’52 Pick-Up’ (Special Edition) Blu-Ray Review – A Compelling Thriller From The Master John Frankenheimer

Greed! Extortion! Revenge! Based on the explosive bestseller by the great American crime writer, Elmore Leonard (Out of Sight), and with top-notch direction by legendary filmmaker John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin), 52 Pick-Up evokes the chilling reminder that if you have a lot, you have a lot to lose. Life is good for Los Angeles entrepreneur Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider, The Seven-Ups, Jaws)—great business, beautiful home and gorgeous wife (Ann-Margret, Viva Las Vegas, Carnal Knowledge). Just when Harry thinks he’ll land a seat on the city council, his life suddenly spins out of control when a trio of pornographers, led by the ruthless Alan Raimy (John Glover, Masquerade), shows up with a videotape of Harry in bed with his mistress (Kelly Preston, The Experts). And when Harry goes on the offensive and tries to pit one blackmailer against the other, the tension mounts—as does the possibility of murder. The stacked cast also features Vanity (Neon City), Clarence Williams III (Reindeer Games) and Doug McClure (At the Earth’s Core).

For thoughts on 52 Pick-Up, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic: 

[youtube https://youtu.be/Gq72yhAZ0tk?si=XkQ5Tpsrn9vPz9Ua&t=65]

Video Quality

This new Blu-Ray from Kino Classics gives 52 Pick-Up an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1 that represents the movie decently. The film was released on Blu-Ray back in 2015 by the label, although it appears to have been out of print for a little while. The new disc is derived from the same master, but this release utilizes a new BD-50 disc instead of the more compressed BD-25 from before. We do not have that disc to compare the two experiences, but this looks like a good presentation despite being from an older source. That being said, this new release does make you wish that this had been given a fresh master. There is obvious room for improvement across the board, but this will work for now. 

There are no egregious signs of damage to be found in this presentation, but you will spot a sheen of dirt and specks throughout. The feature has an acceptable grain structure that maintains the filmic look of the picture, but some of the grain can shift into digital noise and swarm a bit. The transfer does show off some details in the clothing and locations. This west coast setting brings out warm hues on display that are saturated well. Black levels hold up okay with a bit of depth to the image, but there are clear signs of crush present. Kino Classics did the right thing by bringing this back into the rotation, but a new master would have been a treat. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a good DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that nails its sonic ambition even without a refresh. Dialogue comes through clearly and balances well with background noises and other competing elements. This track reveals brief moments of age related wear and tear, but nothing that takes you out of the viewing experience. The score from Gary Chang maintains great fidelity and does not overwhelm the dialogue or other important information. The audio track does what it needs to do without leaving you wanting more. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Filmmakers/Historians Steve Mitchell and Edwin Samuelson provide a good commentary track in which they discuss the career of John Frankenheimer, his love of cars, where this film fits into his output, the backgrounds of the performers, the shooting locations and more that is worth a watch. 

• Isolated Music Track with Composer Gary Chang: An audio interview with composer Gary Chang conducted by Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures is provided here with insights into Chang’s background and career, how he got involved with 52 Pick-Up, elements he brought to this sonic experience and more. After the interview ends, you get to hear some isolated music. 

• TV Spots: A minute-long collection of TV spots is provided here. 

• Trailers: The two- minute trailer for 52 Pick-Up is provided here. There are trailers for Last Embrace, Still of the Night, The Fourth War and Ronin. 

Final Thoughts

52 Pick-Up is a compelling thriller from the master John Frankenheimer. This film does not rise to the level of his best work, but the man had such a mastery over his craft that he could elevate any routine crime film into something that would quicken your pulse. Roy Scheider does a good job in the lead role, but the film leaves us wanting more from Ann-Margret on a character level. Even with a substantial runtime, this film does a good job of keeping your attention. Kino Classics has delivered a Blu-Ray release that shows off a good enough A/V presentation and a couple of good special features. If you have missed this one until now, this is a good addition to your collection. Recommended 

52 Pick-Up (Special Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.