Filter: Hide Spoilers:
Page 1 of 2:[1] [2] [Next]
Index 17 comments in total 

5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD STUFF, 8 March 2004
5/10
Author: mwold from Seattle

I had low expectations going into this one-which often helps. However, I thought that this movie was kind of fun; the 30 or so flagrantly dropped red herrings, the lesbian couple thrown in "just for kicks", the ridiculous premise, very over the top. I have a low "boredom" threshold and I didn' find this tedious, and you're definitely guessing up until the very end "who the mysterious killer is". Yes, this isn't in the same class as say a few of the Bava or Argento giallo's, but if you're a die hard giallo fan, then this is a must see (at least once!). There's some nice editing and a few surprises and nice shots here and there. I loved the whole "red raincoat" thing, yes, hackeyed and done as nauseum in the past, but it was nice regardless. Some good touches, I'm giving this a sold 5 star!

Was the above comment useful to you?

6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Gory and regular are the death scenes, 11 January 2007
8/10
Author: christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London

I know, I know, it's not the best made film in the world - but I like it! I love the jingling music, the gorgeous girls, showing us their gorgeousness, and the killings. Gory and regular are the death scenes and each followed by a train of possibilities and guilty looking folk, lurking. The Ramblas looks lovely, the girls, I have already mentioned look lovely but their costumes are fantastic, their hair ever changing and all those 70's hotel rooms, airplanes taking off and landing, matching rainwear, glimpses of Barcelona, even a trip to Sitges. What more could one wish for. Oh and the conclusion stinks but at least we didn't sit back halfway through saying that we knew who did it. Fun!

Was the above comment useful to you?

4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Why Is This Bad?, 14 September 2006
6/10
Author: timbliz from Chicago Suburbs

Let's face it, there is a finite number of giallos and I have yet to see one with a plausible story line (Anyone see "Watch Me When I Kill"?). Isn't that a prerequisite of the sub-genre, along with the gloved villain and the stylized killings? So why skip this one? Are you waiting for 'The Ultimate Giallo'? This one is alright. Maybe Lenzi has made some crap, especially his latter stuff (Black Demons, Hell's Gate,House Of Witchcraft), but a lot his work kicks ass(Seven Blood-Stained Orchids, Man from Deep River, Gang War in Milan, Almost Human, Syndicate Sadists, Rome Armed to the Teeth, Violent Naples, The Cynic, the Rat & the Fist, Eaten Alive, Nightmare City, Cannibal Ferox). This is not his best, but definitely not his worst. Most likely only giallo fans are going to watch this anyway, so if that is you, go ahead, you won't be disappointed.

Was the above comment useful to you?

6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Eyesore, 25 January 2001
Author: acidxian from Haddonfield, IL

I'm usually a sucker for these kinds of Italian giallos, but this one was really bad. You know you're in trouble when the director has to throw in a few sleazy lesbian scenes to keep things exciting, and Umberto Lenzi even goes so far as to throw in a killer in a red rain slicker, a blatant Argento ripoff. Someone deserves a sharp slap across the face for this one, that's for sure.

You may say it's all in good fun, but there's a gratuitous lack of logic, without any of the style or excitement that usually makes us overlook such things. The scenario concerns a psychotic killer offing a bunch of morons on a tour bus and gouging out their eyeballs. You'd think that after the first few murders the survivors would just cut the tour short. I mean, who really wants to see the Coliseum THAT badly? The aformentioned lesbian scenes may thrill some viewers...but then again, maybe not.

By the time you get around to the ridiculous conclusion, you start to realize that the director has engaged in his own sort of cinematic eyeball-assault, with you as the unsuspecting victim. As punishment for unleashing this boring dreck on the world, I think the director should be forced to star in the sequel, "Testicle."

Was the above comment useful to you?

4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Silly and incoherent, but fun and nasty Giallo flick, 5 June 2006
7/10
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

All I wanted from this film was a fun Giallo, and that's pretty much what I got. Despite the fact that he's directed a lot of rubbish, I'm actually quite a big fan of Umberto Lenzi, and Seven Bloodstained Orchids in particular shows that he certainly knows his way around a Giallo. This film doesn't come close to that one in terms of quality, and even by Giallo standards; Eyeball is rather silly. It's obvious that Lenzi didn't care too much about making the plot coherent, as barely any attempt is made build characters, and the dialogue between the members of the coach party at the centre of the film is as redundant as the ineffective police investigation. The plot sees a coach full of tourists, which includes adulterers, lesbians and a priest, parading around Spain. They're not the only ones on tour, however, as a blade wielding psychopath is following them round and slicing out certain members' eyeballs before brutally knifing them to death. The police are baffled, and the coach party is sure that the killer isn't one of their number...

The main reason why this film doesn't carry much weight in terms of credibility is because the murders aren't taken seriously by anyone in the film. The police concern themselves with minor details, while the coach party continue their holiday and don't spare much of a thought for the murderer's victims! There is some attempt to build a story up amongst the passengers, which includes a lesbian relationship and a man on holiday with his mistress; but none of it really convinces - a fact that isn't helped by the poor dubbing and overplayed soundtrack courtesy of the usually competent Bruno Nicolai. All that being said, this film somehow works because it doesn't take itself seriously, and comfortably fits into the 'fun' side of the Giallo sub-genre. The plot is a bit too wayward, but Lenzi keeps it together by throwing in another nasty murder sequence every time the film looks like it's about to get boring. It all boils down to a suitably silly conclusion, but again it somehow works and makes a lot more sense than the Giallo is famous for making. Overall, I don't recommend going into this film with high hopes; but if you liked Strip Nude for Your Killer and The New York Ripper, Eyeball should suffice.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Eyeball!!, 3 April 2007
Author: TheatreX from Louisville, KY

Despite what other folks might think, I LIKE Eyeball & it's a rather nasty if sometimes silly Giallo. A group of tourists in Barcelona are being killed off, along with a few locals, and the pattern seems to be the same, they all lose a (wait for it) eyeball. The left one, to be precise. Who is doing it? Is it the mysteriously missing wife Alma of one of the people on the tour who is also doing his secretary? Is it the quiet but mysterious Reverend who seems to have a few screws loose? Who knows, but they have a red raincoat which matches all the other red raincoats given out to the tourists at one stop. Lots of red herrings (and raincoats) to confuse the viewer, and a few brutal stabbings by the perpetrator, whoever that might be. Lots of cool jazzy 70's music and Flamenco dancers and even a lesbian couple thrown in for fun, too bad too because I really liked the character Naiba, with her exotic features. Anyway of course the mystery is solved and it's not who you think, of course, otherwise there'd be no reason to watch this. Yeah it's a bit cheesy, but it's also kind of fun in a 70's way and if you're a fan of 70's Euro-horror then check this out. 7 out of 10.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Enter the giallo funhouse!, 31 December 2008
8/10
Author: andrabem from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A group of American tourists is visiting Spain. A red-cloaked killer is with them (or following them). The killings are nasty and the victims always have one of their eye balls removed. Right in the beginning of the film there's a very sudden and brutal murder. The fateful knife flashes out, the unlucky victim screams and screams again and the knife goes down and down. From this moment on I was hooked to the film.

Slasher film fans should like "Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro" (Eyeball). The action never lets down and the film is incredibly light and humorous. There are of course pretty girls and the mandatory lesbian couple (with rights to jealousy, fight and reconciliation scenes). The viewer is given a lot of red herrings and this enhances the fun still more. The Spanish locations are delightful (Barcelona and Sitges) and Umberto Lenzi displays his usual cinematic ability with swift and precise camera movements and editing. There are good killing scenes, particularly one in a funhouse.

I guess you won't be able to find out who the killer is. Anyway the story does make sense but is of secondary importance for those who want to enjoy the film.

"Gatti Rossi in un labirinto di vetro" (Eyeball) could be defined as a summer movie for grown-ups. It has it all – it's violent, sexy, funny, colourful and it has a cool soundtrack. So just let your critical brain at the door and enter this giallo funhouse. You may enjoy the ride.

Was the above comment useful to you?

1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
A below average giallo from Umberto Lenzi., 31 July 2007
4/10
Author: BA_Harrison from Hampshire, England

A police inspector attempts to discover the identity of a vicious murderer ('modus-operandi': stab the victim, and then gouge out the left eyeball) who has been picking off the members of a Spanish sightseeing tour. With only seven days to go before his retirement, will he be able to solve the crime before he leaves the force for a more peaceful life of trout-fishing?

A typically convoluted example of the giallo genre, directed by Umberto 'Cannibal Ferox' Lenzi, Eyeball fails to work mainly due to its forgettable bunch of characters, who spend too much time holding dull conversations, a blatantly silly concept (the sightseers continue their holiday, even as their numbers rapidly dwindle), and its series of repetitive murders (you've seen one stabbing/eye gouging—you've seen 'em all!).

Lenzi tries hard to keep his audience interested, making sure to include all of the elements expected of the genre (gloved killer, red herrings-a-plenty, unbelievably silly ending) and plenty of gratuitous female nudity, but with a boring sub-plot about an adulterous affair, and a lack of inventive deaths (Argento, this ain't!), Eyeball is ultimately rather disappointing.

Was the above comment useful to you?

2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Hey There Little Red Eye-Stabbing Hood…, 18 May 2007
5/10
Author: Coventry from the Draconian Swamp of Unholy Souls

"Eyeball" isn't the best film to use as an example to state that the Giallo is the greatest sub genre in horror, and it's neither the ideal effort to claim Umberto Lenzi was one of the greatest European directors of the 20th century. "Eyeball" is, in fact, a rather mediocre Giallo and definitely one of Lenzi's least remarkable films, but it nevertheless remains an entertaining treat for fans of sleazy, gory and trashy Euro-horror of the 1970's. Lucio Fulci may have had a bizarre fetish for eyeball-gore, but it was Lenzi who revolved an entire Giallo-storyline on it! Multiple eyeballs are being removed from their sockets here, so you can rest assured this film will be nasty enough to satisfy even the most demanding gorehounds. The rest of the film is actually not so praiseworthy at all. The plot is silly and incoherent, there's a severe lack of tension building and the dialogs are almost laughably ridiculous. After the discovery of the first murder victim, a woman who was found with multiple stabbing wounds in her chest and the left eyeball missing from the socket, a rookie police officer ask the autopsy doctor if he thinks the murderer is a sadist. Well, what do you think? The script is full of stupid remarks and dialogs like that, and they don't exactly increase the plausibility of the story. The plot introduces a group of tourists on a sightseeing tour in beautiful Barcelona. There's a couple of lesbian lovers, an adulterous businessman and his lovely secretary, an odd-behaving priest and a handful of other disposable American travelers. There also is a maniacal killer on the loose in the city and he/she is inevitably linked with the passengers of the tour bus, because his/her disguise is a red raincoat identical to the ones distributed among the tourists and the victims are either members of the bus party or locals that were in contact with them. Lenzi provides his script with a couple of admirable red herrings and misleading plot twists, but "Eyeball" sadly never becomes as engaging as a true Giallo should be. Especially the tourists' calm and careless reactions to the murders are very unbelievable. Even after several members of the group were found killed and their bodies mutilated, the remaining ones continue to separate themselves from the rest and some of them even attend cheerful Flamingo-dancing parties like nothing happened at all. Can you imagine people to react like this during a real-life situation? I bet real tourists would lock themselves up in their rooms and remain there until they can hop on the first available plane back home. Bruno Nicolai's score is catchy and enchanting, but I can't help thinking I heard the exact same tune somewhere before in another Italian horror, crime or western flick. Lenzi often recycles plot-ideas, ingenious camera angles and music so I wouldn't be surprised if the same score was already used in one of his previous films. The denouement is utterly silly and far-fetched but, hey, it was nearly impossible to predict and that's all that matters. The acting performances are terrible but at least the female stars compensate their lack of talent by showing off their ravishing naked bodies. Recommended in case you're a sucker for Italian cult flicks, all others beware.

Was the above comment useful to you?

0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Predictable Giallo with a Red cloaked killer, 27 April 2008
6/10
Author: Prof-Hieronymos-Grost from Ireland

A bus load of American tourists sightseeing in Barcelona are being killed off one by one by an unknown killer in a red cape, the killer also gouges out one of the victims eyes. The local police chief is a week away from retirement, so a big case like this is the last thing he wants, but he sets out for a quick conclusion. The tourists are the regular rag bag of suspicious characters you might expect, the inevitable priest, a flirtatious lesbian couple, an adulteress…oh you get the picture. Mark Burton, an American writer meets up with his secretary and lover who is also part of the sightseeing trip, his mentally disturbed wife is unaware of his adulterous liaison, or is she? When the murders begin to happen, she is not contactable, Mark's suspicions are aroused as she hasn't checked in at her local mental hospital in the US and he is suffering mental flashbacks of a similar murder of a girl near their home, the previous year? Umberto Lenzi has made many good Gialli in his time, this though is just about average and doesn't do the director's reputation or the viewer many favours. The murders are very repetitive, the dialogue is pretty inane, suspension of disbelief has to be called on as no member of the party seems to be that bothered that they are being picked off by some deranged psychopath. There are a few visual flourishes, a killing in a Ghost Train being a modest highlight. The melodic score by the masterful Bruno Nicolai is also very engaging and for the most appropriate to what's on screen. I'd never say a Giallo is disappointing, but to anyone not sharing my affection for the genre it might just be that.

Was the above comment useful to you?
Page 1 of 2:[1] [2] [Next]

Add another comment

Related Links

Ratings External reviews Parents Guide
Plot keywords Main details Your user comments
Your vote history