Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Hayleigh Joseph This is ultimately a movie about the very bad things that can happen when we don't address our unease, when we just try to brush it off, whether that's to fit in or to preserve our self-image.

Deanna There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

SimonJack In the early 1970s, cliché-ridden comedy, understatement, and parody of this type were the thing. TV sitcoms, movies and talk shows all had their share. But, in order for such dated material to age well in time, it has to be in a very good package. With movies, that means a memorable plot, a first-rate screenplay, top notch acting, and very good trappings. "Pulp" has none of that. The idea for the plot is good, if not original. But its development is haphazard, filled with holes and disconnected. While the film has bits of comedy and crime, one never has a sense of mystery. That's because of the whole comedic air, from start to finish, with the lead character's narration. Mickey King's (Michael Caine) clichés, sarcasm and mockery remove any sense of real intrigue or suspense. I agree with another reviewer who found Michael Caine's performance lifeless at times. Only one role seemed worthy of the entire cast – Lionel Stander as Ben Dinuccio. Mickey Rooney was okay as Preston Gilbert, but we had to sit through a long, boring scene of his getting dressed and primping himself while talking mostly gibberish with Caine's King. The script seemed to labor at times to come up with dialog that poked fun at the pulp fiction – or dime detective novels of the past. Just a few of the lines come across as funny these decades later. Those are what earn the film the meager three stars I give it. Here are some samples. Mickey King, "The writer's life would be ideal, but for the writing. That was a problem I had to overcome. Then I read in The Guinness Book of Records about Erle Stanley Gardner, the world's fastest novelist who can dictate up to the rate of 10,000 words a day."Mickey King, "He was wearing a dirty Macintosh. Clairvoyants usually do." Mickey King, "The whole town seemed to be in the grip of a fatal disease. Lockjaw." A guy at the wake, "What kind of bird is that?" Another guy, "A Maltese falcon."

Charles Herold (cherold) Murder! Mystery! Michael Cain! Mickey Rooney! Lizabeth Scott, for goodness sake! How could this not be good.I'll tell you how.This tale of a pulp writer who gets involved in real murder features an unfocused story, a diffident Caine and a low budget that leads to the sort of artificial voice inserts and poor lighting you would expect from a TV movie of the era.To some extent, you could argue that it's not so much inept as it is representative of the early 70s, where directors like Robert Altman tossed out a lot of the cinematic gloss of earlier eras in favor of a messier, more "realistic" style. But the movie fails even in that regard compared to something like Altman's more watchable The Long Goodbye, which came out the following year.The beginning isn't terrible, offering a little humor, but as the movie wanders into its absurd story, it gets harder and harder to sit through. About two-thirds of the way through I gave up and read how it ended on wikipedia.I wouldn't recommend this for fans of pulp detective novels, but if you like that 1970s pseudo-naturalistic style you might find this more tolerable than I did.

qormi I watched this video because I like Malta and this movie was filmed in its entirety there. Very disappointing, since it fails to catch any of the flavor or beauty of the island - just the hot, dry, and barren elements. The movie was dull, boring, completely incoherent from beginning to end, pretentious, and devoid of any conceivable plot. You had to be a psychic to follow the plot line, or lack thereof. It had its moments, sure; but so does going to the dentist.In short, I'd much rather endure another colonoscophy before viewing this horrible mess again. It was so bad, I actually couldn't fall asleep. There are quite a few "Eurotrash" movies out there that were obviously made without adult supervision. This is one of them. On the bright side, who is Nadia Cassini? Never before have I seen a more beautiful set of legs. She is the one saving grace of this movie.Disturbing, too, was the cruel boar hunt depicted in the closing credits. A boar that was released on someone's property (Malta has very few native mammals; all of them small - rats, bats, etc.) and then set upon by dogs before it was shot. Oh, well - go visit Malta anyway despite this film - it's a beautiful, colorful island; rich in history and lots of fun.

NEIL-213 i love this movie because of Caines Mike Hammer style commentary throughout,sometimes witty sometimes plain wrong his private musings are insightful and great.The moment the film starts you just know its going to be quirky'which with most pictures would be the kiss of death.But with this movie it raises it above the average to very good.In the acting stakes Caine is as strong as i have seen him in any of his 70s movies,as is Lionel Stander.But the pleasant surprise comes from Mickey Rooney who as an actor does not rate high in my opinion does a great comedic job sending himself up both as an actor wannabe gangster,and most funny height wise.To right this off as just a comedy would be wrong,some poignant moments seem to show a country sliding slowly and surely into dictatorship. You will either love or hate this film,i do not think there is an in-between.I think most people who give it a try knowing that it is not a mainstream movie will like it.