Category Archives: Peter Boyle

#86 Favorite Film, 1970 Films, Carrie Snodgress, Comedy, Dark Comedy, Frank Langella, Frank Perry, Independent, Independent Comedy, Peter Boyle, Richard Benjamin, Satire, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films

Diary of a Mad Housewife-1970

Leave a comment

Diary of a Mad Housewife-1970

Director Frank Perry

Starring Carrie Snodgress, Frank Langella

Top 250 Films #86

Scott’s Review #189

MPW-36461

Reviewed November 5, 2014

Grade: A

The film version of Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970), based on the best-selling novel by Sue Kaufman, is a tremendous, unique story of one woman’s frustration with her irritating life.

A superb Carrie Snodgrass stars as a haggard, insecure, yet affluent housewife named Tina Balser, living in New York City with an unpleasant family.

The family is led by Tina’s verbally abusive and neurotic husband, Jonathan- a successful attorney, played flawlessly and instead comedically by Richard Benjamin, and her two brattish daughters, Sylvie and Liz.

Bored, Tina decides to embark on an affair with crude artist George Prager, wonderfully played by Frank Langella. She teeters on the edge of an emotional breakdown throughout the film and trudges through life depressed and disappointed with all aspects of her life except for her affair with George.

George, however, is a womanizer and openly has other conquests besides Tina.

The film’s brilliant idea is to tell the story strictly from Tina’s point of view. All of the action centers on her character, which makes the film so enjoyable.

On the surface, one might argue she has everything- she is intelligent, well-educated, and affluent. A stay-at-home mother, she is treated like a servant by her husband, Jonathan, as he constantly berates her appearance and criticizes her activities- she is always doing something incorrectly.

The film, though, is not a downer. It is a dry, satirical comedy that reminds me very much of a Woody Allen film. Tina is depressed, yes, but she goes through life with a realistic, almost chin-up, outlook. Her marriage to Jonathan is loveless, yet why doesn’t she leave him?

Her affair with George is sexually satisfying, but she has no intention of pursuing anything further with him, nor does he want to. Tina dotes on her husband- planning dinner parties, sending Christmas cards, and various other wife duties.

I’m not sure that the film’s true intent is to show Tina as either a strictly sympathetic character or as completely downtrodden- the film is not a moral tale nor is it a schmaltzy, woman victimized and will rise against the world’s generic drama- it is witty and filled with black humor.

Despite her unkind husband, I found myself, in a way, envying Tina’s life, and I think the film expects that of the viewer. I never got the impression that Tina was suicidal in any way.

It’s not that type of film.

Instead, she has wealth, and she goes to fancy restaurants, but she also has a very needy husband- he does not abuse her in a physical sense, nor is she reduced to tears by his outbursts.

She gets annoyed, merely accepts that this is the way life is, and gets by with an occasional swig of alcohol while doing dishes or preparing dinner, or when the dog has “an accident” on the living room rug and Tina’s kids cannot wait to tattle on her.

She is a sophisticated woman, trapped in an unhappy yet financially secure relationship.

Diary of a Mad Housewife is an interesting character study for all women to view and perhaps even slyly wink at.  Many women would champion Tina. She is a likable, sarcastic, fabulous chick. Audiences will find themselves drawn to her and even falling in love with her before long- I know I did.

Without the talents of Carrie Snodgrass, who completely carries this film, it would not be the wonder that it is. An excellent satire, the film is not as wry or satirical as the novel, but how many films are?

The novel delves deeper into the role of the Balsers’ maid, who is barely mentioned in the film, yet she plays a larger role in the Kaufman novel.

I loved the portrayal of Jonathan by Richard Benjamin, who must receive some honor for the most annoying character ever in the film when he repeatedly screams for his wife by bellowing “teeeenaaaaa!”, or initiating sex by asking “Would you like a little roll in dee hay?”, one wants to choke him.

The way Tina’s daughters whine “mudder” instead of “mother” is comically brilliant. And her simmering hatred of all of them is dark hysteria.

Diary of a Mad Housewife is a genius and should not be forgotten.

Oscar Nominations: Best Actress-Carrie Snodgress

#130 Favorite Film, 1976 Films, Albert Brooks, Cybill Shepherd, Drama, Harvey Keitel, Jodie Foster, Leonard Harris, Martin Scorsese, Peter Boyle, Robert De Niro, Thriller, Top 250 Films

Taxi Driver-1976

Leave a comment

Taxi Driver-1976

Director Martin Scorsese 

Starring Robert De Niro, Cybill Shepherd, Jodie Foster

Top 250 Films #130

Scott’s Review #776 

Reviewed June 20, 2018

Grade: A

It is incredibly tough to choose a favorite among Martin Scorsese’s films, since nearly all of them are exceptionally well-made.

Goodfellas (1990), Raging Bull (1980), and Taxi Driver (1976) immediately come to mind. Taxi Driver may be Scorsese’s darkest film of all.

The thriller is intense, dangerous, and ferocious, led by a riveting performance by Robert De Niro, a regular in the director’s earlier films. The film is nail-biting and compelling, and a great, character-driven watch.

Set in the bustling and (at that time) decrepit New York City shortly following the Vietnam War, Travis is a veteran suffering from some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Lonely and angry, he works as an overnight taxi driver who falls for a snooty presidential campaign worker, Betsy (Cybill Shepherd).

He also forges a relationship of a protective nature with an underage prostitute, Iris (Jodie Foster). As he gradually spirals out of control due to the unhappiness surrounding him, he plots to kill Betsy’s boss while protecting Iris from her pimp (Harvey Keitel).

One great aspect of Taxi Driver is the extremely good performance by De Niro. Along with Jake LaMotta’s later role in Raging Bull, Travis Bickle’s role is my second favorite of his. With Bickle, he is unpredictable, on edge, and angry, as De Niro infuses the character with those qualities in a seamless fashion.

As he teeters on the brink of insanity and is ready to snap at any given moment, the character is impossible not to watch with both fear and marvel.

De Niro is that brilliant. 

While not to be outdone by the aforementioned negative and dangerous qualities, Travis also possesses a few benevolent traits, making the character complex. In large part, this comes into play with the protective nature he develops towards Iris.

Almost like a big brother/kid-sister dynamic, the deranged man treats her with kindness rather than taking advantage of her as he easily could have. The diner scene, in which the two actors (De Niro and Foster) share it, is rich in interesting dialogue and binds the characters together.

Travis also harbors love and hate emotions towards Betsy (Cybill Shepherd). As she is a political volunteer for a potential presidential candidate, Travis first encounters her while spying on her through the large glass windows where she works.

Coaxing her to accept a date, they have coffee and eventually attend a film together. Betsy is offended since the film is pornographic, and their date goes south fast. After a vicious showdown between the pair at the campaign office, Travis goes off the deep end and plots revenge.

The gritty, atmospheric approach Scorsese takes in Taxi Driver is an enormous highlight of the film. Dingy, dark, and dangerous, the director creates numerous scenes that show just how seedy New York City was in the 1970s.

Working the night shift, sure to bring out the rancid and most decaying elements of the city, Travis experiences many cretins and undesirables in his work- and arguably is one of them!

Many scenes feature the notorious 42nd Street and its accompanying porn theaters that made New York City famous (or infamous!) at the time.

In one of the film’s most frightening (and best) scenes, Travis can get his hands on a gun. He practices drawing his weapon in the mirror, repeatedly uttering the famous line “You talkin’ to me?” as we wonder if he will pull the trigger.

The scene is fraught with cerebral tension and quite frightening. Later, when Travis shaves his head and brandishes a mohawk, his new look is downright terrifying.

Scorsese creates a dark world enriched by his incredible cinematography and astounding portrayals of compelling characters in dangerous, unstable times.

Taxi Driver (1976) is a treasure to watch closely and appreciate as a timeless piece of art. Instead of decaying in the vaults of cinema, the film gets better and better with age.

Oscar Nominations: Best Picture, Best Actor-Robert De Niro, Best Supporting Actress-Jodie Foster, Best Original Score

1974 Films, Cloris Leachman, Comedy, Gene Hackman, Gene Wilder, Horror, Horror-Comedy, Kenneth Mars, Madeline Khan, Marty Feldman, Mel Brooks, Peter Boyle, Richard Haydn, Teri Garr

Young Frankenstein-1974

Leave a comment

Young Frankenstein-1974

Director Mel Brooks

Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr

Scott’s Review #1,347

Reviewed February 27, 2023

Grade: A

Young Frankenstein (1974) is one of the funniest, most authentic examples of slapstick comedy done right. The physical timing, facial expressions, and dialogue delivery are sheer perfection from the well-known cast.

Many of whom are stars of the comedy genre.

The fact that director Mel Brooks took a classic horror film as distinguished as Frankenstein (1931), and made a cross-genre sequel, is pure brilliance.

Even better is the incorporation of black-and-white filmmaking, resembling the 1930s masterpiece, so the setting feels similar. This is aided by the recreation of the lab equipment designed by the original set designer, Kenneth Strickfaden, from the 1931 film. 

Brooks co-wrote the screenplay with star Gene Wilder, a comic legend, and the writing is brilliant, crackling with wit and energy.

The 1970s film, watched decades later, has lost none of its original appeal, holding up astoundingly well even after most of the cast and the director have left this world. It can be watched over the Halloween season for the proper atmosphere or at any time.

Ideally, recommended to watch Frankenstein either before or after seeing Young Frankenstein for ideal pleasure.

Respected medical lecturer Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Wilder) learns, much to his chagrin, that he has inherited his infamous grandfather’s estate in Transylvania, Romania.

The original Frankenstein’s reputation is so tarnished that Frederick wants nothing to do with the name, even going so far as to change the pronunciation of his surname to “Fronkensteen”.

Begrudgingly arriving at the castle, Dr. Frankenstein soon begins to recreate his grandfather’s experiments with the help of servants Igor (Marty Feldman), Inga (Teri Garr), and the rigid Frau Blücher (Cloris Leachman).

After he creates his monster (Peter Boyle), a new set of complications ensues with the arrival of the doctor’s fiancée, Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), and the unleashing of the frightening beast on the small town.

Comedy and horror are worlds apart, but Brooks and Wilder pay tribute to the classic horror film by not mocking it but instead embracing it and enhancing the story in Young Frankenstein.

You could say it’s a sequel in addition to a spoof made over forty years later.

The characters are the best part, and each one is brought to fine form by its actor. Wilder, as the mad scientist, is led by ug-eyed Igor (pronounced ‘Eyegor’ naturally), who is revealed to be the grandson of Igor in Frankenstein, my personal favorite, followed by Garr as Wilder’s secret romantic interest.

My favorite scenes are when Igor reveals that he took the wrong brain for Frankenstein’s experiment, belonging to ‘Abby Normal’ instead of ‘Abnormal’ as the label read.

Inga and Frederick have instant chemistry, leaving Kahn’s Elizabeth in the dust as far as a romantic triangle. Hilarity between the pair occurs in the final sequence when, after a lobotomy, she is delighted to realize that Frederick has received the monster’s “enormous Schwanzstucker”.

This is not to diminish Boyle, Leachman, or Kahn, who each do their part to make Young Frankenstein an ensemble. Apt viewers will spot Gene Hackman as Harold, the blind man.

As an aside, Brooks brilliantly pays tribute to Bride of Frankenstein (1934) by giving Elizabeth the same hairstyle.

The double entendre is fast and furious from knockers to the male anatomy.

The only scene that didn’t wow me was the sequence where Frankenstein and his creation perform “Puttin’ on the Ritz”. The monster singing and dancing was too amateurish for me, but for some, it’s a favorite scene.

A parody that works on nearly every level and is the best of all the Brooks films (even barely usurping my forever fondness for 1977’s High Anxiety), Young Frankenstein (1974) is a treasure.

Silly, devoted, and creative, it revives a classic in the best possible way and is filmmaking 101 on how to create a proper spoof.

Oscar Nominations:  Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Sound

1973 Films, Alex Rocco, Crime Thriller, Mitchell Ryan, Peter Boyle, Peter Yates, Richard Jordan, Robert Mitchum, Steven Keats, Thriller

The Friends of Eddie Coyle-1973

Leave a comment

The Friends of Eddie Coyle-1973

Director Peter Yates

Starring Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle

Scott’s Review #1,151

Reviewed June 11, 2021

Grade: B+

Borrowing heavily from the standard cop thriller films that emerged during the early 1970s but containing a unique cynicism and a point of view all its own, The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) is a taut and engaging crime thriller that will please fans of the genre but never bailing on those cinema fans seeking a more intellectual experience.

The Boston landscape is plentiful and a treat for fans of locale shoots and 1970s qualities.

A superior film, despite the many similar films created during the decade, there is a moroseness that encompasses the experience. I felt sorry for the main character, and The Friends of Eddie Coyle lacks a clear good-guy-versus-bad-guy standard. This helps the film.

What I’m trying to say is that those crime-thriller fans who desire a clear hero or standard characterization might be unsatisfied or miss the point, though the bank-robbery scenes alone are worth the price of a ticket.

Some say Robert Mitchum, cast in the title role, gives his finest film performance, but I wasn’t entirely blown away.  The film is an ensemble, and at times, Eddie Coyle feels like a supporting character.

Think Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020).

Instead, I ruminated over his brilliant performances in my two favorite films of his, The Night of the Hunter (1955) and Ryan’s Daughter (1970).

His performance is fine, but all the actors bring their A-game.

Aging low-level Boston gunrunner Eddie Coyle (Mitchum) is fearful of the possibility of several years of jail time for participating in a truck hijacking in neighboring New Hampshire. Having a wife and kids dependent on him, and feeling old and desperate, he volunteers to funnel information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), an ATF agent.

Eddie buys some guns from another gunrunner, Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), then gives him up to Foley, but the agent isn’t satisfied. Panicked, Eddie decides to give up the gang of bank robbers he’s been supplying, only to find that Foley already knows about them and that the mob believes Eddie snitched.

These events do not bode well for poor Eddie, who now has a mark on his back.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle has a handful of plots happening simultaneously. There is Eddie’s predicament, the saga of the bank robbers and the bank owners they put in peril, and a bartender played by Peter Boyle (of television Everybody Loves Raymond fame), who is also an informant.

The stories intertwine, but sometimes not quite enough, and a conclusion over how the players relate is sometimes unclear.

From the get-go, I was reminded of Dirty Harry (1971), which arguably propelled the cop/crime thriller/crime drama to mainstream audiences.

Dave Grusin receives credit for the music composition and creates a score similar to Dirty Harry, with a funky tempo and time-relevant arrangements. They work and fit the times perfectly.

Unlike Dirty Harry, which is a superb film in many ways, the messaging differs. Whereas Dirty Harry professes a good-versus-bad approach and a conservative pro-gun stance, The Friends of Eddie Coyle doesn’t take the time to school the audience on most cops’ viewpoints.

The bad guys are complex, nuanced characters with worries and fears to wrestle with.

The location sequences are plentiful and lend the film authenticity and a sense of Boston appreciation. The classic Boston Garden is featured as two characters attend a Boston Bruins hockey game. The Charles River, downtown, and surrounding areas, such as Quincy, are featured.

Director Peter Yates certainly creates a blue-collar, Irish-represented community.

Lovers of classic 1970s American automobiles will be in heaven. I spotted a Ford Galaxy, a Chevy Impala, and similar full-sized cars. One character drives a green muscle car.

I mean, there are tons and tons of car sequences in this film.

With the seedy Boston underworld, a terrific performance by Robert Mitchum, and enough guns, car chases, and bank robberies to satisfy the action audience, The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973) is a win.

The film didn’t stick with me as much as I would have liked, but it’s a striking entry in the crime thriller genre.