Taking of Pelham One Two Three

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

This classic New York City subway-heist film suffers from a stripped down DVD release. Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw are both excellent in this hard-boiled, '70s cops-and-robbers drama that relies heavily on black humor. The film was ahead of its time in combining laughs with violence, and Quentin Tarantino was obviously watching. (Notice how the bad guys use color-coded aliases like Mr. Brown, which popped up in Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs). Matthau's dry one-liners predate the sensitivity of the P.C. era and give the movie its edge. Presented here in theatrical widescreen, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three offers no extras other than its trailer, joining an annoying trend of bare-bones DVD releases. The package does include a liner note booklet with information about the production, focusing instead on the film's use of the NYC subway. This archaic feature easily could have been digitized and expanded; the fact that it was not displays the lack of creativity that marks this entire release. ~ Chris Lawrence, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: PCM Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Subtitle: Spanish, French
• Features:
  • Collectible booklet
  • Original theatrical trailer

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Walter Matthau - Lieutenant Garber
       Robert Shaw - Blue
       Martin Balsam - Green
       Hector Elizondo - Grey
       Earl Hindman - Brown
       Thomas LaFleur - Older Son
       Maria Landa - Spanish Woman
       William Snickowski - Hippie/Plainclothes Policeman

• Director:

  Joseph Sargent

• Producer:

  Gabriel Katzka, Edgar J. Scherick

• Book Author:

  John Godey

• Screenwriter:

  Peter Stone

• Cinematographer:

  Owen Roizman

• Composer (Music Score):

  David Shire

• Editor:

  Jerry Greenberg, Robert Q. Lovett

• Art Director:

  Gene Rudolf

• Associate Producer:

  Stephen F. Kesten

REVIEWS:

• Joseph Sargent's film version of the book by John Godey is an electrifying thriller sparked by great performances, unrelenting action, and the fantastic use of location shooting. Walter Matthau stars as a wrinkly transit cop negotiating a potentially deadly situation: four criminals have hijacked a New York City subway train full of hostages -- whom they plan to kill one by one if they don't receive one million dollars in one hour. Peter Stone's gritty script (nominated for the Writer's Guild Award) ratchets up the tension splendidly, revealing perfectly timed details that keep viewers firmly on their toes. The dialogue has all the saltiness and cynical humor that mark true New York City speech, and the cast doesn't miss a beat with it. Matthau is quite simply a show stealer, whether he's leading a tour group of Asian cops whom he thinks don't speak English or coolly taking control of the crisis that brings the Big Apple to a standstill. Other notables include Robert Shaw, who leaves a distinct mark as the cold-blooded lead villain, Martin Balsam as Shaw's sickly cohort, and Woody Allen regular Tony Roberts as the mayor's wry assistant. Technically, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is first-rate, with particular credit going to the film's editing and lighting. David Shire's memorable music score recalls a style used in that other '70s crime classic, Dirty Harry. The villains' use of phony color names (Mr. Green, Mr. Blue, etc.) was later used by Quentin Tarantino in his film Reservoir Dogs. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three was remade for TV in 1998, and again in 2009 for the big screen. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide
• {$Joseph Sargent}'s film version of the book by {$John Godey} is an electrifying {\thriller} sparked by great performances, unrelenting action, and the fantastic use of location shooting. {$Walter Matthau} stars as a wrinkly transit cop negotiating a potentially deadly situation: four criminals have hijacked a New York City subway train full of hostages -- whom they plan to kill one by one if they don't receive one million dollars in one hour. {$Peter Stone}'s gritty script (nominated for the Writer's Guild Award) ratchets up the tension splendidly, revealing perfectly timed details that keep viewers firmly on their toes. The dialogue has all the saltiness and cynical humor that mark true New York City speech, and the cast doesn't miss a beat with it. {$Matthau} is quite simply a show stealer, whether he's leading a tour group of Asian cops whom he thinks don't speak English or coolly taking control of the crisis that brings the Big Apple to a standstill. Other notables include {$Robert Shaw}, who leaves a distinct mark as the cold-blooded lead villain, {$Martin Balsam} as {$Shaw}'s sickly cohort, and {$Woody Allen} regular {$Tony Roberts} as the mayor's wry assistant. Technically, {#The Taking of Pelham One Two Three} is first-rate, with particular credit going to the film's editing and lighting. {$David Shire}'s memorable music score recalls a style used in that other '70s {\crime} classic, {#Dirty Harry}. The villains' use of phony color names ({%Mr. Green}, {%Mr. Blue}, etc.) was later used by {$Quentin Tarantino} in his film {#Reservoir Dogs}. {#The Taking of Pelham One Two Three} was remade for TV in 1998, and again in 2009 for the big screen. ~ Patrick Legare, All Movie Guide

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