O Maníaco do Olho Branco

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!

Right near the opening, there's a very brutal and stylized murder of a woman (and her goldfish). The police identify an Indian-style compass made out of objects on a counter. This type of compass of colored objects, and an actual compass recur several times throughout the movie, but to what purpose, I don't know.

A man who makes custom sound systems for people lives with his wife and daughter. She had been traveling from New York City to Los Angeles with her boyfriend, but they stopped in Arizona to repair his stereo after she ruined it in a fit of anger. That's when she met the sound guy, and she left her boyfriend for him.

The sound guy's van's treads match those of the killer, though there's at least forty others with the same kind.

The movie is pretty well-made, and well-acted until towards then end when it gets pretty outrageous after the killer is identified. In a real groaner of a scene, someone comes out of nowhere to try to save the day. And then what happens to the killer is downright ridiculous.

I saw this on a pan & scan videotape. Given the director's artistic bent and the Arizona setting, widescreen would definitely be an improvement. Evidently about ten minutes were cut from the film to get an R rating (the MPAA is criminally insane), so perhaps an uncut version would be an improvement. Interesting film, disappointing final reel. Critic Steven Jay Schneider has a long article about the movie and director (see external reviews) that is worth reading.

"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

What we have here is a clear case of a movie that tries to get by on sheer style, without any particular concern for the story or the characters. There are many interesting directorial touches and a unique atmosphere, but the film suffers from a weak script, and from overlength. Strictly for fans of the offbeat. (**)

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.