Review of Eyeball

Eyeball (1975)
4/10
A below average giallo from Umberto Lenzi.
31 July 2007
A police inspector attempts to discover the identity of a vicious murderer ('modus-operandi': stab the victim, and then gouge out the left eyeball) who has been picking off the members of a Spanish sightseeing tour. With only seven days to go before his retirement, will he be able to solve the crime before he leaves the force for a more peaceful life of trout-fishing?

A typically convoluted example of the giallo genre, directed by Umberto 'Cannibal Ferox' Lenzi, Eyeball fails to work mainly due to its forgettable bunch of characters, who spend too much time holding dull conversations, a blatantly silly concept (the sightseers continue their holiday, even as their numbers rapidly dwindle), and its series of repetitive murders (you've seen one stabbing/eye gouging—you've seen 'em all!).

Lenzi tries hard to keep his audience interested, making sure to include all of the elements expected of the genre (gloved killer, red herrings-a-plenty, unbelievably silly ending) and plenty of gratuitous female nudity, but with a boring sub-plot about an adulterous affair, and a lack of inventive deaths (Argento, this ain't!), Eyeball is ultimately rather disappointing.
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