White of the Eye (1988)

To me, this movie is perfection.

Awesome Movie

Am I Missing Something?

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

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.

The term sleeper is overused but I think it applies to this movie. It's got one of those titles like "The Stepfather" and "Cop," titles that are bad and misleading and really don't give you a sense of how well-made the film is. Like the other movies, White of the Eye benefits from an intense performance by its leading man. David Keith has always been underused in movies but there was a period in the early '80s when he seemed to be on the brink of major stardom. In this movie, he completely loses it and becomes a suburban monster; those looking for the appealing David Keith from An Officer & a Gentleman or The Lords of Discipline should look elsewhere. Cathy Moriarity was less effective as she will always be typecast as the tough New York broad. She seemed a little out of place in Tucson, Arizona. I recommend this movie for the same reasons I recommend The Stepfather, Cop, and The Reflecting Skin--I saw these movies years ago and they really left impressions I can't seem to shake.

What we have here is a clear case of a movie that tries to get by on sheer style, without any particular concern for the story or the characters. There are many interesting directorial touches and a unique atmosphere, but the film suffers from a weak script, and from overlength. Strictly for fans of the offbeat. (**)

A friend of mine who once watched this film with me said it was the biggest load of old cobblers he'd seen in a long time. I couldn't disagree, having watched it 13 times myself, I'm still not sure if it's a masterpiece or a turkey. It's certainly the best wrapped turkey you're ever likely to see. He builds the whole thing up beautifully and then throws it away on a daft, flat and over-the-top Rambo grande finale. I think Cammel missed the point of his own film, which is basically a chamber piece. The killer's wife didn't turn him in because she wanted an explanation. Instead, perhaps because he didn't get to make a film often, he threw life, the universe and everything into the mix in a garish jumble.The direction is a curious mixture of styles, some of it shot like a commercial, other parts almost cinema verite. The camera seems to explore the universe the characters inhabit, often lurching off to look at a picture for no apparent reason. In the scene where Mrs White discovers what's behind the bathtub, the camera seems to lurch to give credence to the expression 'my world turned upside down.' The film reminds me of Nick Roeg's 'Bad Timing' to the extent that it could have been directed by him. Cammel and Roeg did both work together and seem to have fascinatingly similiar visions. The film's old fashioned sixties drug warp Roger Corman style is always dazzling. Being a painter, Cammel makes each frame count. His idiosyncratic style reminds one how bland and formulic most Hollywood product has become and how lacking in singular artistic vision. It's just a shame he wasn't given subject matter more worthy of his talent.Cammel apparently thought it was really beautiful that David Kieth was willing to go so far into his character but, although good, he often gives an amused and bemused expression as if to say: "Blimey, what bizarre sh*t have I got involved with here?" Cammel was an interesting scriptwriter, and builds up a real picture of small town life before the film descends into the surreal and otherworldly. The music is playfully mixed too. I love the way the cayote's bark seems to hit the beat of the blues guitar in the scene where Paul White is banished to the outhouse.Now that Cammel has sadly kicked the bucket, we can no longer ask him about the more bizarre aspects of this extroadinary and vivid experience. Why does the camera constantly pick out satellite dishes and allude to 'signals'? How could the ex-boyfriend Mike 'see' everything in his head? Why does he say:"you can't change a channel, future or past". Why does Paul White grin and say: "reruns!" We shall never know. My friend said the only thing this picture lacked is the sudden appearence of Dennis Hopper.