Eyes of a Stranger (1981)

It's not bad at all but it has some flaws. What killer leaves his muddy shoes in the closet to be found there by a lady who's living in the same building? Only a stupid killer. What killer throw a shirt dirty with blood in the garbage bin from the garage at the base of the block where he lives? The same stupid killer. But they're all stupid, the killers, since they commit crimes. I wanted to watch this because of Jennifer Jason Leigh. But she has a small role of a deaf-mute almost blind. She's very young, one of her first roles. OK, let's accept that she has a very strong shock, being almost raped by the killer-psychopath and that helps returning her sight and speech. The interesting idea of the movie is the killer watched by the neighbor, tortured by phone, as he watched and tortured his victims. Lauren Tewes looks like Agnetha Fältskog, the blonde of ABBA, and John DiSanti, the killer, looks like Rod Steiger. They are both very good, specially DiSanti.

"Eyes of a Stranger" follows a Miami television news anchor (Lauren Tewes) who grows increasingly disturbed by a series of brutal sex killings in the area. Her paranoia leads to an ardent protectiveness of her vulnerable blind-deaf sister (Jennifer Jason Leigh), and she becomes convinced a male neighbor is responsible for the murders.For an early-eighties slasher entry, "Eyes of a Stranger" has a pretty darn good opening that seems to promise a nasty, unrelenting horror flick. As much as it seems to be borrowing from its contemporaries (it shares many things in common with other entries, such as "Don't Answer the Phone," and "He Knows You're Alone," as well as 1974's "Black Christmas"), the film's opening scene and first murder sequence are startlingly effective and brutal. The first half remains compelling, with an ambiguous subplot concerning the sisters making sparse entries into the narrative—but as it reaches its halfway point, the film begins to slightly devolve.It's not a fatal devolution by any means—this is still a very watchable film—but the tightfistedness and intrigue begins to dissipate as the audience becomes familiarized with the villain. The flip side is that the exposure allows John DiSanti's performance some room to breathe, and he manages to evoke a fairly frightening antagonist. Lauren Hewes is solid as the feminist lead, and Jennifer Jason Leigh makes her first major screen role in the film as Hewes's disabled sister, a role that also flourishes in the second act. The film's conclusion is a bit anticlimactic by most accounts, and this also detracts a bit from the picture, but it's not enough to cause a serious implosion.Overall, "Eyes of a Stranger" is a mixed bag. It is conceptually unoriginal, and there is a sense of unevenness between its first and second acts, but it's also relatively well-shot and the performances from all are above the standard. It also boasts some unexpectedly disturbing, effective murder sequences that are likely to catch the audience off guard. 6/10.

Going into this film, I didn't know anything about it, other than Savini did the effects, which is, of course, the reason I watched. Up until this point, this under-discussed film wasn't even on my radar and I only came upon the title recently. Glad to see it's finally available uncut.However, speaking of uncut, which is always the most important issue to me when watching any film, I found the effects to be rather subdued and maybe, given the nature of the film, that's the point.Jane is a news anchor. Her little sister, Tracy, was abducted and sexually abused at a young age, leaving her with unusual mental scars that affected her sight, speech, and hearing. Tracy lives with Jane in a large high-rise apartment complex near the bay. Recently, a weirdo has been stalking women, raping them, and, perhaps simultaneously, strangling them. A similar stalker is found in the film, Don't Answer the Phone, however, Eyes of a Stranger is a better overall film, even with subdued gore and sexual violence. The unusual aspect of this film is not only does Jane and the killer live in the same complex, she suspects him while he isn't even aware of her, other than perhaps knowing she's on the news. She is not one of his intended victims, he doesn't follow or call her. So, in a crazy twist, she starts calling him, smoking a cigarette as if she's just done the deed, all the while taunting him on the phone in the same manner he's done to several of his victims.It's a fun cat and mouse game, where at times it seems as if there are two cats. The rape scenes are not overly aggressive and a few cut throats and a gunshot wound are all we get from Tom Savini. However, I do recommend this one if you want something a little different, and, perhaps, a little more realistic. The killer isn't your typical hack and slash, like so many 80's killers. He's just a guy. Someone you pass every day or maybe you bought insurance from him. That makes it scarier. Enjoy.

"Eyes Of A Stranger" is a slasher with a mean streak. Its killer is an overweight sleazeball rapist (John DiSanti) who is shot in plain view. The film is not a mystery, a whodunit, or a gore-fest. Director Ken Wiederhorn, who was responsible for the highly original and atmospheric "Shock Waves", has a solid style and creates some effective suspense sequences. Tom Savini handles the gore chores, and delivers a couple of grisly sequences including a knife thrust into a throat and a very authentic beheading (shot through a fish tank). The pacing slackens towards the end and the script offers no surprises. Lauren Tewes (from TV's "Love Boat") plays a TV presenter who learns that the killer is living in her apartment building. Her semi-blind sister (played by young and sexy Jennifer Jason Leigh), who is shown in flashback being abducted as a child, ends up being victimized by DiSanti in "Blind Terror" style. Warners released this film in the very early Eighties when cinemas were filled with knife-wielding psychos. For a dose of sleaze, this is worth catching.