IMDb RATING
4.9/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Jon Ratcliff goes blind, but doctors fit him with a device that lets him see with computer interface. His path converges with a taxi driver who performs fatal surgery on women.Jon Ratcliff goes blind, but doctors fit him with a device that lets him see with computer interface. His path converges with a taxi driver who performs fatal surgery on women.Jon Ratcliff goes blind, but doctors fit him with a device that lets him see with computer interface. His path converges with a taxi driver who performs fatal surgery on women.
- Awards
- 1 win total
Antigoni Amanitou
- First Victim
- (as Antigone Amanitis)
Featured reviews
This is an excellent film. The thing that struck me first was that this was a serial killer flick in which the police hardly figure at all, you see them once or twice from a distance. You have two stories running in parallel until finally, and inevitably, they cross.
The second thing that really got me thinking is that our agent of justice probably got the wrong man. The evidence we have is far too circumstantial and would have been thrown out by any right minded jury, if the judge had not already dismissed the case.
Was the real killer driving the cab from which Kirstie Alley's character fled?
The character of Jonathan Ratcliff is interesting because, whatever his virtues might be, he is also a stalker. And we discover that when he is blinded there is no physical reason for his disability. On some subconscious level he has chosen not to see, and when he is given a device which enables him to see, after a fashion, it is in black and white and works on the same principle as sonar, that is it reflects back the signals he sends. He no longer sees the whole picture, and neither do we.
The concept of blind Justice is on one level a reassuring one since everyone is equal irrespective of race, creed, power etc.. However, on the other hand, Justice is blind! This could mean that it cannot differentiate between the innocent and the guilty.
In the film the character of Jonathan Ratcliff is living out a fantasy, when at the end he is asked by the woman he has just 'rescued' what his name is he replies, 'A friend': like a guardian angel or a comic book superhero. He is a voyeur who has been forced to take a role, to follow a destiny and he shapes that destiny himself.
The film itself is well put together and there are some wonderful Hitchcockian touches, especially in the way it exploits the blindness of the central character and the limitations and possibilities of the electronic device that substitute for his eyes.
I rate this film 8 out of 10, very thought provoking.
The second thing that really got me thinking is that our agent of justice probably got the wrong man. The evidence we have is far too circumstantial and would have been thrown out by any right minded jury, if the judge had not already dismissed the case.
Was the real killer driving the cab from which Kirstie Alley's character fled?
The character of Jonathan Ratcliff is interesting because, whatever his virtues might be, he is also a stalker. And we discover that when he is blinded there is no physical reason for his disability. On some subconscious level he has chosen not to see, and when he is given a device which enables him to see, after a fashion, it is in black and white and works on the same principle as sonar, that is it reflects back the signals he sends. He no longer sees the whole picture, and neither do we.
The concept of blind Justice is on one level a reassuring one since everyone is equal irrespective of race, creed, power etc.. However, on the other hand, Justice is blind! This could mean that it cannot differentiate between the innocent and the guilty.
In the film the character of Jonathan Ratcliff is living out a fantasy, when at the end he is asked by the woman he has just 'rescued' what his name is he replies, 'A friend': like a guardian angel or a comic book superhero. He is a voyeur who has been forced to take a role, to follow a destiny and he shapes that destiny himself.
The film itself is well put together and there are some wonderful Hitchcockian touches, especially in the way it exploits the blindness of the central character and the limitations and possibilities of the electronic device that substitute for his eyes.
I rate this film 8 out of 10, very thought provoking.
Blind Date is a unique giallo flick with a decent amount of substance. It follows the story of Johnathan Ratcliff whose life is changed dramatically when he loses his sight in an accident, but he's lucky that an experimental sonar device has been created which when installed restores their sight. He agrees and becomes the first to try this new technology. This happens while around the city an un-named killer armed with a surgical scalpel murders beautiful women.
This is probably the best out of the work I've seen from Nico Mastorakis, his direction and camera work is very polished on this film. The killings are very tame and the visual effects for John's point of view are dated by today standards, but those aspects don't take away from the film. The Hitchcock styled story with a mix of Sci-Fi is excellent and where the movie shines. The performances from the actors in this flick aren't the most memorable but, some acting is bad from the minor characters however the leads serve their roles and do a good job. I found myself losing interest in the film at some moments but it would quickly draw me back in.
You could do a lot worse when picking an 80's horror thriller, especially considering it's currently free with prime. So I'd recommend this flick if you enjoy B-movies of this style.
This is probably the best out of the work I've seen from Nico Mastorakis, his direction and camera work is very polished on this film. The killings are very tame and the visual effects for John's point of view are dated by today standards, but those aspects don't take away from the film. The Hitchcock styled story with a mix of Sci-Fi is excellent and where the movie shines. The performances from the actors in this flick aren't the most memorable but, some acting is bad from the minor characters however the leads serve their roles and do a good job. I found myself losing interest in the film at some moments but it would quickly draw me back in.
You could do a lot worse when picking an 80's horror thriller, especially considering it's currently free with prime. So I'd recommend this flick if you enjoy B-movies of this style.
Blind Date tells the story of Jonathon Radcliffe, who on recovering from an accident that left him without sight, finds himself an integral part in the mystery of a series of grisly murders in Athens.
Nico Mastorakis is one of the best cult film makers of the eighties, and its for movies like this that show why.
A brilliantly subtle Hitchcokian idea, but better, it is full of interesting scenes, if not suspenseful moments. The acting is good but is brought down by the performances of the killer's targets.
Not for everyone, but a real overlooked classic.
I only want to know what happened to the proposed sequel promised at the end, that says Jonathon Radcliffe will return in 'Run, Stumble and Fall.'
Nico Mastorakis is one of the best cult film makers of the eighties, and its for movies like this that show why.
A brilliantly subtle Hitchcokian idea, but better, it is full of interesting scenes, if not suspenseful moments. The acting is good but is brought down by the performances of the killer's targets.
Not for everyone, but a real overlooked classic.
I only want to know what happened to the proposed sequel promised at the end, that says Jonathon Radcliffe will return in 'Run, Stumble and Fall.'
An average thriller about a stalker who goes blind after hitting his head on a tree while being chased by an angry boyfriend. He gets implanted with a chip that lets him see in vague computer graphic outline. Meanwhile a killer is experimenting on female victims. This film is nothing that special except for geeks, which should see it because it has Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: TNG's Diana Troy) topless in it. Oh and Kristie Alley has a nude love scene in it as well, but I'm not too fond of her.
Omega DVD extras: The films of Nico Mastorakis:part one-From the beginning to "Sky High" (for parts 2 and 3 you have to get 2 more of Nico's films..greedy bastard) ; 2 Music tracks; Filmographies; Bios; Theatrical trailer; Trailers for "In the Cold of the Night", "Sky High", "Bloodstone", and ".dot com for Murder"
My Grade: C-
Omega DVD extras: The films of Nico Mastorakis:part one-From the beginning to "Sky High" (for parts 2 and 3 you have to get 2 more of Nico's films..greedy bastard) ; 2 Music tracks; Filmographies; Bios; Theatrical trailer; Trailers for "In the Cold of the Night", "Sky High", "Bloodstone", and ".dot com for Murder"
My Grade: C-
Part psychological thriller, with just a bit of sci-fi, it really never does work. Joseph Bottoms was pretty boring as the lead. Kirstie Alley was pretty good, and this film DOES have her only known topless scene. (There is a long feature on the director on the DVD which contains some additional footage of this scene.) The late Lana Clarkson was good enough here, and Marina Sirtis looked fantastic as the hooker. Keir Dullea was simply wasted on this material. The biggest plot hole had to do with the special effects (which really weren't all that special). The grid outlines that Jonathan Ratcliffe (Bottoms) were able perceive simply weren't nearly good enough for him to get around as well as he did. And I mean walking about, we don't even have to go as far as the driving scene. Also, he really wasn't very convincing as a blind man. Poor screenplay plus poor acting equals poor movie. The only reason to check this one out is if you are interested in Alley. Grade: D-
Did you know
- TriviaFeatures two actresses well known in Star Trek, one of them was already well known at the time, the other had yet to make her career. Kirstie Alley (Claire Simpson) was already well known as this point as she made her theatrical acting debut as Lt. Saavik in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Marina Sirtis (Hooker) on the other hand had yet to make her career, however three years later she would become famous for portraying Councilor Deanna Troi on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987), she would go on to play Troi in four feature films and two other series: Star Trek: Voyager (1995) and Star Trek: Enterprise (2001).
- Crazy creditsThe end credits promoted a sequel to "Blind Date," to have been titled "Run, Stumble, Fall." But this sequel was never produced.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Trailer Trauma Part 4: Television Trauma (2017)
- How long is Blind Date?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime
- 1h 43m(103 min)
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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