evil eye

It’s getting tedious re-introducing director Mario Bava for each new Blu-ray that arrives (and we’ve had a lot lately). So consider this fair warning: if don’t know who Bava is by now, do your own research while the rest of us celebrate the release of Evil Eye (1963) and its original Italian-language version The Girl Who Knew Too Much. While much of the director’s catalog consists of gothic terror and straight-faced suspense, his sense of humor is much more evident here...although it depends on which version you watch first. Distributed by AIP, Evil Eye is Bava’s first foray in the Italian genre he was credited with inventing: the gialli, mystery-thrillers that in later years became famous for mixing sex, blood and perversity. This first go-round however is much more innocent in its execution and leans more toward classic whodunits with case of the “cutes.” Nora Davis (Leticia Roman) is an avid reader of lurid crime-thrillers who witnesses a murder while vacationing in Rome. Or maybe not? You see, the murder she claims to have seen actually happened a decade ago on the very same spot. And with no physical evidence to support her theory, Nora must rely on the help of a local surgeon (John Saxon) to solve her own mystery. Although he tended to focus primarily on visual appeal, Evil Eye features one of the most compelling performances in a Bava film by Leticia Roman. Her character bounces from naïve and timid to cunningly crafty while being run through a cinematic wringer that would make a Hitchcock heroine proud. It’s Roman’s reactions to the danger around her – including the opening murder scene – that make the film work. And Bava’s staging of that attack is truly inspired – as is the eerie moment of a cat bouncing on the bed of a corpse just moments earlier – filmed in B & W shadows so dark they almost slither off the screen. But it’s also refreshing to see the director handle comedy with such a light touch, something he was given very little opportunity to do. Evil Eye is a more nimble, unpredictable thriller than the giallo would become. And yet, stylistically, it is a touchstone that’s every bit as entertaining as the films that would build upon its foundation. That becomes even more obvious in the Italian cut, which jettisons much of the film’s humor...along with, unfortunately, a brilliant opening dolly shot. The Girl Who Knew Too Much was previously available from Anchor Bay as part of a Bava collection. But this is the first time Evil Eye has hit home video and its transfer looks far superior. Both cuts contain speckling and a few visual shifts, but the AIP print has far more detail, not to mention an English language audio track that lets you keep your eyes on the screen instead of the subtitles (unlike many Bava productions, everyone seems to be speaking English here, although their voices were recorded in post). The extras include a pair of trailers and Bava biographer Tim Lucas’ extraordinarily informative audio commentary.