White of the Eye

Only his third film in 17 years, Scottish director Donald Cammell followed his mind and identity-bending psychedelic masterpiece Performance (1968) and the studio-butchered Demon Seed (1977) with another oddity, the strange and confusing, yet nonetheless effortlessly intriguing White of the Eye. Cammell killed himself shortly after seeing his final film, Wild Side (1995), heavily censored by an appalled producer, at the end of what seemed like a frustrating career. It's a shame he wasn't allowed more opportunities to direct features, as although White of the Eye sometimes steers into TV-movie aesthetic and features an unnecessarily overblown climax, it is something to be savoured and thought about a long time after the credits roll.

After a series of brutal murders of upper-class women, tire tracks left by the killer leads Detective Charlie Mendoza (Art Evans) to sound expert Paul White (Keith David). We learn through flashbacks the meeting of Paul and his now-wife Joan (Cathy Moriarty), and how he stole her away from her boyfriend Mike Desantos (Alan Rosenberg). There's something not quite right about Paul - he has the strange ability to omit a sound that echoes through his head, allowing him to hear at what point in a room that the sound from speakers should come from. Mike knows something too, and when Joan discovers Paul's secret affair, she slowly uncovers who her husband really is.

There's not really much point trying to unravel the mysteries in the movie, as it will leave you with a headache. Below the surface of giallo-esque murders and the sleazy Lynchian atmosphere, there seems to be a mythology happening somewhere. At one point, Paul whispers "I am the One,". Is this really a deeper story than it lets on, or is Paul just simply a narcissistic loon? Whatever it is, the film works better if you just let it play out, as the film has a lot to offer in terms of style. The soundtrack, by Rick Fenn and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, is a powerful presence, and drums up a dusty, apocalyptic feel reminiscent of Richard Stanley's Dust Devil, which came out 5 years later.

David's performance is also impressive, especially in the latter stages when he is let off the leash. But it's about the only good thing about the climax, which tries too hard to be a number of different things and fails in just about every one of them. It becomes almost generic, with car chases and a stalk-and-slash set-piece, completely betraying the slow-build that came before. Whether Cammell was simply trying to appease his producers or indulging in mainstream aspirations, I don't know. Still, this is a bizarre little treat; uncomfortable and distinctive, cementing it's status as a must-see for fans of cult oddities.

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A fellow "film geek" brought this over one night and insisted I drop what I was doing so we could screen it right away. Beginning with one of the most original opening scenes in my memory to the other-worldly climax, this is an incredibly well-conceived and well-crafted movie. David Keith secures his place here in the Pantheon of film weirdos that includes Eric Roberts in Star 80. Oddly, I was so wrapped up in Keith's performance that I didn't notice the flashbacks the first time I watched the film. I think I thought that there were weird inconsistencies in the clothes and the script (uhhhh..weird, dude). Keith's madman is portrayed lovingly here and I think that's why it's so chilling. He's not one-dimensional; he's good and bad more like a good Hitchcock psycho (see Bruno in Strangers on a Train). Danielle Smith is a real treat here. She reminded me a little of Linda Manz in Days of Heaven. She has an amazing face that I couldn't stop staring at and she has a (subtly strange) way with a line ("what's a juvie?"). SEE THIS MOVIE! Tell others about it!

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.

This is the epitome of a sleeper gem. It's the specific combination of multi-genre elements that makes this barely known movie one of the finer pieces of 80's trash cinema that exists, and a rather singular experience. It almost feels like Oliver Stone's U-TURN was inspired by this - that's literally the only movie I can think of that this reminds me of - they are both that wild and off the rails in a similar manner.

Donald Cammell was clearly a visionary, but never really made it as a filmmaker. From what I hear, this is his finest work, and I imagine that's true - because it would be pretty tricky to top how entertaining this rollercoaster is. It's like if Lifetime did a giallo movie and it ended up being the best Lifetime movie ever made...by far. But for all the shlocky Lifetime vibes, there's just as much over-the-top 80's sleaze.

David Keith comes off as poor man's Patrick Swayze, but it really works for this movie! And Cathy Moriarty (Raging Bull, But I'm a Cheerleader, etc) is stunningly gorgeous - and acts circles around everyone else on the cast. It almost feels out of place how good her performance is - for the most part everything else is campy gold, then you have Moriarty baring her teeth and her entire soul - and basically you've got a pot full of ingredients that typically wouldn't work together, but in this case you have a daring, to-die-for meal being served - the secret recipe.

This movie is very ambitious with it's directing and editing - it's a heavily stylized movie, which will you see immediately by way of the iconic opening sequence - which honestly is one of of the best giallo style killing sequences I have EVER seen - and I say that as a huge Argento/Fulci/etc fan. This is a very special scene, within a gem of a movie. It's full of surprises! A must-see for trash cinema fans! Do yourself a favor and don't watch trailers or look too much into this movie if you're interested - just find it and watch it.

"White of the Eye" has a promising beginning as an unseen killer stalks and butchers an unsuspecting female. The kill scene is effectively cut between slicing flesh and a struggling goldfish gasping for air. David Keith and Cathy Motiarity along with some recognizable supporting actors do their best to save this stylish film. Unfortunately intriguing images alone cannot overcome a seriously muddled script. Numerous flashbacks and an overlong running time cause things to steadily spiral out of control. Eventually craziness prevails with stories of black holes and evolution deficiencies overtaking logic. The movie drags on until the final scenes in a gigantic quarry, where everything ends with a bang. - MERK