TWO EVIL EYES

TWO EVIL EYES: The stories of Edgar Allen Poe seem to lend themselves to modernization and adaptation more so than other classic authors of the supernatural. Likely because Poe’s work largely describes internalized horrors; grief, paranoia and psychosis that stem from demons within rather than demons without. Director George Romero had already proven the anthology format was still viable with the success of Creepshow (1982) so his collaboration with Dario Argento (a reunion of sorts after co-producing Dawn of the Dead) made sense, turning loose two genre filmmakers in a playground of the macabre. It’s obvious Argento was the more enthusiastic of the two. His take on The Black Cat includes several references to other Poe stories and is executed with the sort of visual verve the director hadn’t shown in years. Despite fan disdain, Romero’s adaptation of The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar is a worthwhile attempt, turning the screws on a gold digging wife (Adrienne Barbeau) as she conspires with her aged husband’s doctor to pilfer the family fortune. The result is a hypnotic zombie that, while only a footnote in the Romero mythology, is a classy standalone story nonetheless. Blue Underground’s Blu-ray offers a pretty substantial increase in detail from the standard DVD, with select scenes really offering that hi-def ”pop” (while she’s still MILF material, Ms. Barbeau’s wrinkles have never been so obvious). Extras are a duplicate from the old edition including a 30-minute retrospective on the film and interviews with Barbeau and Tom Savini.