White of the Eye

Only his third film in 17 years, Scottish director Donald Cammell followed his mind and identity-bending psychedelic masterpiece Performance (1968) and the studio-butchered Demon Seed (1977) with another oddity, the strange and confusing, yet nonetheless effortlessly intriguing White of the Eye. Cammell killed himself shortly after seeing his final film, Wild Side (1995), heavily censored by an appalled producer, at the end of what seemed like a frustrating career. It's a shame he wasn't allowed more opportunities to direct features, as although White of the Eye sometimes steers into TV-movie aesthetic and features an unnecessarily overblown climax, it is something to be savoured and thought about a long time after the credits roll.

After a series of brutal murders of upper-class women, tire tracks left by the killer leads Detective Charlie Mendoza (Art Evans) to sound expert Paul White (Keith David). We learn through flashbacks the meeting of Paul and his now-wife Joan (Cathy Moriarty), and how he stole her away from her boyfriend Mike Desantos (Alan Rosenberg). There's something not quite right about Paul - he has the strange ability to omit a sound that echoes through his head, allowing him to hear at what point in a room that the sound from speakers should come from. Mike knows something too, and when Joan discovers Paul's secret affair, she slowly uncovers who her husband really is.

There's not really much point trying to unravel the mysteries in the movie, as it will leave you with a headache. Below the surface of giallo-esque murders and the sleazy Lynchian atmosphere, there seems to be a mythology happening somewhere. At one point, Paul whispers "I am the One,". Is this really a deeper story than it lets on, or is Paul just simply a narcissistic loon? Whatever it is, the film works better if you just let it play out, as the film has a lot to offer in terms of style. The soundtrack, by Rick Fenn and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, is a powerful presence, and drums up a dusty, apocalyptic feel reminiscent of Richard Stanley's Dust Devil, which came out 5 years later.

David's performance is also impressive, especially in the latter stages when he is let off the leash. But it's about the only good thing about the climax, which tries too hard to be a number of different things and fails in just about every one of them. It becomes almost generic, with car chases and a stalk-and-slash set-piece, completely betraying the slow-build that came before. Whether Cammell was simply trying to appease his producers or indulging in mainstream aspirations, I don't know. Still, this is a bizarre little treat; uncomfortable and distinctive, cementing it's status as a must-see for fans of cult oddities.

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In the wealthy and isolated desert community of Tucson, a sound expert (David Keith) is targeted as the prime suspect of a series of brutal murders of local suburban housewives who were attacked and mutilated in their homes. Tucson is the perfect home for this killer, as it provides a mix of the "civilized" and the wild.

This is one of those titles that has faded more or less into obscurity. As I understand it, the movie was released in 1987 to critical acclaim but low box office returns, causing it never to get a proper release. At least not until Scream Factory came along and put the film on Blu-ray, along with some special features. (Unfortunately, the director had long since passed.)

The film is beautifully shot, using extensive time to show the landscape and surroundings. This does slow the picture down, which will scare some viewers off, but at least for the first half of the movie, it is more of a work of art than a thriller or horror picture. The artsy shots during the murders (not focused on the murder itself), the classical music... it is quite a feast.

Things go from subdued to bizarre in the second half. Not wanting to give anything away, I cannot even mention the strangest moments. But after the first half, you could never even guess the sort of things you will see. It is like the first half is more or less an attempt to emulate the Italian giallo (we even see nothing of the killer beyond an eye and some gloves). Then it becomes more like what we expect from Cannon Films.

Someone ought to explain what is wrong with the daughter. Is she mentally disabled or just socially awkward? But maybe that is just to contribute more to the strange vibe the film gives off. That unusual casting is contrasted with the return of Cathy Moriarty ("Raging Bull"), who had come back from a five-year acting hiatus following a serious car accident. Audiences today may know her best as the villain in "Casper", but it is great to see her in this more challenging role.

The Scream Factory audio commentary comes from Cammell biographer Sam Umland, who is surprisingly knowledgeable not just on Cammell, but on the various shots of this film and how they may be references to obscure French and Italian films. He finds many subtle hints that may or may not have been intentional, such as the parallels between the plot of the film and the plot of the opera that Paul White sings. We can also learn of the multiple homages to "Peeping Tom", most notably the use of a mirror during murder. Very, very wise decision, Scream.

The disc also comes with two deleted scenes and an interview with the Steadicam operator, Larry McConkey. (Actually, there are other interviews on the disc not listed on the case, which are very much worth your time.) For a film that has been widely forgotten, Scream pulled all the stops and gave this just about as good of a release as anyone could hope for.

"White of the Eye" has a promising beginning as an unseen killer stalks and butchers an unsuspecting female. The kill scene is effectively cut between slicing flesh and a struggling goldfish gasping for air. David Keith and Cathy Motiarity along with some recognizable supporting actors do their best to save this stylish film. Unfortunately intriguing images alone cannot overcome a seriously muddled script. Numerous flashbacks and an overlong running time cause things to steadily spiral out of control. Eventually craziness prevails with stories of black holes and evolution deficiencies overtaking logic. The movie drags on until the final scenes in a gigantic quarry, where everything ends with a bang. - MERK

A fellow "film geek" brought this over one night and insisted I drop what I was doing so we could screen it right away. Beginning with one of the most original opening scenes in my memory to the other-worldly climax, this is an incredibly well-conceived and well-crafted movie. David Keith secures his place here in the Pantheon of film weirdos that includes Eric Roberts in Star 80. Oddly, I was so wrapped up in Keith's performance that I didn't notice the flashbacks the first time I watched the film. I think I thought that there were weird inconsistencies in the clothes and the script (uhhhh..weird, dude). Keith's madman is portrayed lovingly here and I think that's why it's so chilling. He's not one-dimensional; he's good and bad more like a good Hitchcock psycho (see Bruno in Strangers on a Train). Danielle Smith is a real treat here. She reminded me a little of Linda Manz in Days of Heaven. She has an amazing face that I couldn't stop staring at and she has a (subtly strange) way with a line ("what's a juvie?"). SEE THIS MOVIE! Tell others about it!

This is the epitome of a sleeper gem. It's the specific combination of multi-genre elements that makes this barely known movie one of the finer pieces of 80's trash cinema that exists, and a rather singular experience. It almost feels like Oliver Stone's U-TURN was inspired by this - that's literally the only movie I can think of that this reminds me of - they are both that wild and off the rails in a similar manner.

Donald Cammell was clearly a visionary, but never really made it as a filmmaker. From what I hear, this is his finest work, and I imagine that's true - because it would be pretty tricky to top how entertaining this rollercoaster is. It's like if Lifetime did a giallo movie and it ended up being the best Lifetime movie ever made...by far. But for all the shlocky Lifetime vibes, there's just as much over-the-top 80's sleaze.

David Keith comes off as poor man's Patrick Swayze, but it really works for this movie! And Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull, But I'm a Cheerleader, etc) is stunningly gorgeous - and acts circles around everyone else on the cast. It almost feels out of place how good her performance is - for the most part everything else is campy gold, then you have Moriarty baring her teeth and her entire soul - and basically you've got a pot full of ingredients that typically wouldn't work together, but in this case you have a daring, to-die-for meal being served - the secret recipe.

This movie is very ambitious with it's directing and editing - it's a heavily stylized movie, which will you see immediately by way of the iconic opening sequence - which honestly is one of of the best giallo style killing sequences I have EVER seen - and I say that as a huge Argento/Fulci/etc fan. This is a very special scene, within a gem of a movie. It's full of surprises! A must-see for trash cinema fans! Do yourself a favor and don't watch trailers or look too much into this movie if you're interested - just find it and watch it.