Blu-ray Review The Seven-Ups Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Josh Steinberg]

Josh Steinberg

The Seven-Ups Blu-ray Review

In the 1973 production of The Seven-Ups, Roy Scheider stars as a police detective in charge of a special unit that seeks justice by any means necessary. Taking their name from the length of the prison sentences handed out to their suspects (they only pursue criminals whose crimes would justify a jail sentence of seven years or longer), they’re expected to produce results, and the powers-that-be care very little about how they achieve those results.

[review]

 

[davidmatychuk]

That's a great review of a sensational package from Twilight Time. Well-done all around. It looks like my old Fox DVD has done its seven-up years in my collection.

 

[skylark68]

Thanks for the great review. 3 stars seems fair. I only wish the car chase had used more interesting cars like in Bullitt. The Pontiac Ventura and Bonneville weren't very exciting cars even in 1973... Maybe a Firebird or a GTO would have been better. The car chase is extremely well filmed though!

 

[Charles Smith]

I'd agree with the 3, as well, as it lacks a few hugely tangible elements of those other two films -- namely, Steve McQueen and Peter Yates and company, and of course Gene Hackman and William Friedkin. But it's still essential, for all it does have.

The location shooting is a another treasure alongside those other films, as it duplicates hardly anything of THE FRENCH CONNECTION, resulting in many more mouthwatering shots of ca-1973 metro NYC. One always wants more, of course, but the expansion of that gritty era in itself is so rewarding.

 

[Sega]

One more must have... And thanks for the great review...

 

[Vic Pardo]

I first saw the film during a trip to San Francisco. My brother and I went to see it and we were thrilled at all the shots of our Bronx neighborhood, a welcome taste of home on my first cross-country trip. It's got shots of the Bronx leg of the 3rd Avenue El a year before it was torn down. (Still don't know why it was torn down. I miss that train.)

 

[Josh Steinberg]

One more must have... And thanks for the great review...

Thank you for the great compliment!

 

[gjn123]

I first saw the film during a trip to San Francisco. My brother and I went to see it and we were thrilled at all the shots of our Bronx neighborhood, a welcome taste of home on my first cross-country trip. It's got shots of the Bronx leg of the 3rd Avenue El a year before it was torn down. (Still don't know why it was torn down. I miss that train.)

I thought the 3rd Avenue El was torn down in 1955.

 

[Vic Pardo]

I thought the 3rd Avenue El was torn down in 1955.

The Bronx part of it, which began at 149th St. and 3rd Ave., was up until 1973.

 

[John Sparks]

Saw it when it was first released and the only thing I remember about it was the look on Roy's face when he goes under the trailer of the semi, comes up from the seat with that look of utter fear and relief. (I hope this is the movie that had that scene)

Then years later as a firefighter, getting to seeing the same thing in real life and the occupant living through it...twice!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Saw it when it was first released and the only thing I remember about it was the look on Roy's face when he goes under the trailer of the semi, comes up from the seat with that look of utter fear and relief. (I hope this is the movie that had that scene)

Oh yeah, now that was acting - guy looked so dazed as if he had been in the car himself!

 

[Charles Smith]

RIP - Philip D’Antoni, age 89.

 

[JoeStemme]

Philip D'Antoni wanted a follow-up to his production of THE FRENCH CONNECTION and came up with this gritty tale of NYC cops. Having also produced BULLITT, it seemingly was a given that a car chase would play a central role in the action. Stepping behind the camera to direct for his only time (William Friedkin supposedly turned it down), D'Antoni and stunt legend Bill Hickman certainly came up with a doozy here. An octane fueled 10 minute chase which is a high wire act that 'plays by the rules' - up until a far-fetched finale.

With so much attention given to that sequence, it also highlights how lacking the screenplay is. The trio of writers have some intriguing themes with police corruption, organized crime and double-crosses, but, it meanders between the set pieces. D'Antoni and his scribes are trying for intrigue and a measure of mystery, but the murky writing is more of a hindrance than an asset. It just seems like a blueprint to get from one set piece to another involving antique shops, car washes, funeral parlors etc.. The title is never even fully defined, the characters are blank, and even the central twist is pretty easy to guess very early on. The acting from Roy Scheider is exemplary. Scheider is usually mentioned as an also-ran when discussing the great actors of the 70s, but, considering JAWS, ALL THAT JAZZ, SORCERER, FRENCH CONNECTION and more, he really was in the front rank. The character actors are also good including Joe Spinell, Tony Lo Bianco and the ever-menacing Richard Lynch. Don Ellis' score is lively.

THE SEVEN-UPS is worth seeing for the chase and Scheider, but, it takes a back seat to THE FRENCH CONNECTION and BULLITT.