Terrore cieco

There's been quite a few rainy afternoons when I've dusted down my copy of Blind Terror and settled down to watch it again, and every time I'm left with the same feeling: something isn't quite right about this movie, despite obvious skill in places.

Brian Clemens is hardly an intellectual writer, but as a writer of simple television thrillers he's a legend. And like many of the best TV writers, his success as a screenwriter is varied. Both Blind Terror and And Soon The Darkness point the way forward to Clemens' THRILLER TV series of the Seventies, which effectively exploited the "girl in peril" situation. What makes these two movies different is their rather unpleasant, slightly depressing feel. "Darkness" is very slow and rather uneasy in its voyeurism, whilst Terror is a little too nasty to be a wholly enjoyable thriller.

Perhaps the most telling and interesting sequence is actually the opening credits, with Bernstein's enjoyable but somehow inappropriate music accompanying the faceless killer leaving a cinema that is showing "The Convent Murders" and "Rapist Cult", an only slightly exaggerated take on early Seventies exploitation movies in Britain. He then walks along a street where every shop seems to be selling violence: a TV shop has a set displaying a murder taking place, a toy shop sells toy guns and a newsagent displays grim headlines.

From there the movie is rather predictable, and unfolds at a slow pace (nothing really happens until about 50 minutes in) but is somehow pretty watchable all the same. Along the way there are some fascinating glimpses of Seventies Britain to be enjoyed. But from the inexplicable massacre at the house onwards things feel a little sluggish and the killer is so one-dimensional we do not have much interest in his actions. And why does he try and find the bracelet again at the end, as if Sarah would still have it! The ending is terribly abrupt and nothing is explained.

Fleisher's direction though is careful and he uses a fantastic trick of keeping the camera close on Farrow during her long escape sequence so that we cannot see where she is heading either.

There are also a couple of good moments of surprise but the movie is lacking a real scare and the overwhelming impression is one of gloom.

The first 45 minutes of "Blind Terror" are excellent and you have the feeling you're watching a great thriller. Director's Richard Fleischer handling of the atmosphere and introduction of the psycho killer just by showing his feet wearing cowboy boots is brilliant.

But then the boots chase a blind Mia Farrow and as she gets away the film sort of looses intensity and impact and becomes sort of slow. It recovers later with the final sequences and revelation of the psycho.

Mia Farrow's performance as the menaced blind victim is excellent.

Although no one could say this is not an entertaining and exciting thriller -mainly fans of the genre-, you get the feeling that it could have been even better if that in-the-middle-sort-of-bump could have been avoided.

All in all, "Blind Terror" is a good thriller worth watching. A 7 (out of 10) for me.

Sarah (Mia Farrow) is staying in the country with her aunt and uncle on their vast estate, far removed from the noise and chaos of the city. Unfortunately, these fine people have returned from a trip to said urban center, unaware that someone there has taken an unsavory interest in them.

Soon thereafter, Sarah returns from an outing, and goes about her usual routine, not knowing that her loved ones have met with a catastrophic end. Sarah is blind, and can't see the carnage as she navigates through the huge house. The dire circumstances become a nightmare, and Sarah finds herself hunted by a murderer, identified -to the viewer- only by his distinctive footwear.

Director Richard Fleischer keeps us in the dark with Sarah, using the camera to trick and jolt us along with her. SEE NO EVIL is another fantastic thriller for Ms. Farrow. This time, instead of the Devil, she must attempt to flee from an unknown psychopath. Her sightless journey is nerve-jangling and treacherous, loaded with a school of red herrings! This film is for lovers of mystery, suspense, and the cold touch of horror...

The appearance of Brian Clemens' name in the credits of any film or television production is, for me, kind of like a Seal of Approval. From the hit '60s TV show "The Avengers" to such marvelous horror films as "Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde" ('72) and "Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter" ('74), the man has never let me down. And, I'm happy to report, his "See No Evil" ('71) is no exception. In this one, the recently blinded Sarah, superbly played by Mia Farrow, comes to live with her aunt's family...a family that is soon butchered by a "maniac on the loose." All we know for sure is that this wacko sports a pair of gold-starred cowboy boots, which knowledge has us glancing suspiciously at the footwear of every male character in the film, natch! It is almost agonizingly suspenseful watching poor Sarah putter around her aunt's home, unaware of the bodies lying so close to her, and that suspense is only ratcheted up several notches when she finally does learn what has happened, and that the killer is on his way back to the house. I don't think the Master of Suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock, could have squeezed any more tension out of this scenario than writer Clemens and director Richard Fleischer have done. Besides this wonderful setup, which may have viewers recalling such other "handicapped women vs. psycho killer" films as "The Spiral Staircase" ('46) and "Wait Until Dark" ('67), the film gives us some beautiful views of the autumnal Berkshire countryside and another fine score by the great Elmer Bernstein. But this is Farrow's show all the way, and she is utterly convincing as the blind and fragile, yet spunky and surprisingly resourceful Sarah. My stomach was in knots by the end of this British wringer, and I would have to say that "See No Evil" is one that you absolutely must see....

I recently viewed See No Evil (1971) on Tubi. The plot centers around a blind woman returning home after a long absence, only to unknowingly find herself in a house where everyone has met a grim fate. When the perpetrator realizes she's in the house, her life might be in grave danger.

Directed by Richard Fleischer (Red Sonya), the film stars Mia Farrow (Rosemary's Baby), Dorothy Alison (The Third Key), Norman Eshley (Warship), Robin Bailey (The Diplomatic Corpseg and Paul Nicholas (Tommy).

This movie had great potential, featuring a unique premise, well-established circumstances, and an excellent performance by Farrow. Regrettably, it fell short in delivering the horror elements I anticipated, relying heavily on Farrow's acting to portray the blind woman rather than creating a genuinely eerie atmosphere. Notably, the use of cowboy boots added a playful touch, and the depiction of the corpses was commendable. The bathtub scene in the finale was a standout moment in the film.

In summary, See No Evil is worth a watch for horror enthusiasts, but it missed an opportunity to truly distinguish itself in the genre. I would rate this a 5.5-6/10 and recommend considering Audrey Hepburn's Wait Until Dark as a more captivating alternative.