Eyeball

1978 "A blinding vision of horror."
Eyeball
5.9| 1h31m| R| en| More Info
Released: 09 June 1978 Released
Producted By: National Cinematografica
Country: Spain
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

A group of American tourists is traveling through Spain when two of them are murdered by a mysterious serial killer who removes an eyeball from every one of his victims. The tour presses on as the murders continue, with the travelers and the police trying to deduce which one of them is the killer.

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andrabem 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.
BA_Harrison 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.
timbliz 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.
The_Void 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.