Evil Eye (1975)

   

Directed by: Mario Siciliano

Written by: Joe Buchs, Frederico De Urrutia & Mario Siciliano

Starring:

Jorge Rivero .... Peter Crane
Pilar Velázquez .... Dr. Sarah Turner
Richard Conte .... Dr. Stone
Alan Collins .... William Stevens
Giovanni Frezza .... Tommy Hacker

Eduardo Fajardo .... Basev, il maggiordomo

Release Date: Theatrical: February 6, 1975 (Italy)

 

Rating:

 

A wealthy playboy Peter Crane (Jorge Rivero) has terrible satanic nightmares about the damned controlling his thoughts as he seems to play around with women and then something seems to control his mind and kills them in which a detective named William Stevens (Alan Collins) trying to find the clues to these dead bodies but suddenly he is hearing strange screeching sounds to prevent him for hearing some detailed information with other people on these situations.

 

The beginning looked overly impressive with an outdoor night scene spotting some sort of a klu klux klan ceremony as well as a good camera shot looking down on them with candles and a some sort of a pentagram. Also what is cool is spotting some sort of possessed people fully stripped calling out and acting creepy along with the main character Peter Crane sleeping and dreaming this as all of this looked genuinely creepy and weird. Certainly leaves a nice impression for fans who love drive in horror flicks.
There's a good moment when he talks to his friend about his nightmare which looked pretty impressive to watch this as it was a good pointer to the story making us wonder as to what will happen later on.
We have a good moment with him and a woman about to get it on and then great flashback sequences on the possessed people as well as a good shot on his hand clenching. Plus a great dark shot on him near a window and then meancingingly going up to this woman and strangling her as all of this looked like it was done in a good mysterious horror fashion like something is taking over his mind or perhaps being possessed too. There's also a good shot on a mysterious looking woman from outside watching this.
There's good serious discussion with Peter in a therpy room talking to both Dr. Sarah Turner and Dr. Stone about his dream and getting into detail about the situation of this incident from another world which was nicely put in giving it a spooky feel especially when he discusses that this could be really happening. Indeed this looked well done. Good shots on the therapists with their communications towards him.
Some nice dark shots on a vehicle storming through a forestry type of road as well as a nice dark shot on the car parking and revealing a big house as well as a wolf howling which sounded a bit dated but that's what makes the scene look fun to watch.
There's good effective shots and moments when Peter suddenly gets into a menacing moment by strangling some of the people at the home as well as spotting an elderly lady who was noted to be dead staring at a window with an evil grin which seems to work well in the film. However the strangling moments here needed too look a bit more intense but yet it seemed to look effective at the same time.
There's some uplifting situations with Peter as he checks himself into a hospital room and acts firtatious with Sarah in which it's interesting when there's a romance revealed here as this looked interesting to watch but you also get the feeling that he may turn to try and kill her too as there's many hints used in this scenario while watching all of this.
Then we spot him having more nightmares about these possessive people as there's good shots looking up on them with their hands spread out and acting ghoulish which looked great to watch.
Then there's more of this happening when he demands to be locked in a room in which he acts menacing as well as neat lighting effects happening as the surroundings with the wind outside and then the windstorm entering the hospital causing a power outage and things smashing that had a perfect psychotic horror feel to all of this and then it jumps into something uplifting by showing a pool party as it seemed to look necessary to have something exciting to show as well as a mysterious person entering the door which almost looked like Peter himself as this is a good mysterious point here as you have a deep feeling that something deadly is going to happen. Also there's a good still and dark moment with one of the guests is searching for someone as this looked creepy and mysterious to watch.
Nice shots on suspects at a police station with William Stevens questioning them all as this looked sharply done and simple as well.
There's a real suspenseful situation while spotting a crane carrying some heavy cement type objects as well as spotting that mysterious type of woman lying on the ground while William tries to check up on her as well as a good moment with this crane breaking and the objects falling on her and then she vanishes. This seemed to look cleverly done and pretty spooky too. We also spot a real intense moment with one of the supporting characters named Basev, il maggiordomo acting intense with his mistress in which this looked pretty powerful and a bit shocking to watch too on what he does to her and the craziness that is happening here.
There's even a real strange hallucination sequence that involves Peter when he spots someone sleeping on a railway and a train comes charging as well as some twisted results on this which is a nice shock value to the story here.
There's also a shocking situation on Basev standing there with some sort of drool coming out of his mouth as well as a frog popping out which doesn't explain as to why this is happening but there's a neat ghostly shot on a rifle falling and firing at him.
We spot many moments with Peter trying to warn Sarah about him which she acts ignorant and silly about it all as well as telling him the nightmares are over which makes things seem a little suspicious coming from her as you wonder if she is behind the madness of it all. Certainly a good mysterious moment here. What's also creepy is when they are sleeping in bed together there's a gust of wind coming from the curtains of a window and a shiny type of light which looked well done too.
We also spot a situation with William talking towards Dr. Stone with his strange type of answers in which you wonder what's going on between the two of them which looked nicely done and makes you watch for sure as to what could be behind all of this.
Bottom line is that it's a confusing film to follow but had alot of neat and effective moments like mentioned here. However it does get tiresome and a little pointless here and there. It starts off as exciting and ends off as disappointing when you see the ending here. It almost goes around in circles as to what's happening. It still looks effective for those Grindhouse drive in flicks which this is an Italian horror film as I took interest in these types but it's not great enough to be well remembered either.

The acting is overly dubbed by since it was spoken in Italian but I will try to browse through who's worth mentioning here.
Jorge Rivero (Peter Crane) seemed to shine off nicely into his role of the story here as he does a good job with his troubled attitude while sleeping as well as discussing his nightmares in which he really brings alot out with his emotions here. He also does a nice job acting expressionless and coming across as intimidating when his mind is taken over which really shows off here by acting someone who is deadly. Yet at times his blocking can be a little off while strangling someone as he needed to look more energetic and forceful while doing this. It wasn't too terrible however. He's also impressive when he tries to act romantic and charming as it shows a nice versatality here. Plus does a nice job acting intense and violent. He shows off a nice fruserated attitude in other spots as well.
Pilar Velázquez (Dr. Sarah Turner) seems to breeze through nicely in her role as an understanding shrink in the flick as she shows a believeable understanding type of personality here. She also does well with her speaking and drawing in to what happens in a scene. She was well focused within all of this. She also does well with her ignorant behavior acting full of life and showing a nice excitement to what she is doing. She really comes across nicely as someone who is mysterious into her part of the role.
Richard Conte (Dr. Stone) pulls off a perfect psychiatrist type of appeal in his part in which he knew on how to act concerned in a counselling session as he does well with his seriousness as well as his caring reactions too. He also does a nice job by acting strange on certain situations and getting to the point with stuff but yet just making himself acting a little strange as he studied this part of his character very well here.
Alan Collins (William Stevens) does a nice job portraying a detective in the film in which he draws in a great seriousness as well as acting tough whenever he needed to do this. He also had the perfect tough looks for this portrayal too. Does a nice job when he acts frusterated or even disturbed in certain parts of the film which shows off nicely here. Basically he seemed to do well within his characteristics here.
Giovanni Frezza (Tommy Hacker) does a nice job as someone who acts light headed as well as having a good sarcastic type of behavior in which this came off strongly. He shows off a great energetic attitude at a pool party in which he just came across as someone realistically having a good time at what he does. He is a fellow who offers alot of good spunk into everything that he does here.
Eduardo Fajardo (Basev, il maggiordomo) had the most effective supporting role throughout everyone here as he breezes through certain scene's but has a real important one a quarter through the story here in which he shows off a good sleazy and wicked type of personality as if he was some sort of a pimp. Plus he does well with his violent and intense behavior and really getting into this adrenalised anger and emotions too. He clearly knew his stuff into what he had to portray in his role and is a convincing horror character actor here. Plus he does well with his shocked expressions too which was a nice plus here along with having the perfect looks for his portrayal here.

Numerous cast as the damned are fully naked top to bottom in many nightmare sequences both men and women.
A woman is barebreasted while walking past a hallway.
A guy's butt is briefly revealed in a glass door while taking a shower.
A woman is barebreasted in many scene's while having sex.
A woman is barebreasted taking a shower.
Another breast revealed after taking a shower and buttoning her shirt.

Corpses are revealed with their throats torn out.
A bloodied decapitated head is revealed on a railraod track.

The music was nicely done and sounds very professional too in which we hear some nice peaceful keyboard playing like you'd hear at a party for the peaceful and romantic situations as well as the odd harp chimes too. We even hear 70's sounding trumpet playing for more pleasant moments used in the film which shines off well. There's even good light piano playing to top it all off. For the creepy moments we do hear ghostly whistling sounds which works in perfectly well for the nightmare sequences as well as quiverring synthesizer music too. All of this was put together by Stelvio Cipriani