loading
reading
writing
saving
searching
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (DVD, 1974) - $8 (Bethesda)
QR Code Link to This Post
Directed by Joseph Sargent
Starring Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Héctor Elizondo
Four armed men hijack a New York City subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. The city's police are faced with a conundrum: Even if it's paid, how could they get away?
There are many disappointing action pictures out there – this is not one of them. The genius of the film is there is no wasted motion. The picture starts right with the plot – no introduction or character development. The characters are allowed to develop as the plot moves along.
Which brings us to pacing – the pacing in this picture is excellent. It moves right along and never stops, never slows, never goes too fast.
One of the seminal New York crime films of the seventies, shot on location and oozing period detail and authenticity, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three boasts pitch-perfect performances, pitch-black humour, an unrelenting pace and an unforgettable score by David Shire. Oft-imitated, never bettered, this rugged gem of Hollywood heist cinema remains a perennial classic of the genre - and one hell of a ride.
“Walter Matthau is gruff, shaggy and sardonic as a Transit Authority lieutenant; Robert Shaw is clipped and cruel, and the supporting performances are allowed to grow and take on personality. These aren’t machine-made genre characters, but individuals (and, more specifically, New Yorkers with gallows humor, paranoia, warmth and resiliency).”
– Roger Ebert
Trailer:
https://youtu.be/ep518FVHKIU?si=N65aqjMEk1pkCXgL
*PRICE FIRM - Cash/ Porch Pick Up
p/u Bethesda, Md off Old Georgetown Rd near Suburban Hospital/ NIH (1 mile from the Capitol beltway, 2 miles from the NW DC line & Rt 270 spur)
*Mail ONLY within the US mainland
pay for item + shipping/handling ($8+$6- Total=$14)
w/ http://www.PayPal.Me/Jeff2644