Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro (1975)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Umberto Lenzi (screenplay)
Umberto Lenzi (story)
(more)

Release Date:

June 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

A stabbing nightmare becomes a living terror!

Plot:

Killer in red cape and hood is killing off tourists on a tour bus by gouging out thier eyeballs. |

Plot Keywords:

Eyeball | Cape | Bus | Red | Tourist

Cast

Martine Brochard	...	Paulette Stone
John Richardson	...	Mark Burton
Ines Pellegrini	...	Naiba Campbell
Andrés Mejuto	...	Inspector Tudela
Mirta Miller	...	Lisa Sanders
Daniele Vargas	...	Robby Alvarado
George Rigaud	...	Rev. Bronson
Silvia Solar	...	Gail Alvarado
Raf Baldassarre	...	Martinez - the tour guide
José María Blanco
Marta May	...	Alma Burton
John Bartha	...	Mr. Hamilton
Olga Pehar
Verónica Miriel	...	Jenny Hamilton
Olga Montes
Richard Kolin	...	Mr. Randall
Rina Mascetti	...	Hospital Nurse
Fulvio Mingozzi	...	Policeman
Vittorio Fanfoni
Francesco Narducci	...	Receptionist at Hotel Presidente
Tom Felleghy	...	Coroner
Lorenzo Piani
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ted Rusoff	...	Martinez - the tour guide (voice: English version) (uncredited)

Directed by
Umberto Lenzi

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Umberto Lenzi		screenplay
Umberto Lenzi		story
Félix Tusell		screenplay
Félix Tusell		story

Produced by
Joseph Brenner	....	producer
José María Cunillés	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Bruno Nicolai

Cinematography by
Antonio Millán

Film Editing by
Amedeo Moriani

Costume Design by
Adriana Spadaro

Makeup Department
Mario Di Salvio	....	makeup artist
Alfredo Tiberi	....	makeup artist

Art Department
José Massagué	....	set designer

Sound Department
Umberto Picistrelli	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Francesco Narducci	....	still photographer

Production Companies

• National Cinematografica
• Pioneer
• Estela Films

Distributors

• Joseph Brenner Associates (1978) (USA) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Wm. Lange & Associates (1979) (USA: Midwest) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Creswin Distribution (1979) (Canada) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• Astro Distribution (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Castro Films S.A. (Spain)
• DMEG (2004) (Sweden) (video)
• Prism Pictures (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• marketing-film

Other Companies

• Digitmovies Alternative Entertainment  soundtrack

Also Known As:

El ojo en la oscuridad (Spain)
Eyeball (USA)
The Devil's Eye
The Eye
The Secret Killer
Wide-Eyed in the Dark

Runtime:

Germany:90 min | Spain:97 min | USA:91 min | Italy:100 min

Country:

Italy | Spain

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:VM14 (new rating) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | USA:R | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Barcelona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

National Cinematografica

Quotes:

Paulette Stone: I was like you... before this friend of mine ripped out my eye playing doctor with me... leaving an empty socket.

Movie Connections:

References Don't Look Now (1973)

Eyesore

I'm usually a sucker for these kinds of Italian giallos, but this one was really bad. You know you're in trouble when the director has to throw in a few sleazy lesbian scenes to keep things exciting, and Umberto Lenzi even goes so far as to throw in a killer in a red rain slicker, a blatant Argento ripoff. Someone deserves a sharp slap across the face for this one, that's for sure.

You may say it's all in good fun, but there's a gratuitous lack of logic, without any of the style or excitement that usually makes us overlook such things. The scenario concerns a psychotic killer offing a bunch of morons on a tour bus and gouging out their eyeballs. You'd think that after the first few murders the survivors would just cut the tour short. I mean, who really wants to see the Coliseum THAT badly? The aformentioned lesbian scenes may thrill some viewers...but then again, maybe not.

By the time you get around to the ridiculous conclusion, you start to realize that the director has engaged in his own sort of cinematic eyeball-assault, with you as the unsuspecting victim. As punishment for unleashing this boring dreck on the world, I think the director should be forced to star in the sequel, "Testicle."