Pulp (1972)

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Captivating movie !

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Why do I love this movie so very much?The level of smarm and snark is beyond stellar, Caine is absolute perfection. Sure it's cliché' filled and spectacularly dated, but I think that is part of why it's so entertaining. Mickey Rooney is an interesting casting decision, and it makes me wonder if part of the reason he is in it was to secure financial backing from the studio. He was after all a huge force in the business at this time.Back to the movie. There's no point to breaking down technical parts and storyline continuity. It is far greater than the sum of it's parts.It's the kind of gem you find that reminds you of your reason for searching...Equal parts grit and ingratiating , it deserves to be watched if for noother reason than for a grimy window into the world of early 70's movie-making.Watch it. It's a Sunday afternoon delight.It's a imperfect, melancholic joy.

For many IMDb members, the 70s may just as well be the 1870s, the disconnect is so large.Comedy? No it isn't.It was a 70s movie with hints of satire but not a comedy. There are no punchlines. There are no pauses for laughs.Caine at his peak shows how pleasant surroundings and a tight voice-over can engage the audience to a degree we seldom see today.This is pure entertainment. Ferris Bueller eat your heart out.One lead actor (Caine) one supporting actor (Rooney) and a bunch of people you never heard of.And it works.

"Pulp" is a diverting, interesting film in the careers of actor Michael Caine and director Mike Hodges that deserves another look. It's an offbeat, somewhat sedate, and quite witty send-up of detective fiction, done in style and filmed on location in Malta. Caine plays Mickey King, an author who's approached to ghost write a biography of retired actor Preston Gilbert (Mickey Rooney), an American expatriate. King finds a web of intrigue surrounding him, with one striking encounter after another, as he determines to find out what sort of mess he's gotten himself into. The movie comes up with a fine and funny beginning, as we see a team of typists at work while King's narration is heard in voice over. In fact, it is the narration of King that is one of the brightest elements, as he makes commentary on his various situations in florid style. The role is one of Caine's better ones, and fellow screen legend Rooney is equally fun to watch, in his typical flamboyant manner. Hodges's sharp screenplay allows for a fair amount of unpredictability, and the audience will delight not only in the kooky charm of the movie, but in not knowing what to expect. Slick cinematography and excellent use of locations are a heavy asset, as well as a great supporting cast also including Lionel Stander as Gilbert's associate Ben Dinuccio, Lizabeth Scott as Betty Cippola, Nadia Cassini as Liz, Dennis Price as the enigmatic English stranger, Al Lettieri as the talkative Miller, Robert Sacchi as Jim Norman, and Leopoldo Trieste as Marcovic, with Luciano Pigozzi and Janet Agren in small parts. What with Sacchi resembling Bogart and Pigozzi resembling Peter Lorre, their appearances are welcome and entirely appropriate. The movie is breezy and enjoyable right up until its rather ingenious closing credits which leave us laughing; it may have its darker moments along the way, but it never loses its appeal. Seven out of 10.

I was an extra in this film.. We had an hilarious time in Malta and the whole cast was great fun.. (I'm the blonde girl - tallest of them all - in the scene when they check in at the hotel..The whole film team was living at a hotel called the PRELUNA in Malta - fantastic place still. and someone managed to use a euro-plug in the British style sockets and short-circuited the whole hotel.. Everyone pretended not to know who!!The plot is weak but Rooney was great and Michael Caine is and will always be just Michael Caine.. He is good.. It's a pity you can't see this film on TV any more.. I have a real OLD video copy,.,,