Two Evil Eyes 4K Review
“Two Evil Eyes” is a memorable horror anthology movie.
1990’s “Two Evil Eyes” is a horror anthology film that contains 2 hour long movies that are both inspired by Edgar Allan Poe stories. The first is the George Romero written and directed “The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar.” This tale finds a gold digging wife (Jessica) who is attempting to acquire assets from her elderly dying husband (the titular Ernest Valdemar) with the help of a Doctor/lover (Robert). In order to have him sign papers for Jessica to obtain money, Robert hypnotizes Ernest. Alas, Ernest soon dies while hypnosis which complicates Jessica and Robert’s plot. Things only worsen when the two discover that Ernest isn’t dead…he’s undead. The 2nd yarn is an adaptation of “The Black Cat.” The plot concerns a warped crime scene photographer (Rod) who encounters a black cat that is taken in by his girlfriend (Annabel). Rod and the cat do not get along which causes the already unstable Rod to become more unstable to say the least. Soon, Rod begins to do unspeakable things all while descending into madness.
For horror fans it does not get much better than the combined talents of the late great George A. Romero, Italian horror master Dario Argento, and the legendary author Edgar Allan Poe. Not only do you get to see 2 horror greats adapt stories from a horror icon like Poe, but you get 2 distinctly unique visions on screen.
‘Facts’ is pure Romero in its truest form. This episode feels like an extension of something you’d see in “Creepshow” (my personal favorite horror anthology film) or even “Tales From The Darkside.” It’s an atmospheric story about greed, hypnosis, life and death that hooks you from the beginning thanks to Romero’s assured direction and fine performances from both horror veteran Adrienne Barbeau and Ramy Zada.
“The Black Cat” is a modern retelling that also pays homage to other Poe tales such as “The Pit And The Pendulum.” This is a very visual story with some grizzly murders/deaths, an intense Harvey Keitel lead performance, wildly inventive Argento shots, and some truly stand-out work by special make-up effects guru Tom Savini. Argento certainly puts his own spin on the famous story and seems to be having a blast doing so.
Overall Thoughts: It may not always get mentioned in conversations about horror anthology films, but “Two Evil Eyes” is an enjoyable entry in the genre nonetheless. It’s worth seeking out if you have yet to see it.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 1.85:1 2160p with Dolby Vision HDR. How does it look? This print has been scanned in 4K 16-bit from the original camera negative. The result? Supremely rich colors that will undoubtedly please fans.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track is not quite up to Atmos standards. There are spots where the audio is a bit too low for my taste. Still the track does deliver for the most part.
Extras (first 3 are on the 4K the rest on a Blu-ray disc):
* Theatrical trailer
* Commentary by Troy Howarth (this guy is everywhere!).
* Poster and still gallery
* 7 separate interviews with actors Ramy Zada and Madeleine Potter, composer Pino Donaggio, “The Black Cat” co-writer Franco Ferrini, assistant director Luigi Cozzi, special make-up assistant Everett Burrell, and costume designer Barbara Anderson. It’s nice to see such a wide range of interviews about various aspects of the film’s production.
* Adrienne Barbeau talks about George Romero in a 5 minute extra.
* “At Home With Tom Savini”- A tour of Tom Savini’s home. The video is a bit rough looking but you sure get to see some cool masks and props.
* “Savini’s EFX”- A neat behind-the-scenes look at the special make-up effects of “Two Evil Eyes.”
* “Two Masters’ Eyes”- An archival 30 minute bonus feature that contains interviews with George Romero, Dario Argento, Tom Savini, Tom Savini, Claudio Argento and Asia Argento. Viewers can expect film clips, discussions about Poe and the cast, the original plan for the film (which would have been REALLY awesome), behind-the-scenes footage, set stories, and more. This is the best extra on this set.
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