Two Evil Eyes

Two Evil Eyes

Having been waiting impatiently for a dozen or so favourite genre titles to make it onto DVD over the last couple of years (I'm delighted to hear of the impending SANTA SANGRE, but NIGHT OF THE DEMON ...where for art thou?!), it's great to see one of them finally get a fine UK release.

TWO EVIL EYES - dumb title aside - is a pairing of visions from two of the most influential and important names in modern horror: George A Romero and Dario Argento.

Released in 1990, when - if we're honest - both directors were reeling from recent 'under-achievements', this Italian production was initially met with disappointment from the horror fraternity. OK, this is understandable. The last time these two collaborated was during the making of the formidable DAWN OF THE DEAD. And this feature is most certainly not in that league!

But, as a stand-alone viewing experience ... TWO EVIL EYES deserves to be seen, and no doubt enjoyed by all fans of the genre.

The central theme is that both directors' have chosen a classic Edgar Allan Poe tale to update (the film opens to brief footage of Poe's actual grave). Romero's tale kicks off proceedings, with an updated interpretation of THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF MR VALDEMAR.

Adrienne Barbeau is Jessica, an unscrupulous hussy married to ailing millionaire Valdemar. She conspires with her doctor boyfriend to hypnotise her dying husband into signing his fortune over to her. Events take an unfortunate turn when Valdemar dies while under the doctor's hypnosis, and therefore won't remain dead!

Thick with an atmosphere of paranoia, double-crossing and revenge, Romero's segment starts slowly (playing almost like an episode of TV's COLUMBO) but builds to a satisfyingly creepy climax, thanks to a disciplined control from storyteller Romero and the superior performances of Barbeau and E G Marshall.

The cellar at the bottom of the spiralling staircase should give you the willies. The close to this particular piece offers some gory fun - not to mention a fleeting epilogue reminiscent of THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE!

Argento takes on the more well-known tale of THE BLACK CAT.

Rod Usher (Harvey Keitel) is a crime photographer living with the beautiful Annabel (Madeleine Potter). Annabel takes in a stray cat, that immediately takes a dislike to the violent Usher. When Usher kills the cat then tries to hide the crime, all manner of spooky events unfold - including a bizarre carnival-esque scene that climaxes in a gruesome human-skewering scene.

Incorporating many aspects from other Poe stories (Keitel's character name is a clear reference to FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER; the opening scene - with the split corpse of a young woman is an obvious ode to THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM), Argento is in playful mood. While entertaining, THE BLACK CAT is not as engaging nor frightening as Romero's effort. Stick with it though, for some virtuoso camera-work and great gory FX work from Tom Savini.

Argento told the press at the time that he saw this project as a dress rehearsal for his return to the screen, and in many ways that shows. His 50 minutes here are more concerned with highlighting technical gimmickry than spinning a good yarn.

But what makes TWO EVIL EYES so enjoyable is the fact that both directors approach their material so differently. Both satisfy, albeit for differing reasons. Romero tells a tempered, haunting tale of treachery that culminates in a severe scene of retribution; Argento favours the ethereal presence of nightmarish landscapes - which works just as effectively, in it's own way.

Some viewers hate anthologies - personally, I love them. This one is great because it allows both stories a good 50 minutes to unfold. Which seems to be perfect timing.

The disc presented by ABE UK is a good one.

We get the film uncut, in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. It isn't the sharpest picture, but will certainly suffice! Free from grain or artifacting, and rich in colour. Sound is optional - Dolby Stereo, or 5.1 remix. The former was OK but impressive, while the latter certainly enhanced my enjoyment somewhat. Not the best utilisation of this feature, but effective during playback, nonetheless!

Extras include filmographies/biographies for both directors, which are bog-standard. There's stills galleries for each segment (strangely, the Romero film is repeatedly referred to as TWO EVIL EYES). Each gallery offers 10 screen grabs and are therefore very redundant affairs.

The best extra is the DARIO ARGENTO: AN EYE FOR HORROR documentary which is excellent. But, if you own the UK release SLEEPLESS or intend to buy the forthcoming UK 2 disc version of SUSPIRIA ... then you will already have/shortly have this must-see companion piece. So, it's a great extra on this disc as an individual release, but what the Hell is going on?!

The film itself has 12 chapters, which may seem lame for a film 114 minutes long. The fact that no theatrical trailer appears is also a tad disappointing. There are also reports that some players are returning the film to the main menu once the VALDEMAR episode ends (contrary to the original format of the film) - although I haven't had these problems.

To summarise, TWO EVIL EYES has stood the test of time as a collaboration of minds that showcases two talents and offers arguably the last great strokes from Romero and Argento (okay, SLEEPLESS was cool!) thus far. It looks good, sounds good - and if you're a fan of the film you probably purchased this disc already.

The documentary is a superb extra, but it's worth is somewhat undermined by the fact it seems to be getting tagged on to every Argento-related release these days!!

With a US release on the horizon from Blue Underground, the choice is simple - hang fire and see what they can muster, or ... bite the bullet and buy this UK version.

As a fan of the film, I'm more than happy to settle for this release ...!

Review by Stuart Willis


 
Released by Anchor Bay UK
Region - All (PAL)
Rated - 18
Extras :
Filmographies, Stills gallery, 'Eye for Horror' documentary
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