Jul 28, 2024
The Headless Eyes (1971)
"You've tried to alienate yourself but, Mal, I'm here, you -"
"Why? For two years I have been trying to live alone and to be able to accept this. Why are you here?"
"Because you haven't convinced me."
"Of what?"
"That you're incurable."
#the headless eyes#headless eyes#eye trauma#eye horror#horror imagery#blood tw#video nasty#1971#american cinema#kent bateman#bo brundin#ramon gordon#kelly swartz#ann wells#larry hunter#mary lamay#linda southern#known with the definite article and without as well as at one point rereleasing as#bloodthirsty butcher#a faintly dreadful exercise in exploitation horror. the passion project of one Kent Bateman‚ father of Jason‚ and latterly a respected#producer; he probably doesn't shout too loud about his directorial debut. shoddily made and written and acted‚ this is saved from true#cinematic oblivion by the spirited central performance of Brundin as the crazed artist with a taste for ocular thievery: he's ott and kind#of ridiculous but like William Metzo in spiritually similar grade z video nasty Mardis Gras Massacre‚ his bizarre commitment to the bit and#uniquely strange performance opposite a supporting cast that's largely subpar makes him the most interesting thing onscreen at any point#a few visual flourishes‚ an unexpectedly curtailed denouement and a brief attempt at drawing out the disconnect between our#protagonist's sensitive‚ artistic nature and his lust for scooping out eyes all add up to a film not quite as dogshit as it might have been#in a worst case scenario; but this is no best case scenario either‚ and frankly this is something of a tough time to get through‚ not#because of any onscreen grue but simply because it's something of a slog to sit through. belongs among the bottom dwellers of the dpp list#im sorry to say (but better than Toxic Zombies at least) (damned with faint praise)
