Director: Umberto Lenzii
Screenplay: Felix Tusell and Umberto Lenzi
Starring: John Richardson, Martine Brochard, Ines Pellegrini, Andrés Mejuto and Mirta Miller
Country: Italy
Running Time: 92 min
Year: 1975
When it comes to Italian genre films, I’m a huge fan. Whether it’s zombie films, cannibal joints or of course, the giallo, sleazy Euro trash is my jam. Back when I started collecting 88 Films Blu-rays, one of my favourite discoveries from their Italian Collection range was Umberto Lenzi’s Eyeball. I remember having a blast with the fast-paced nature of the whodunnit and when I heard that they were re-issuing the title on 4K, I jumped at the opportunity to revisit it and see if it’s as fun on a rewatch. What did I think? Well…
For those unfamiliar, Umberto Lenzi’s one of the more unsung heroes of the Italian genre film. He did a bit of everything, from zombie features such as Nightmare City, cannibal pictures like Cannibal Ferox and Man from Deep River (the first major Italian cannibal film of the 70s, catapulting the genre into the mainstream) and giallo features like Hitcher in the Dark, Spasmo and Orgasmo. Out of the Lenzi films I’ve seen, Eyeball was always my favourite and revisiting it for this review didn’t change that.
Right from the get go, Lenzi hooks the viewer with psychedelic opening credits that sell the rollercoaster tone of the film perfectly. The film follows a group of American tourists on vacation in Barcelona who are mysteriously being picked off, one by one by a killer who wants two things – their lives and their eyeballs! It’s an incredibly silly premise, yes, but it’s well executed in the majority of areas thanks to Lenzi’s fantastic direction.
As far as giallo pictures go, it’s up there for me as one of the easiest to throw on due to the excellent pacing and compelling mystery throughout. Like the best whodunnits out there, you’re always second guessing who the killer is. Is it the priest? Is it Mark? His mistress Paulette? His wife Alma? It’s a blast that keeps you on your toes the entire time and where some giallo films can feel a tad overlong, the 92 minute runtime here is perfect for the film.
The kills are all memorable, with striking visuals accompanying each one and the score by Bruno Nicolai features some catchy earworms, although it’s a tad overused early on. Is it the most original film I’ve ever seen? Not really, but it’s more than made up for in how entertaining of a watch the film is. Is it really a surprise that I love the film where the antagonist steals people’s eyeballs? I love Lucio Fulci films and the 2006 Black Christmas remake!
If you’re a fan of Italian genre pictures and you haven’t seen Eyeball yet, there’s never been a better time than now. I’ll dive into my thoughts on this release below, but it’s brilliant to see this reach the UHD format and it deserves a spot in any genre fan’s collection.
Film: 
Eyeball releases on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Blu-ray via 88 Films on December 2nd, as part of their Italian Collection. I viewed the UHD and was absolutely blown away by the transfer. The prior 88 Films Blu-ray looked great, but this blows it out of the water with the excellent bitrates, gorgeous Dolby Vision colour grade and it almost felt like I was watching the film for the first time again. Audio wise, there’s both English and Italian tracks, both with optional subtitles (the English audio features HoH subs). I viewed it with the English track, given the dubbed nature of Italian films from this era and it sounded solid. On an A/V level, this might be my favourite 88 Films disc of the entire year. It’s a sublime release that will blow viewers away, both old and new. The following extras are included:
Dual format edition including both 4K UHD and Blu-ray with main feature and bonus features on both discs
Brand new 4K Remaster from the Original Techniscope Negative presented in 4K Ultra High Definition Blu-ray (2160p) in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Presented in Dolby Vision High Dynamic Range (HDR10 Compatible)
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray also included.
English 24 Bit LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono with optional SDH
Italian 24 Bit LPCM 2.0 Dual Mono with newly translated English Subtitles
Audio Commentary by Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani
Audio Commentary by Critics Kim Newman and David Flint
Audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues
An Eye For Murder – An Interview with Martine Brochard
Genre Maestro – An Interview with Umberto Lenzi
The Wandering Eye[ball] – A Visual Essay by Mike Foster
Locations Featurette
English “The Secret Killer” Title Sequence
English End Credits
Trailer Reel
Reversible sleeve featuring new art by Graham Humphreys and original Italian poster
Three audio commentaries are included, one of them is ported over from the prior 88 Films Blu-ray (the great track with The Hysteria Continues) and two newly recorded for this release. The track with Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani is an informative track and the trio have a great rapport throughout, highlighting how it was the final giallo of Lenzi’s career, giving great overviews on the cast and more. It’s a solid listen. Rounding out the commentaries is a track by Kim Newman and David Flint and it’s my favourite of the bunch, easily, thanks to the ever so delightful Kim Newman and his co-host David Flint who are having an absolute blast as they watch the film. Similar to the other tracks, it’s full of informative trivia about the film but it never feels repetitive thanks to the dynamics between each group covering the film. A great set of audio commentaries that all come easily recommended.
Two interviews are included, one with actress Martine Brochard and an archival interview with director Umberto Lenzi. Brochard’s interview is 21 minutes long and seems to be an extended version of the interview from 88 Films’ 2018 Blu-ray, but I was unable to confirm this. There’s a title towards the start that states it was recorded in 2018, so it would make sense but this could very well be a brand new interview. Regardless, it’s a fun time where Brochard recounts her experiences starring in a variety of Italian films in the 70s, including Lenzi’s Eyeball. The Lenzi interview’s a fun piece too, running for 17 minutes and features him recounting experiences directing some of his most popular films as well as Eyeball, of course. A solid pair of interviews.
The Wandering Eye[ball] is a thirteen minute visual essay by Mike Foster and it’s a fantastic piece. Foster’s writing is delightfully fun and his knowledge of the giallo and slasher genres is astounding. His love for Umberto Lenzi is clear and I had a great time watching this one. Highly recommended!
The locations featurette runs for two minutes and highlights some of the iconic areas from the film and how they look in the modern day. A neat watch!
Two bonus features for an English cut of the film are included, the ‘Secret Killer’ title sequence and end credits, both are fairly self-explanatory. It’s great to see these included for archival purposes and for those who originally caught this version of the film.
The Eyeball trailer reel runs for almost six minutes and features a variety of amusing archival trailers.
I wasn’t provided with the retail release, including the new artwork, booklet or other physical goodies so I’m unable to comment on those but they look to be as great as 88 Films’ usual output.
One final note about the extras, collectors may want to hold onto the prior 88 Films Blu-ray as the feature length documentary All Eyes on Lenzi: The Life and Times of the Exploitation Titan has not been ported over.
Overall, 88 Films have put out all the stops for their 4K UHD upgrade of Lenzi’s Eyeball and outside of an archival extra missing from their previous release, it’s as close to a defining release of the film. Genre fans will be head over heels for this one and it’s an easy recommendation to anybody interested. Pick this one up!
Disc/Packaging: 
Leave a Reply