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Pulp

Play trailer Poster for Pulp PG Released May 3, 1973 1h 36m Mystery & Thriller Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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77% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 38% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
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.

Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher The 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 Full Review 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 01/19/25 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 Full Review 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 Full Review Audience Member An experimental movie that uses many unusual cinematographic and narrative structures. The complicated plot , or lack thereof, is less important than the overall message that little things often lead to big things and conflicts with authority are unresolvable. As and experimental Hollywood film, this one is much easier to digest. Hollywood has had extreme difficulty stealing, er adapting, experimental film techniques to it's rigid standards. Like a dumb Senator, many directors in Hollywood think making a total mess qualifies a movie to be experimental. Not so in "Pulp" even if the plot becomes inscrutable the film as a whole is very enjoyable and Caine delvers one of his best performances. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Pulp

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Cast & Crew

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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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Pulp

Pulp (1972) Pulp (1972) Pulp (1972) Pulp (1972) View more photos

Movie Info

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
Producer
Michael Klinger, Michael Caine
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