123 is different than One Two Three

Taking of Pelham 123

OK – so – last night The Taking of Pelham 123 pops up on my screen – I say, “Damn. Haven’t seen that in about 45 years.”

Released in 1974 – always interested in the movie because when I was living in New York in 1970, Rye, Larchmont, and Pelham were three stops on my territory in Westchester County – close to where Rob & Laura Petrie lived in New Rochelle.

So I click to watch – but this is a friggin remake – why a remake?

I look at the cast – outstanding – Denzel Washington, John Travolta, Luis Guzman, John Turturro, & James Gandolfini – outstanding director in Tony Scott.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Let’s give it a shot – then oh, no – I see the opening sequence & it looks like a cartoon – why would anyone cut it up like that? – felt like turning it off.

But I respected the cast & the director – & gave it a shot.

There were a couple more frenetic sequences like that – & some CGI – but the CGI almost looked real – glad I watched – outstanding movie – good acting – good directing – good screenwriting – nifty plot.

Technically, the movies have different titles – “One Two Three” in the original – “123” in the remake.

IMDB describes 123 like so:

“Armed men hijack a New York City subway train, holding the passengers hostage in return for a ransom, and turning an ordinary day’s work for dispatcher Walter Garber into a face-off with the mastermind behind the crime.”

Here’s the trailer:

I’m America’s Best Crime Writer

and I approve this message.

My first book – Born to Be Wild – was published in 1992 & still sells every day at Amazon & Kindle. It’s a true story about certain members of the Warlocks motorcycle gang.

The story takes 21 years to play out – with many twists & turns – an amalgam of Sons of Anarchy & Breaking Bad – but these outlaw bikers make the Sons look like Cub Scouts.

917700cookie-checkTaking of Pelham 123yes