Pulp

Discuss releases from Arrow and the films on them.

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Ribs
Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:14 pm

Pulp

#1 Post by Ribs » Fri Aug 18, 2017 10:22 am

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A year after they’d created one of the defining British gangster pictures with Get Carter, three Michaels – writer-director Mike Hodges, producer Michael Klinger and star Michael Caine – reunited for another crime picture, albeit with a more oddball flavour…

Caine plays Mickey King, a successful pulp novelist responsible for such titles as My Gun Is Long and The Organ Grinder, who is invited to ghost-write the autobiography of a mystery celebrity. His client turns out to be a former actor, played by Mickey Rooney, well-known for his gangster roles and real-life gangster connections – but death is around the corner, and King finds his commission to be a lot more complicated than he first imagined.

A favourite of J.B. Ballard, Pulp has long existed in the shadow of its predecessor. Tonally, it could not be more different – Get Carter never had the time for sight gags and one-liners – but it’s a real gem in its own right and fully deserving of a wider audience. This brand-new restoration from Arrow Films aims to right than wrong.

BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

• Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, supervised and approved by director of photography Ousama Rawi, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original 1.0 mono sound
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Brand-new interview with writer-director Mike Hodges
• Brand-new interview with director of photography Ousama Rawi
• Brand-new interview with assistant director John Glen
• Brand-new interview with Tony Klinger, son of producer Michael Klinger
• Original theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet containing new writing by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

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Cronenfly
Joined: Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:04 pm

Re: Pulp

#2 Post by Cronenfly » Sat Aug 19, 2017 1:22 pm

This to me is a great MGM rescue. Have not seen it in a while but I always enjoy Hodges and am very much looking forward to seeing it in HD.

M Sanderson
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 3:43 am

Re: Pulp

#3 Post by M Sanderson » Fri Aug 25, 2017 8:44 am

Never seen this but am eager to due to Hodges.

Excited about the restoration.

Caine played writers in a few intriguing films, Romantic Englishwoman (Losey), Deathtrap (Lumet), and I believe Sleuth as well, not to mention Pulp.

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tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: Pulp

#4 Post by tenia » Wed Oct 25, 2017 4:21 am

Now delayed to Dec 18th.

Robin Davies
Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2007 2:00 am

Re: Pulp

#5 Post by Robin Davies » Wed Oct 25, 2017 1:47 pm

Ribs wrote:A favourite of J.B. Ballard,
J. G. Ballard, please.
http://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news ... aking-pulp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Pulp

#6 Post by zedz » Thu Apr 09, 2020 6:00 am

A very laboured, very dated noir comedy. ("Fags" = transvestites = hilarious, especially when they're dead.) The incessant narration is supposed to imitate bad pulp writing, but also strives to include genuine jokes which are just as bad, and the whole thing falls flat. The only reason you should watch this film is if you’re morbidly curious about what came after Get Carter, but maybe it's better you didn't know.

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Mr. Deltoid
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2011 8:32 am

Re: Pulp

#7 Post by Mr. Deltoid » Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:11 am

Can't agree more with zedz on this one. It's a mess of a film, which aims for an irreverent, Dick Lester-ish take on detective fiction/classic noir, but which instead comes across as utterly charmless and frequently dull. The main problem is the script, which takes an intriguing, noir-ish concept (pulp writer is recruited by an ageing, mob-connected actor to ghost-write his autobiography, but becomes embroiled in a murderois conspiracy) and pisses it away on none-too subtle sight-gags and some lame, wink-wink, digressions (the third act sees a Bogart look-alike detective enter the film for seemingly no other reason than to set-up a groan-worthy Maltese Falcon gag!) Michael Caine is upstaged by his suit and seems terminally uninterested in evoking any semblance of, say, Phillip Marlowe's tarnished nobility, instead giving the impression he's had his holiday in Malta inconvenienced by actually having to shoot a film!

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