Pulp

PG

Released May 3, 1973

1h 36m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

List

77%

13 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Mickey King (Michael Caine) is an author of trashy genre novels with no ambition of becoming a legitimate writer. After ex-actor Preston Gilbert (Mickey Rooney), a man known for having ties to the mob, hires Mickey as a ghostwriter for his biography, Preston is murdered at a party. Inspired by the detectives of his noir fiction, Mickey investigates Preston's death and crosses paths with a transvestite hit man, a beautiful princess (Lizabeth Scott) and a mysterious clairvoyant.

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nick s

A good effort went into the film, but it felt like something the actors enjoyed making more than the general public would enjoy watching. The scenes had a distractingly disjointed quality and just didn't flow. I wanted to get into the movie (after all it did have Scott, one of my favourite actresses) but just couldn't.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

Full Review

Shioka O

Well, I totally couldn't get it and I don't know why. I watched it through my eyes, but nothing is grasping. Mayne i am a pulp. Michel Cane is always centre in this with his iconic voice-over.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/01/23

Full Review

matthew d

A brilliant spoof of the film noir genre! Mike Hodges' film noir mystery comedy Pulp (1972) is quite genius, honestly. Fresh off of his iconic British crime thriller Get Carter (1971) with Michael Caine, Hodges decides to write and direct a parody of film noirs like John Huston's The Maltese Falcon and Roman Polanski's Chinatown. Hodges' direction is enthralling as he strikingly goes about everything very seriously and dour in atmosphere like a real film noir. Hodges' direction is excellent as he gives you all the clues you need to figure everything out, but hides and obscures the mystery with intrigue, scandal, and diversions. I am surprised at how modern Pulp feels with director Mike Hodges not only homaging the film noir greats, but demonstrating how ridiculously ultra serious they feel. Michael Caine's ghost writer Mickey King is hysterical as Caine's deadpan delivery and sharp comedic timing leave you laughing at both his smart comebacks and unreliable narration. Caine was perfectly cast as this film noir hero type. Mickey Rooney's short hothead Preston Gilbert was excellent casting. You believe Rooney as this sleazy sexist, washed up Hollywood actor, gangster wannabe who desperately wants his glory days back. Likewise, Lionel Stander's deep gravelly voice and blunt tough personality are ideal as the intimidating mob thug Ben Dinuccio. Lizabeth Scott is wonderful in her final film role as the flirty and playfully enigmatic Princess Betty Cippola. Nadia Cassini is drop dead gorgeous as the Italian girlfriend to Preston Gilbert named Liz Adams. Dennis Price's supporting role as The Englishman who quotes Lewis Caroll's Alice in Wonderland verbatim is a riot. Al Lettieri is fun as the curious Miller. Leopoldo Trieste is funny as Caine's publisher Marcovic with his weak bowels and fastidious nature. I have to mention Amerigo Tot is phenomenal as the partisan who informs Michael Caine of the entire plot. His raw grit and sincere emotions sell his scenes. Pulp is a blast to watch as Hodges keeps the moody noir happenings coming alongside a steady influx of jokes for a briskly paced 95 minutes. John Glen's editing cuts from goofy slapstick to hard edged killing or a piece of information being told to the audience. You are just gripped from beginning to end with Pulp's irreverent sense of humor and dry British wit in this enigmatic black comedy. I loved the very versatile score from legendary producer and composer for The Beatles: George Martin. He starts off with jazz, then quickly leans into Italian symphonic pieces. Christian Wangler's sound effects range from wailing goats to blaring gunfire for a funny bit of sound design. Ousama Rawi's cinematography uses all these cleverly framed wide shots that are still stunning. The breathtaking Malta beaches and landscapes in the backdrop make for a mesmerizing atmosphere and relaxing scenery. Patrick Downing's production design has rich Italian villas and a princess' manor fully decorated. Darrell Lass' art direction has dusty offices, smoky billiard rooms, ancient ruins, ornate mansions, and bodies on the beach with lovely visual choices. Mike Hodges was such a fascinating director between Get Carter and Pulp. With Mike Hodges' hilarious script, you get endless monologues from Caine's hero through narration like the hard boiled noirs of old, while silly gags and wit get you laughing. Hodges ensnares you with hints of the truth and clues from unlikely places that you remember, but don't put them all together until the final reveal at the end of Pulp's fiction tale. Gitt Magrini's costumes have designs that scream leftover from the late 60's mod style alongside the gritty suits of the 70's. Magrini's outfits give off the vibe of film noir, while remaining contemporary for 1972. Paul Engelen and George Partleton's make-up is caked on with layers of black eye liner and colorful eye shadow on all the ladies. Meanwhile, all the men look natural. In all, Pulp is a funny parody of classic film noir pictures, but also Mike Hodges directed a well made mystery film in his own right.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It loses strenght as it advances. I will try to finish it in another time.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

I love gangster films and my favourite actor is Michael Caine. However, this film is not great. I have just finished watching it and I didn't really know what was going on throughout the film. The scripting isn't great.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

ashley h

Pulp is an okay film. It is about seedy writer is recruited by an ex-actor to help him write his biography. Michael Caine and Mickey Rooney give decent performances. The script is a little slow in places. Mike Hodges did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama and mystery.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Mike Hodges

Director

Michael Caine

Mickey King

Mickey Rooney

Preston Gilbert

Lionel Stander

Ben Dinuccio

Lizabeth Scott

Princess Betty Cippola

Nadia Cassini

Liz Adams

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Pulp is an underrated comedic masterpiece.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 15, 2017

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

While neither a great detective story nor a violent thriller, Pulp is a thinking person’s film, with classic Caine and a unique selling point; how do you react when the real world is stranger than the fictional?

Rated: 4/5

Nov 30, 2023

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

The movie doesn't stir memories of classic noir as much as it traffics in British quirk.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 18, 2021

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a seriously (and shockingly) interminable experience...

Rated: .5/4

Jul 25, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Feels like it has a place within Hollywood's history of misunderstood films.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 20, 2020

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Gabriel Ricard

Cultured Vultures

Pulp is more of a cult classic, but its appeal and influence are nonetheless profound, and worth noting.

Oct 24, 2019

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Synopsis

Mickey King (Michael Caine) is an author of trashy genre novels with no ambition of becoming a legitimate writer. After ex-actor Preston Gilbert (Mickey Rooney), a man known for having ties to the mob, hires Mickey as a ghostwriter for his biography, Preston is murdered at a party. Inspired by the detectives of his noir fiction, Mickey investigates Preston's death and crosses paths with a transvestite hit man, a beautiful princess (Lizabeth Scott) and a mysterious clairvoyant.

Director: Mike Hodges
Screenwriter: Mike Hodges
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 3, 1973, Original
Release Date (DVD): Apr 17, 2007
Runtime: 1h 36m