Tonight's special feature is brought to you courtesy of our good pal over at the Angels In Distress Blog, Mr. Greg Goodsell, and is entitled "Eye Of The Devil!" This is THE movie that should actually be our flagship title, because just like this blog, it's original title is
"13!" Evil is as evil does!!
Okay, so let's get this party rockin'.......Uh, Oh, Houston, I'm seeing a problem already!! The original score for "13" was written by the sensational jazz vibraphonist Gary McFarland whose real-life story is probably more exciting than this movie! Gary worked with some of the greatest names in jazz, like Bill Evans, Johnny Hodges, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and was an early exponent of 'orchestral jazz!' On November 3, 1971, Gary McFarland was poisoned by a drink spiked with methadone at the 55 Bar!! WTF!? Like, Weirdsville!!
Does this look like a freakin' barrel of monkeys worth of maximum fun or what?
Getting drunk and necking never seemed like a better idea! The host and hostess of this out of control affair are David Niven and Deborah Kerr as Philippe de Montfaucon and his lovely wife Catherine de Montfaucon! For me, David Niven wins the award for the most perfect looking man to have a martini in his hand! Runner-ups of course would be Frankie and Dino! Deborah Kerr was coming off of a fine film from a few years earlier called
"The Innocents"!
The Marquis Montfaucon has been called back to his ancestral home, because there is a major league problem, the grape harvest has failed again, and his people are depending on him to do something about it! What a pad!!
It's not long at all before his old lady packs up the kids and follows him to find out what is at the root of all this sudden mystery!
Here's some cool info from Greg's review in "SCREEM" #22, "Based on the novel “The Day of the Arrow” by Robin Estridge, "Eye of the Devil" is essentially the familiar story of "normal" people trapped in an irrational, threatening environment. Evil towns protecting nasty secrets, a trope used by H. P. Lovecraft and in such fright film fare as "Horror Hotel" in 1960, and "2000 Maniacs" in 1964!"
Here are two more reasons to love "13," the sister and brother team of evil, Odile and Christian de Caray played by cult faves Sharon Tate and David Hemmings! "13" was Sharon Tate's first role ever, while David Hemmings had been acting for 12 years already!
Robert Duncan as Jacques de Montfaucon admires Odile's necklace and pendant! Robert had a total of four acting roles, "Rasputin: The Mad Monk," "The Uncle," "13" and the TV series "Out of the Unknown!" I think I'm starting to see a pattern!
Catherine doesn't understand why Odile and Christian are allowed to roam the estate and shoot doves, and after she confronts them on the issue, Christian aims his bow at her back as she exits the scene!
When Catherine tells Philippe what happened, he explains to her that Christian is way too good of a bowman to ever accidently shoot her! He also tries to convey to her that anything and everything she could ever possibly worry about is trivial compared to the big picture of what's really going on!
Sorry Philippe, but dude, it's too late to start praying now!!
Here's yet another awesome cat we've seen a lot of around here lately, Donald Pleasence as Pere Dominic, the local priest!
Not just because of what happened, but just because it's obvious by the way she photographs, Sharon Tate was something special!
First it was the kids, and then Catherine who had to learn the hard way that "Up On The Roof" was not the place to be, when you're in the company of Odile!
The Marquis has got a lot of responsibility on his hands, and centuries of family history has got the whole community expecting him, no, requiring him, to do something about it, post haste!
Seeking more information about what in the name of Hades is going on, Catherine goes to the family mausoleum searching in vain for answers, but all she finds are more questions!
Rhetorical Questions like "Who, or what in the Hell are you? "Who, who, who?"
"Eye Of The Devil" has a lot going on for it, like an all-star cast, and beautiful cinematography by Erwin Hillier, and yet it is clearly missing something intangible that you just can't quite put your finger on!
Irony, it's one of the damnedest concepts ever conceived of!
"Eye Of The Devil" is a film that deserves to be seen for a number of reasons, just don't get
too excited about it, or you're apt to be disappointed!!
Tonight's special feature is brought to you courtesy of our good pal over at the Angels In Distress Blog, Mr. Greg Goodsell, and is entitled "Eye Of The Devil!" This is THE movie that should actually be our flagship title, because just like this blog, it's original title is "13!" Evil is as evil does!!
Okay, so let's get this party rockin'.......Uh, Oh, Houston, I'm seeing a problem already!! The original score for "13" was written by the sensational jazz vibraphonist Gary McFarland whose real-life story is probably more exciting than this movie! Gary worked with some of the greatest names in jazz, like Bill Evans, Johnny Hodges, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, and was an early exponent of 'orchestral jazz!' On November 3, 1971, Gary McFarland was poisoned by a drink spiked with methadone at the 55 Bar!! WTF!? Like, Weirdsville!!
Does this look like a freakin' barrel of monkeys worth of maximum fun or what?
Getting drunk and necking never seemed like a better idea! The host and hostess of this out of control affair are David Niven and Deborah Kerr as Philippe de Montfaucon and his lovely wife Catherine de Montfaucon! For me, David Niven wins the award for the most perfect looking man to have a martini in his hand! Runner-ups of course would be Frankie and Dino! Deborah Kerr was coming off of a fine film from a few years earlier called "The Innocents"!
The Marquis Montfaucon has been called back to his ancestral home, because there is a major league problem, the grape harvest has failed again, and his people are depending on him to do something about it! What a pad!!
It's not long at all before his old lady packs up the kids and follows him to find out what is at the root of all this sudden mystery!
Here's some cool info from Greg's review in "SCREEM" #22, "Based on the novel “The Day of the Arrow” by Robin Estridge, "Eye of the Devil" is essentially the familiar story of "normal" people trapped in an irrational, threatening environment. Evil towns protecting nasty secrets, a trope used by H. P. Lovecraft and in such fright film fare as "Horror Hotel" in 1960, and "2000 Maniacs" in 1964!"
Here are two more reasons to love "13," the sister and brother team of evil, Odile and Christian de Caray played by cult faves Sharon Tate and David Hemmings! "13" was Sharon Tate's first role ever, while David Hemmings had been acting for 12 years already! 
Robert Duncan as Jacques de Montfaucon admires Odile's necklace and pendant! Robert had a total of four acting roles, "Rasputin: The Mad Monk," "The Uncle," "13" and the TV series "Out of the Unknown!" I think I'm starting to see a pattern!
Catherine doesn't understand why Odile and Christian are allowed to roam the estate and shoot doves, and after she confronts them on the issue, Christian aims his bow at her back as she exits the scene!
When Catherine tells Philippe what happened, he explains to her that Christian is way too good of a bowman to ever accidently shoot her! He also tries to convey to her that anything and everything she could ever possibly worry about is trivial compared to the big picture of what's really going on!
Sorry Philippe, but dude, it's too late to start praying now!!
Here's yet another awesome cat we've seen a lot of around here lately, Donald Pleasence as Pere Dominic, the local priest!
Not just because of what happened, but just because it's obvious by the way she photographs, Sharon Tate was something special!
First it was the kids, and then Catherine who had to learn the hard way that "Up On The Roof" was not the place to be, when you're in the company of Odile!
The Marquis has got a lot of responsibility on his hands, and centuries of family history has got the whole community expecting him, no, requiring him, to do something about it, post haste!
Seeking more information about what in the name of Hades is going on, Catherine goes to the family mausoleum searching in vain for answers, but all she finds are more questions!
Rhetorical Questions like "Who, or what in the Hell are you? "Who, who, who?"
"Eye Of The Devil" has a lot going on for it, like an all-star cast, and beautiful cinematography by Erwin Hillier, and yet it is clearly missing something intangible that you just can't quite put your finger on! 
Irony, it's one of the damnedest concepts ever conceived of!
"Eye Of The Devil" is a film that deserves to be seen for a number of reasons, just don't get too excited about it, or you're apt to be disappointed!!
Other than Sharon Tate, this film is B-O-R-I-N-G.
ReplyDeleteS-T-Y-L-I-S-H is more complimentary!
ReplyDeleteBoring movie with fantastic soundtrack.
ReplyDelete