Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Keyholes Are for Peeping Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 26, 2022

Director Doris Wishman had a dream, and after the death of her husband in 1958, she decided to pursue a career in filmmaking, focusing on sexploitation entertainment, hoping to reach an audience with lusty tales of revenge and love. 1972’s “Keyholes Are for Peeping” is part of her colorful oeuvre, with the helmer aiming to create a farce starring Sammy Petrillo, a comedian best known as a Jerry Lewis imitator, and one Lewis didn’t enjoy. Once again, Petrillo brings his strong “we have Jerry Lewis at home” energy to the endeavor, portraying a marriage counselor trying to connect with his first patients. “Keyholes Are for Peeping” is barely a movie to begin with, with Wishman finding ways to recycle or utilize old softcore footage, conjuring a comedy that’s big on broad antics and lusty visuals, with Petrillo in the middle of it all, hamming it up to the best of his ability.

Stanley (Sammy Petrillo) wants to change his life, finally achieving a degree in marriage counseling, hoping to land a brighter future with a stable career. He’s looking to impress his mother (Petrillo) and manage his girlfriend, Katie (Kristen Steen), but Stanley has his hands full with his new patients, finding the concerns of Chris (Pamela Mann) and Tom (Alex Mann), and Brian (Richard Towers) and Myra (Arlana Blue) difficult to manage as therapy begins. Also causing trouble is building superintendent Manuel (Phillip Stahl), who has a habit of peeping through keyholes, getting an eyeful of resident sex lives.

Petrillo shot his part in “Keyholes Are for Peeping” in two days, and it certainly looks to be the case, with Wishman trying to make the most of her star, asking him to bring his comedic instinct to the endeavor, allowing him room to do whatever he wants. There’s some creative effort in a few of the movie’s ideas (including the use of split-screen to include Petrillo as Stanley’s mother), and the star launches into vaudeville routines with help from Stahl, giving “Keyholes Are for Peeping” the vague feel of a filmed nightclub act. However, Petrillo isn’t easy on the senses, and his mugging (which is often captured in extreme close-ups) is difficult to endure in this, his penultimate screen performance.

“Keyholes Are for Peeping” tries to be funny, but it’s also filled with sexual situations, though Wishman isn’t straining hard to make any of this exciting. She reuses old footage for keyhole sequences and marital moments, which break into black and white to create some consistency when it comes to fantasy, but the helmer doesn’t always maintain the visual idea.

Keyholes Are for Peeping Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation is sourced from a 2K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. Detail reaches about as far as possible, which isn't always a good thing for this movie, highlighting loving close-ups of Petrillo's sweaty face and extreme dental work. Skin surfaces are textures, and costuming is fibrous. Colors are pleasingly refreshed, with distinct brown paneling and blazing red carpeting. Period outfits are also vivid, and skintones are natural. Source has its age, with scratches and a few jumpy frames, and brief debris is present. There's some discoloration as well, and a few greenish anomalies. Grain is heavier but film-like.

Keyholes Are for Peeping Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD mix preserves the simplicity of production audio. Dialogue exchanges offer some sense of age, but remain intelligible, handling broad accents and comedic timing. Scoring efforts aren't sharply defined, but register as intended, dealing with all sorts of musical styles.

Keyholes Are for Peeping Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Trailer (3:00, HD) is included.

Keyholes Are for Peeping Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wishman makes a definite choice by ending "Keyholes Are for Peeping" with a "hilarious" suicide attempt, keeping up her preference for dark endings, though nothing goes too far. She's coasting here, attempting to piece together a new film out of old films, relying on the hypnotic power of nudity to help audiences forget they've already seen some of this material, and she keeps Petrillo on the move, working his Lewis-ian ways to help breathe life into a dismal comedy.