pulp

Michael Caine took quite a bit of heat for his appearance in 1987's Jaws: The Revenge which was admittedly nothing more than a paycheck for the Oscar winner (his actual quote regarding the film: "I have never seen it, but by all accounts it is terrible. However, I have seen the house that it built, and it is terrific!") But the real lesson learned here is that Caine brings a certain level of class to almost any production, no matter how muddled the script or how messy the execution.

1972's Pulp, which reunited the actor with director Mike Hodges, is a bit sloppy itself, revolving around the convoluted story of a ghostwriter who finds himself in jeopardy after agreeing to pen the memoirs of an expatriate Hollywood actor whose mafia ties run dangerously deep. Caine provides just enough smarmy charm - and an equally authentic film noir narration - to make this offbeat satire a serious cinephile conversation piece.

Mickey King (Caine) is a crime writer, tossing off sleazy paperbacks with titles like "My Gun is Long" with practiced ease. But Mickey has also adopted the laissez faire lifestyle of his heroes, ditching his family to travel the world and earn a quick buck. So the opportunity for easy money ghostwriting an autobiography for Preston Gilbert (Mickey Rooney), a legendary has-been actor who was chummy with some of the biggest criminals in history, is difficult to resist.

But Mickey's involvement makes him a target for someone trying to keep Gilbert's secrets safely locked away. After a botched attempt on his own life, the writer must solve the real-life mystery of who wants to kill him and why before he winds up a victim in one of his own ridiculous plots.

Pulp feels distinctly European, from the craggy, brown Malta shooting locations to the complicated political subplot involving a true story Hodges used as the basis for the script. Nothing about the film is easy to follow. Its characters are largely unlikable cads or loathsome braggarts. And the film's comedic shots at the pulp fiction genre are often way off target. But there are just enough moments of inspired filmmaking to remind you this was the same team behind Get Carter, one of the top crime films of the decade.

The opening scene involving a female typing pool transcribing the steamy details of Mickey's latest novel is a 5-minute triumph right off the top. But Hodge's reliance of voice-over narration also creates problems right out of the gate. It's a perfect tip of the hat to hard-boiled flicks from the '40s and '50s, but the dialogue can be relentless, not to mention depriving Caine of the chance to deliver the lines in person. We come to relish out introduction to Preston Gilbert (played with eccentric zeal by Rooney), if only to step out of Mickey's head for a while.

The intentionally bland color palate belies some incredible camerawork by first-time DP Ousama Rawi, who stages a dolly shot through the windows of a hotel that seems to travel the length of an entire football field! Humphrey Bogart and Peter Lorre look-alikes populate several scenes while veterans Lionel Stander and Lizabeth Scott bring some authentic old Hollywood panache. Hodges, whose directorial career includes Flash Gordon (1980) and Croupier (1988), plays with genre conventions, crossing his fingers behind his back in hopes that Michael Caine's particular set of skills will win out in the end. But Hodges may have done his job too well. Pulp is a film that defies categorization...and pretty much anything else you can throw at it.

Arrow Video's Blu-ray / DVD combo features a brand new 2K restoration from the original film elements. There's still a large amount of natural film grain in certain scenes, so don't be surprised. It definitely looks like a product of its era. Extras include interviews with Hodges, Ousama Rawi, editor John Glen (of the Bond series) and liaison Michael Klinger, whose father Tony was the producer. The original trailer, shot by Hodges himself in the style of Hitchcock's custom-made coming attractions, is included along with a collector's booklet with new writing by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas.