The two stars' real life friendship allows them to bring a natural camaraderie to their characters and they’re aided by a pair of seasoned TV actresses as their wives. Loretta Swit gets some R&R from playing “Hot Lips” in M*A*S*H as Warren’s better half, while Lara Parker, of supernatural soap Dark Shadows fame, shines as Fonda’s onscreen spouse. Also making a welcome appearance is Peckinpah regular R.G. Armstrong as a local sheriff who may know a little more than he lets on.
Master low budget director Jack Starrett makes sure everything moves at a cracking pace yet still leaves room for some Invasion of the Body Snatchers-style paranoia as Lara Parker becomes convinced that everyone they encounter is a member of the cult. Add to that some expertly crafted scares (most notably the rattlesnake scene) and an action-packed final twenty minutes that has the beleaguered campers fending off attacks from all sides while trying to stay on the road and you’ve got the perfect action/horror movie.
El Bicho: Eyes Without A Face (1960)
The film opens with a woman’s body being dumped in a reservoir. Dr. Génessier is contacted by the police because the dead girl may be his missing daughter and at the police station, he identifies her body. As he leaves, he meets another father whose child is missing. A killer is on the loose who is preying on young women.
After his daughter’s funeral, we learn the truth. Dr. Génessier is involved with the missing women. The doctor is trying to successfully graft an entire face for the benefit of his daughter. He horribly disfigured her in a car accident and won’t stop until he can repair the damage.
It is a very intriguing story about the lengths a father is driven to when motivated by guilt and love. The script has a number of good plot twists that surprise throughout by taking conventions and doing the unexpected with them in a believable way. There was only one part of the story that didn’t make any sense. The police have discovered a pattern that all the women who have disappeared have blue eyes. This has to be a coincidence because only the skin is used, yet why make mention of it?
The film does show its age at times. The pacing is too slow in a few spots for a modern-day audience. Most people used to the revved-up, manic horror films of today might not be happy sitting still for so long in order to enjoy the beauty of the photography or the suspense the film has to offer. Also, the effect of the face removal scene is minimized by over 40 years of advancement in film make-up. You need to have an understanding of film history to truly appreciate this film.
Article comments
1 - Mat Brewster
Nice job with this Ian. Looks like I'll have to add a couple of films to my must see list.
I can't remember if I've ever seen The Vampire Lovers. I used to watch all those old Hammer Horrors, but lord knows I love a good lesbian caper, but the old memories kind of blended them all together.
The last horror movie sounds fascinating.
2 - Ian Woolstencroft
Thanks Matt.
Vampire Lovers is definitly worth a look. It's based on the famous vampire story Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Apart from the horror films I’ve added to my must watch list (or in a some cases my must watch again list) I also have a burning desire to see Confessions of A Police Commissioner To The District Attorney. I’m guessing it has nothing in common with Confessions of a Window Cleaner.
Thanks to everyone who contributed.
3 - DukeDeMondo
Excellent job in putting this together, Ian, and everyone gave fantastic contributions. Even the choices i disagreed with (particularly Haute Tension, which i hated - and i also consider The Hills Have Eyes remake to be one of the finest action / horror / survival pictures of all ever) i loved reading about.
i really must see Eyes Without A Face. i've wanted to see it for AGES, years and years, but for some reason never have. i'll rememdy this immediately, is what i'll do.
and Friday 13th Part III - nice nice nice. Although part 4 - The Final Chapter, is my personal favourite, closely followed by Jason X, which was just sublime.
4 - El Bicho
Tip o' the hat for taking the lead on this, Ian, and to all the participants. Certainly some interesting choices for the reader's queues.
Enjoy "Eyes," Duke. The movie is timely as face transplants have been making progress. Try to find the Criterion Collection version because the extras contain horrific moments from real life that surpass what the film has to offer.
5 - Chris Beaumont
Nice selection of films! Although I didn't care for The Last Horror Movie.
Uzumaki is brilliant weirdness, and material I would like to see someone like Tim Burton take a stab at should Hollywood get the idea to remake it (which I doubt, a little too weird methinks).
I have copies of Eyes Without A Face (criterion) and Vampire Lovers that I have been meaning to watch....
Haute Tension was awesome until the final "twist" which I did not particularly care for.