Terror Cego

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....

Yes, I am sure Dario Argento must have liked this movie, which was made in the early seventies, at the same he he began his career. I have watched this Dick Fleischer's film at least a dozen times and each time I love it more and more, I discover things I did not the previous time. For instance those camera movements near the floor, showing the feet whilst Mia Farrow walks barefoot - or in socks - through the living room and also the kitchen with the broken glass. This is suspense to me, when you know and see something that the character in the movie does not .. So terrifying. And the astounding Elmer Bernstein music score. It deserves to be seen by new generations of viewers, of audiences at all costs. A true masterpiece. Dick Fleischer was really a great and especially eclectic director, able to make thrillers, science fiction, adventures films as fantastic as for instance Bob Wise was. Maybe only the western genre was not really their cup of tea, although they both have made some, but not the best ever. I have always put both of them in the same basket. And both began their career at RKO pictures, as Mark Robson. And I am not surprised that the writing is from The AVENGERS series creator and best writer too: Brian Clemens.

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...

I personally think that See No Evil is a movie with the right amount of suspense. Sarah (Mia Farrow) is a woman whose life has been turned upside down when she became blind. She goes to England to live with relatives and try to rebuild a life with family and an old boyfriend. Her life becomes disrupted when a maniac kills her family. She is unaware of this until one day she comes home from horseback riding with her old flame Steve. She decides to relax and take a bath, only to discover that her family has been slaughtered. I enjoy this movie because it is not over dramatized, all the events in the movie seem to fit. This movie is not overly done. A movie does not have to be filled with blood and slaughter in every scene to be consider a great thriller or suspense. Like the old saying goes, it is all in the eyes of the beholder.