04-22-2003, 08:28 AM
![[Imagen: Two-Evil-Eyes---cover.jpg]](http://www.creature-corner.com/dvdgraphics/Two-Evil-Eyes---cover.jpg)
MOVIE:
For years your devoted Rotten one was led to believe that this Romero/Argento collaboration was something to avoid. A film to avert your eyes from, like a Dave DeCoteau movie, at the video store to resist a rental temptation. Bad juju was always associated with "Two Evil Eyes" in every horror conversation I ever had with my genre colleagues. I've never seen the film, you see. So, when Blue Underground announced they'd be giving the 1990 film a 2-disc treatment I threw up my hands and figured I'd bite the bullet, or "take one for the team" so to speak.
There's nothing to be scared of here. And I use that sentence to describe all aspects of the film, from its reputation to the actual product. "Two Evil Eyes" is a worthy effort that doesn't necessarily portray all of the strengths of our powerhouse storytellers, but they definitely doesn't reflect the laziness we've been seeing from them as of late (see: "Bruiser" and "Sleepless").
Here's the skinny: in the late '80s Argento contacts Romero regarding a possible four-part anthology picture. The source material would be drawn from Edgar Allen Poe's works. When two of the four directors eyed to join the film couldn't contribute to the project due to various scheduling conflicts and what not, Romero and Argento were the last two standing. Hence, "Two Evil Eyes." Two directors. Two Poe shorts. One film. Added to the brew effects duties from Tom Savini - who had worked with both twisted visionaries in the past.
It'd only be appropriate to break this review in two so here we go...
The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar: Evidence that you can take the EC Comics away from Romero but you can never take the essence of them out of the man. Originally, Romero intended to adapt the "Masque of Red Death" (even though Corman had tackled it many years prior) and bathe it in AIDS metaphors. Word quickly reached Romero that Corman was already prepping a remake, so George dropped the idea in lieu of "Valdemar." Greed is the predominant theme with this tale when a wife (Adrienne Barbeau) and her lover (Ramy Zada) scheme to inherit her dying husband's fortune. Hypnosis, voices from the beyond, and of course, zombies factor into the story. When you look at it from an EC standpoint, it all works, even though it lags at times and winds up with a muddled but satisfying conclusion. A few familiar faces show up for Romero's party including E.G. Marshall and Tom Atkins dishing classic Romero dialogue ("Rich people. Sick stuff always turns out to be rich people.").
The Black Cat: Certainly the more bizarre and grotesque of the two entries is no doubt credited to Argento. Here, Harvey Keitel plays Rod Usher (get it?), a big city photographer who's no stranger to cops or brutal crime scenes. Usher's working on a collection of photographs for his book "Metropolitan Horrors." When his girlfriend adopts a black cat, Usher's attitude takes a turn for the grisly. Madness ingratiates itself into his mind and he begins to use the knowledge he picked up on various crime scenes to cover up his own murders. Strange stuff, folks. Beret-wearing Keitel delivers a wild performance pre-"Reservoir Dogs" and "Bad Lieutenant." And, again, there are some eyebrow-raising turns from Sally Kirkland, Martin Balsam, Kim Hunter, and a young Julie Benz ("Angel"). If Savini's over-the-top zombie effects from Romero's first segment didn't churn your stomach, then his visceral realism here will get you real good.
With a 2-hour running time, it's apparent that "Two Evil Eyes" suffers from some pacing problems. Trims here and there could've quickened the storytelling and perhaps enhanced the fright level, which is the film's glaring fault. Lack of bone-chilling scares from two of the best sinister showmen is a dilemma. You can't deny that the stories don't fit the filmmakers though. Romero and Argento originally intended to give their anthology a wraparound segment, but they couldn't come to a decision on what to do thereby giving "Two Evil Eyes" an abrupt conclusion.
Like looking at two vastly different dissected specimens side by side, this Romero/Argento collaboration serves as a unique exploration of varied filmmaking from two masters of horror. Similar to any dissection, it's messy business but it sure is entertaining.
PICTURE:
Struck from an obviously well-preserved negative, Blue Underground's transfer (1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen) is a superb presentation. Flesh tones are on the money, darks are deep, and picture detail is crisp enough to glean every detail of Savini's gory displays of human atrocities. Kudos to Blue Underground all the way.
SOUND:
Lots of options to choose from: 6.1 DTS-ES, 5.1 DDS EX, and 2.0 DS. Again, excellence is at work here. Though the surround track is nothing to hoot and holler about, we do have a clear sound presentation, on all levels, to be thankful for.
EXTRAS:
Many of you are probably scratching your head by now, perplexed by BU's decision to give this the 2-disc treatment. Accept it and be happy.
Disc 1 contains what you usually expect from a standard presentation these days: bios, trailer, and poster/still gallery. The latter features a range of behind-the-scenes stills, lobby cards, and even an American Humane Society review for the film (!) focusing on Argento's "Black Cat" segement above all. No, no cats were harmed in the making of this film...they made sure of that.
Disc 2 contains a number of featurettes and interviews. "Two Masters' Eyes" (29m 30s) hosts recent interviews with Argento, Romero, Savini, and executive producer Claudio Argento. There's even a little on-set soundbyte from a 14-year-old Asia Argento revealing her wishes to work with her father in the future (heh, heh, heh). Argento talks about working in the US, Romero complains about not having enough money (same old story), you get the picture. This mini-docu covers the film from concept to principal photography to the creators' final thoughts on the project all the while giving us insight into the actual production by way of some great on-set footage (mostly provided by Roy "Street Trash" Frumkes).
"At Home with Tom Savini" (15m 41s) is exactly what the title says: a tour of the Savini home pre-"Night of the Living Dead" remake. Like any geek or horror biz veteran, his house is cluttered with a variety of treats to make any fan weep. "Savini's EFX" (12m 4s) is an extension of the recent interview we were offered of Savini in "Two Masters' Eyes." An insightful look from the make-up FX end of things: working with what you have, problem solving, etc.
Finally, "Adrienne Barbeau on George Romero" (4m 34s) is an interview Roy Frumkes abandoned while piecing together "Document of the Dead." For those who dig Easter Eggs on their discs, be aware that there is one to be found in the main menu of the 2nd disc. If I told you what it was, I'd be spoiling all the fun.
One couldn't be more pleased with the extras made available, but those looking for deleted scenes will be disappointed. It is worth noting that there is one or two out there, perhaps they just weren't accessible to Blue Underground. In Fangoria #95 (Pittsburgh and the Pendulum, Maitland McDonagh), a moment in which Keitel's Usher visits a crime scene where two female corpses are removed from a cramped chimney is described in full detail. Whether this scene even survived the rough cut stage is beyond me, but I'd sure like to see it.
PACKAGING:
There really haven't been too many complaints here on the Corner regarding Blue Underground's packaging designs. This one's very stylish and is crafted from some foreign poster art. I have not problem with it at all, the color scheme is terrific.