An artist named Arthur (Bo Brundin) tries to break into a woman’s bedroom, there is a struggle, and she stabs him in the eyeball for his troubles. Afterwards, Arthur (who is now sporting an eye patch) finds he can no longer create art. Frustrated, he lashes out at the various hookers, actresses, and art students he stumbles upon. After stalking and killing them, the increasingly deranged Arthur takes their eyeballs as souvenirs.
The Headless Eyes seems like it might’ve been inspired by Herschell Gordon Lewis’ Color Me Blood Red as both films feature artists who kill women in order to create works of art. It also plays like a forerunner to Maniac as we are in the killer’s shoes for nearly the entire running time, most of which is filled with the psycho giving deranged speeches and having hysterical freak-outs. While the idea is sound, the execution is often sloppy and amateurish.
Wait. I take that back. That’s an insult to amateurs everywhere.
Even though the film clocks in at only seventy-seven minutes, it is a painfully slow moving, monotonous, and repetitive affair. Since there is little variety to the kills, it all gets old very quickly. The gore is somewhat lacking too, although the opening sequence is semi-amusing in a cheesy sort of way. It’s all downhill after that though. The droning soundtrack will likely put many to sleep and the killer’s constant screeching will surely annoy those who have managed to make it to the end.
The writer/director was Kent Bateman. He’s probably more famous for two of his other productions: Justine and Jason Bateman. He later went on to direct episodes of his kids’ shows, Family Ties and Valerie. Bateman also produced Teen Wolf Too, which also starred his son, and it is somehow even worse than this.
AKA: Bloodthirsty Butcher. AKA: Bloodthirsty Butchers.
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