Death Has Blue Eyes - Death Has Blue Eyes (Blu Ray) [Arrow Video - 2021]Death Has Blue Eyes is a decidedly wacky blend of paranormal thriller, action film, cold war spy caper & soft-core sex comedy- all wrapped in a ribbon of 70’s euro campiness. Here from Arrow Video is a Blu Ray release, taking in a bright & bold new scan, and a few extras. Death Has Blue Eyes appeared in 1976- it was written and directed by Greek B-movie filmmaker Nico Mastorakis. It was the first feature-length film, appearing just before his follow-up the controversial taboo-breaking nasty and sleaze feast Island Of Death. Death Has Blue Eyes is a well enough made low-budget 70’s picture- with some quite dramatic & effective action scenes, cheeky soft-core moments, and a nicely crazed/ wacky story-line. It certainly has none of the shock value intensity of his second film, but it is a enjoyable shot of 70’s exploitation fun. The film is set in and around Athens- focuses in on twenty-something chancer Robert Kowalski (Peter Winter) who just flown into the country, and his Greek buddy Ches Gilford (Hristos Nomikos). The pair are trying every scam they can- using a chaffer service under someone else name, and ordering food against other people’s rooms in hotels- but unfortunately, they give a room number of the people sitting on the table next to them- middle aged Geraldine (Jessica Dublin) and younger blond haired Hristina (Maria Aliferi). The pair Blackmail Robert & Ches, asking for their protection/ help as it seems they have been involved in the assassinating of a spy- and are now been followed by car, chopper, and motor bike by secret agents. Added into this Hristina has an enormously powerful ESP- which she can use to influence people, read minds and even kill people too. The acting throughout is competent enough, by B movie standards- but cheeky chappie Winter as Robert is the stand-out/ most entertaining here. Over the films just over an hour & twenty-minute runtime Mastorakis crams in a lot of different genre traits, and largely it all mangers to keep afloat. We have car & motorbike chases though narrow streets, a cheap & dodgy looking spy control room, there’s a fair bit of female flesh including a very awkward odd scene including a African women who won’t show her face, helicopter shoot-ups, tents set on fire by ESP, and much more- it really is a wonderful wacky romp of a film.
Moving onto this new Blu Ray release, and first, off we get a nice bright, buoyant, and bold print- which really enhances the more colourful 70 elements of the film. On the extras side we get two interviews- the first is with Maria Aliferi who plays the film blond hair & blue-eyed female star, this runs around seventeen minutes. Next, we a interview with Nico Mastorakis, this runs around the twenty-four minutes mark- and is a lot of fun. He talks about how he made the switch from working in TV to film, the various issues with the pictures, actors, the score & much more- it is a most worthy & entertaining interview, and well worth a play. We get a selection of fifteen tracks from the soundtrack, and trailers. If you enjoy campy and fun 70’s exploitation that shifts through a few genres in a bright, bold, and entertaining manner, then Death Has Eyes is most certainly for you. With Arrow Video once again doing a great job with this release. Roger Batty
|