This is a delightful black comedy that within the first 15 minutes I truly thought I was going to hate. It involves a dog napping of all things, with police detectives Robert Foxworth and Paula Prentiss called to the home of a wealthy Barbara Babcock who desperately wants her dog back no matter what the cost. While Foxworth, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, is desperate to help her get her dog back, partner Prentiss is quite the opposite in feelings. In fact, she thinks it's a stupid case and makes her feelings very known. The kidnapper is a rather deranged pet shampooer, played by one of the most demented favorite character actors, Harry Dean Stanton. He gets into a curse fight with none other than Anne Ramsey, seven years before "Throw Momma from the Train", and if you thought the Kathleen Freeman cursing scene in "Dragnet" was hysterical, wait till you see Ramsey and Stanton go at it.
It's the attraction of opposites for Prentiss and Foxworth, with Prentiss quite strong-willed and opinionated, a true ballbuster, and Foxworth, having been through enough emotional turmoil in his life, is quite passive in every way. He is as far from Chase "Falcon Crest" as he could possibly be, absolutely hysterically nebbish and so big-hearted that he'd risk his life to save a bowl of goldfish in a burning building, and not care about the outcome. Stanton so hysterically funny that you want to see him, and end up in a prison comedy star. He is just delightfully wild. I can't believe how good the screenplay is, so consistently catchy that it makes me want to go back and re-watch the first 20 minutes but I did not like.
Based on the book by Joseph Wambaugh, and adopted by him, it is very literary and intelligent, and it's easy to see how Prentiss can begin to lighten up being around Foxworth, while the villainous Stanton steals every moment that he's on screen, even just ranting on the phone. This is a type of comedy where you have to expect to happen what you least expect to happen, so many wonderful twist that it really keeps you guessing. In addition to the great script and direction by Harold Becker, the photography is excellent and even the constantly used setting of Los Angeles becomes fun to look at. This is a comedy for intellect, maybe not something for modern audiences, but sophisticated and witty and definitely of a dark nature. A nearly perfect movie.
It's the attraction of opposites for Prentiss and Foxworth, with Prentiss quite strong-willed and opinionated, a true ballbuster, and Foxworth, having been through enough emotional turmoil in his life, is quite passive in every way. He is as far from Chase "Falcon Crest" as he could possibly be, absolutely hysterically nebbish and so big-hearted that he'd risk his life to save a bowl of goldfish in a burning building, and not care about the outcome. Stanton so hysterically funny that you want to see him, and end up in a prison comedy star. He is just delightfully wild. I can't believe how good the screenplay is, so consistently catchy that it makes me want to go back and re-watch the first 20 minutes but I did not like.
Based on the book by Joseph Wambaugh, and adopted by him, it is very literary and intelligent, and it's easy to see how Prentiss can begin to lighten up being around Foxworth, while the villainous Stanton steals every moment that he's on screen, even just ranting on the phone. This is a type of comedy where you have to expect to happen what you least expect to happen, so many wonderful twist that it really keeps you guessing. In addition to the great script and direction by Harold Becker, the photography is excellent and even the constantly used setting of Los Angeles becomes fun to look at. This is a comedy for intellect, maybe not something for modern audiences, but sophisticated and witty and definitely of a dark nature. A nearly perfect movie.