending because Mary Ann should've been killed. Otherwise,
he'll be back bigger and badder than ever. But this is Lee Marvin's show and he's excellent.
Elsewhere, Sissy Spacek makes her screen debut to be part of the three Oscar winners in one picture, and she's mostly fine. Much
respect is shown to Lee Marvin because director Michael Ritchie wanted him to do love scenes with her, but he objected
to it because she was too young for him by 25 years.
To explain what happened to Weenie, he, after seeing what happened to Mary Ann, became enraged and went after Nick. Then,
he just died. I'm going to lay down a $100 bet by guessing what happened: it was a heart attack from eating meat
literally all day most of his life.
All in all, thanks to Prime Cut, I now know what the slaughter process is like for cows.