Review #1,333: 'The Friends of Eddie Coyle' (1973)

Adapted from the novel of the same name by George V. Higgins, director Peter Yates' The Friends of Eddie Coyle takes pride in its authentic depiction of 1970s Boston, where Irish mobsters trade weapons and organise truck hijackings over a diner table. It follows low-level criminal Eddie 'Fingers' Coyle, played by Robert Mitchum, as he faces a lengthy spell in prison for a crime organised by bartender associate Dillon (Peter Boyle). His only hope of avoiding jail time is a recommendation to the District Attorney's office, which may put him good favour with the judge. ATF agent David Foley (Richard Jordan) sees the opportunity to further his own career by promising Eddie he'll put in a good word as long as the career criminal feeds him solid intelligence.

Mitchum is perfect as a man who has grown tired of risking his livelihood for his bosses, having grown old with little to show for it other than some extra knuckles gained from having his hand slammed into a drawer by a rival. Coyle is well-connected and reliable, with a keen eye for a good business deal. Yet as his superiors have grown rich, he still lives in a shabby neighbourhood, saving up any pennies he can. He purchases guns from the wild yet competent young gun-runner Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), but sees an opportunity to prove himself useful to Foley, who actually has more informants within Coyle's underworld than the old man realises. Coyle understands that this is his last chance to escape the world he has become weary of, and spend his remaining years enjoying the sunshine. Yet his information never seems to be enough for Foley, and as the rate of successful arrests rapidly increases, it isn't long until his 'friends' become suspicious.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle could have only been made in the 1970s, when studios in Hollywood were more open to taking risks and allowed writers to tell the story they wanted to tell. This is about as unsentimental and understated as crime dramas get, shot by cinematographer Victor J. Kemper in a loose style more akin to documentary than thriller. The tone is almost nihilistic at times, mirroring the mindset of the majority of the film's shifty characters. It makes for riveting viewing, with Mitchum delivering one of his finest performances in what was already a muscular career. The supporting cast is excellent too, with both Boyle and Keats utterly convincing as bottom-level scumbags, all of whom seem to exist in a state of constant paranoia and aggression. It will leave you incredibly cold, but only the very best crime sagas expose this dangerous world for what it actually is.


Directed by: Peter Yates
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Peter Boyle, Richard Jordan, Steven Keats, Alex Rocco, Joe Santos
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #1,294: 'Motor Psycho' (1965)

The last of three movies directed by exploitation legend and pioneer of the 'nudie cutie' Russ Meyer in 1965, Motor Psycho is one the filmmaker's few 'normal' movies, that is one not filled to the brim with impressively-breasted babes and scrawny, sex-mad males. It instead falls into the biker gang category, one of the many branches of the 'juvenile delinquent' sub-genre which emerged as parents and the media alike voiced their concerns about the increasingly rebellious youth culture of the time. Similar in many ways to one of Meyer's other 1965 movies (and undoubtedly his most popular film), Faster Pussycat... Kill! Kill! (Mudhoney was also released that year), Motor Psycho substitutes the strong, revenge-fuelled gang of women led by the unforgettable Tura Satana for a trio of tortured men, and the result is actually pretty good.

The gang, led by demented Vietnam veteran Brahmin (Steve Oliver), have taken a liking to antagonising the locals of a small town, firstly terrorising a young, beautiful women trying to relax with her passive, hen-pecked husband, before their intentions turns even nastier. They torment veterinarian Cory Maddox (Alex Rocco, who played Moe Green in The Godfather) before raping his wife while he is away from home flirting with a voluptuous horse-breeder. He returns to find his wife battered and abused, but it is "nothing a woman isn't built for," according to the local sheriff (played by Meyer himself). Maddox decides to take matters into his own hands, gradually tracking Brahmin and his cronies as he follows their path of destruction. He comes across Ruby Bonner (Faster Pussycat's Haji), the wife of a man the gang have just murdered in cold blood, and the two partner up to end the gang's reign of terror once and for all.

Any fans of the director going into Motor Psycho hoping to see a collection of naughty vignettes featuring some of his familiar roster of beauties will likely be disappointed, although the film is another fine example of Meyer's skill with editing, cinematography and use of music. A minimal budget rarely hampered Meyer, and Motor Psycho is fast-paced and jazzy, and surprisingly features a handful of decent performances. This was one of the first times a damaged Vietnam veteran had been portrayed on screen, and Oliver has fun going way over the top as the sadistic, angry young leader. For a film dealing with rape (and Meyer takes the subject matter seriously), it is also very funny in places. Most memorable is a scene in which Maddox is bitten by a snake and demands Ruby to suck out the venom. "Suck it! Suck it!" he screams as he forces her head onto the wound. It would seem that Meyer couldn't resist a little playful innuendo. This is a competent little western revenge B-movie, often released under the more eye-catching title of Motorpsycho!.


Directed by: Russ Meyer
Starring: Alex Rocco, Haji, Steve Oliver, Holle K. Winters
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie