On P List of Movie Reviews

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Pulp (1972)

Rate: 4
Viewed: 1/25

PulpCa
1/25: "An absolutely smashing movie."

Then, why did Pulp fail at the box office in 1972 while receiving so many negative reviews? In fact, it barely showed up in theatres. Maybe Time should've refrained from judging films altogether to save itself the embarrassment.

After the brilliant success of Get Carter, director Mike Hodges and Michael Caine decided to reteam for Pulp, but this time, it didn't work. They aren't the problem. It's the script that is. The whole thing makes no sense just like Al Lettieri's character going to the middle of the beach and letting himself be run over by a truck as indicated by the movie poster.

Five (or was it six?) people are killed, and what do they have to do with the pulp writer? The answer is: he's been set up to take the fall à la The Maltese Falcon. Enter Humphrey Bogart look-alike to lay down the final answer. Har har har. At least, the placement of the bathroom in room 313 is interesting, but I fail to understand why up there with the stairs. Maybe that's the point of the whole thing: logic doesn't matter.

The writing is terrific with a lot of clever lines and references. Unfortunately, it's about 40% together, setting me up for a convoluted viewing experience. Then, there's Mickey Rooney. What an all-time ham actor, and I hate him. After fifteen years of being away from Hollywood, the unrecognizable Lizabeth Scott makes a comeback for the final film of her career just to remind everybody that she's good in bed. Michael Caine must have been in heaven when he got the chance to be in the same screen with Robert Sacchi, considering that he's a huge fan of Humphrey Bogart, having taken the prominent word from The Caine Mutiny for his last name.

All in all, Michael Caine has made his career by appearing in many stinkers, but Pulp is a rarity among them by showcasing several winning features.