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52 Pick-Up (1986) Starring Roy Scheider, Ann-Margret, Kelly Preston, John Glover, Robert Trebor, Clarence Williams III, Vanity, Doug McClure, Lonnie Chapman.

Directed by John Frankenheimer

Running time: 111 minutes

Rating: R (Nudity, Sexuality, Violence)

Wealthy Los Angeles businessman (Scheider) is married to a beautiful woman with political possibilities (Ann-Margret) who is his own age (roughly). But that doesn't stop him from having an affair with another breathtakingly beautiful woman half his age (Preston). He suddenly finds himself being blackmailed by some really oily characters (Glover, Trebor, Williams III) that have set up the whole thing.

So he just pays them and hopes that the problem goes away right? Not necessarily as some wealthy people are just the worst kind of people to be messed with. In cases of certain self-made wealthy people often they REALLY are not to be messed with because they have done things (or paid to have things done) to get to where they are that most people just can't make themselves do under even the most extreme of circumstances. Worse, they have generally gotten away scot-free with whatever they have had to do. The meek have NOT inherited the earth yet I assure you.

With his life seemingly nearly ruined he finally comes clean to his wife about what has happened and tries to make things right. The husband and wife come to terms with the situation, reconcile and then turn the tables on their porn world tormentors. We come to see that resourcefulness and killer instinct are not the exclusive domain of the criminal world

This is a gritty and unflinching thriller that may take more out of you from watching it than you think. It includes a graphic orgy scene and a simulation of a snuff film graphically illustrating stark contrasts between the life of the power couple and the sleazy underbelly of the L.A. porn scene.

Scenes like those are essential for illustrating the examination of power dynamics at work here. The blackmailers have the upperhand not only because of what they know but because they think they are ready to do things that the rich guy can't. When he doesn't just fold immediately they step it up a bit. The point-counterpoint becomes a riveting collision of worlds and war of wills.

John Glover quite often plays baddies in features and on the small screen with such panache and a sense of fun that he is quite often compared favourably with classic Hollywood movie villain standout George Sanders.

Notes:

Based on the Elmore Leonard novel

Director John Frankenheimer likes working with Clarence Williams III and has done so in times since this production including in films like George Wallace (1997) and Reindeer Games (2000).

Roy Scheider and Ann-Margret had previously worked together on The Outside Man (1973) directed by Jacques Deray.

Notorious porn star Ron Jeremy served as a consultant on this production but his scene acting here was left on the cutting room floor. My guess is that he really did offer up some useable information to the production team. Merely having his name in the credits as a consultant suggests that the depictions of L.A. porn scene have authenticity which is quite often the only useful purpose consultants serve on film productions.

Learn more about this author, Jason Daniel Baker.
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