THE SECRET KILLER (aka EYEBALL) (1975)

[The Burgomaster]

Here's another one I purchased from Cinema de Bizarre.  Nice quality widescreen print, but the movie itself isn't very memorable.

This is an okay giallo, but I didn't like it enough to post it in the Good Movies section.  People in a tour group in Spain become suspects when someone starts killing the women in the group and cutting out the left eye of each victim.  The people in the tour group reminded me of LOVE BOAT or FANTASY ISLAND guest stars . . . I was waiting for Robert Reed or Dick Gautier or Robert Vaughn to show up.

This movie's major problem is the killings are unimaginative and repetitive.  We see a red-gloved hand holding a knife, then the victim gets stabbed several times, then the victim's eye is cut out and we see the empty socket with some blood trickling out.  No suspense, no imagination.  Each murder is a carbon copy of the previous one.

Another problem is the cliche characters: there's a priest, a lesbian couple, an oafish American guy, an aging police inspector who's just a few days away from retirement . . . you know the drill.

I don't recommend that you put this high on your "must see" list (or anywhere on your "must see" list for that matter) . . . but if you do stumble upon it, you probably won't hate it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E_d8U2HI4g&feature=related

[retrorussell]

I've thought about this one for some time.  Giallo in general doesn't do much for me, but ocular trauma-themed horror was kinda interesting to me for a while.  But I don't think I'd hate myself if I missed it.