Two Evil Eyes


1h 55m 1991

Brief Synopsis

A dying man is manipulated by his wife and her lover in "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar." A photographer is terrorized by a black cat in "The Black Cat."

Film Details

Also Known As
Black Cat, The, Due Occhi Diabolici, Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, Fatti nella vita de Mister Valdemar, Gatto Nero, Il Gatto Nero, Poe
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Horror
Release Date
1991
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 55m

Synopsis

A dying man is manipulated by his wife and her lover in "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar." A photographer is terrorized by a black cat in "The Black Cat."

Crew

Joe Abeln

Electrician

Eloise Albrecht

On-Set Dresser

Nick Alexander

Adr Editor

Barbara Anderson

Costume Designer

Cletus Anderson

Production Designer

Luciano Anzellotti

Foley Artist

Luciano Anzellotti

Sound Effects

Massimo Anzellotti

Foley Artist

Massimo Anzellotti

Sound Effects

Claudio Argento

Executive Producer

Dario Argento

Screenplay

Dario Argento

Executive Producer

Lawrence Bailer

Set Designer

Charles Ballew

Other

Norman Beck

Props

Donna Belajac

Local Casting

Bert Bell

Other

Jon Bergholz

Transportation Coordinator

John S Bick

Assistant Editor

Staci Blagovich

Extras Agent/Coordinator

Raymond Boniker

Assistant Editor

Kathryn Borland

Wardrobe Supervisor

Felipe Borrero

Sound Mixer

Lisa Bradley

Production Coordinator

J. C. Brotherhood

Other

Erik L Brown

Assistant Camera Operator

Pasquale Buba

Editor

Everett Burrell

Makeup Assistant

Francine Byrne

On-Set Dresser

Kathy Carthers-wayne

Choreographer

Romano Checcacci

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Nora Cline

Other

Diane Collins

Wardrobe

Carol Cuddy

Production Manager

Cesare D'amico

Dialogue Editor

Fabrizio Diaz

Post-Production Coordinator

Fabrizio Diaz

Unit Manager

Pino Donaggio

Music

Fred Donatelli

Assistant Director

Norman Douglass

Stunts

Carlo Dubois

Production Accountant

Andy Duppin

Stunts

Allegra Elson

Other

Mindy Eshelman

Wardrobe Assistant

Franco Ferrini

Screenplay

Bart Flaherty

Grip

Paul Fonquet

Casting

Edward J France

Driver

Fernando Franchi

Production Manager

Lorenza Franco

Music Editor

Lorenza Franco

Assistant Editor

Kenneth Gargaro

Dialogue Coach

Eileen Garrigan

Other

Martin Garrigan

Props

Thomas Garrigan

Props

Terrie Godfrey

Makeup Assistant

Frederika Gray

Other

Brian Haughin

Electrician

Will Huff

Makeup Assistant

Joe Janusek

Key Grip

Howard L Jones

Carpenter

Jeannee Josefczyk

Makeup Artist

Jeannee Josefczyk

Hair Stylist

Barry Kessler

Electrician

Gary Kosko

Art Department Coordinator

Beth Kukucka

Photography

Michael Latino

Assistant Camera Operator

Ed Letteri

Gaffer

David Lomax

Stunts

Tommy Louie

Boom Operator

Beppe Maccari

Director Of Photography

Aldo Mafera

Other

Aldo Mafera

Titles

Achille Manzotti

Producer

Sergio Marcotulli

Music

Debra Marks

Wardrobe

Fernando Massaccesi

Gaffer

Natale Massara

Music Conductor

Nicholas C Mastandrea

Assistant Director

Judy Matthews

Location Manager

Frank Mcgough

Best Boy

Maria L Melograne

Assistant Director

John S Moyer

Assistant Camera Operator

Elissa Myers

Casting

Phil Neilson

Stunts

Mike O'rouke

Stunts

Nancy Palmetier

Wardrobe Supervisor

Paula Payne

Other

Nicola Pecorini

Steadicam Operator

Joseph Pelle

Grip

Frank Perl

Camera Operator

Chris Peworchik-call

Animal Wrangler

Edgar Allan Poe

Other

Fred Pope

Other

Peter Reniers

Director Of Photography

Grant Rhinehart

Craft Service

Christina Romero

Local Casting

George A. Romero

Screenplay

Mike Russo

Stunts

Andrew Sands

Production Assistant

Federico Savina

Consultant

Tom Savini

Stunts

J S Shoe

Script Supervisor

Rich Sieg

Grip

Joanne Small

Script Supervisor

Paolo Stefan

Other

Diana Stoughton

Set Decorator

Nick Tallo

Grip

Luciano Tartaglia

Production Accountant

Lou Taylor

Construction Coordinator

Andrea Tinnirello

Production Supervisor

John Vulich

Makeup Assistant

Burton White

Dialogue Coach

Ted Wiegand

Electrician

Mark Worthington

Assistant

Anthony J Yannone

Transportation Captain

Film Details

Also Known As
Black Cat, The, Due Occhi Diabolici, Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar, Fatti nella vita de Mister Valdemar, Gatto Nero, Il Gatto Nero, Poe
MPAA Rating
Genre
Drama
Horror
Release Date
1991
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Technical Specs

Duration
1h 55m

Articles

Two Evil Eyes


When Edgar Allan Poe first published his story about death being stalled by hypnosis in THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR in the American Review, December 1845, he was surprised to find many readers believed his story to be true – in part due to the realistic tone with which it was written. Poe himself was inspired by a story that was printed a year earlier in which it was asserted that one man's life was stretched out for two months via hypnosis. Poe's story would, in turn, inspire other writers (i.e.: Jules Verne, H. P. Lovecraft, and C. S. Lewis) and eventually find cinematic purchase in the Argentinean production of MASTER OF HORROR (1960), Roger Corman's TALES OF TERROR (1962), and more recently as one of two short features directed by George A. Romero in TWO EVIL EYES (1990). Romero's modern spin poses Adrienne Barbeau as the gold-digging wife of a sick and old man. Her attempts at getting her husband's wealth are assisted by the doctor at her husband's bedside, who happens to be an old flame with a talent for hypnosis. Romero resorts to some cheap thrills via that old standby of the unexpected object that lunges at the camera, but also develops tension in other scenes where he uses effective crosscuts and makes good use of things falling unnaturally down dark stairwells. It all leads up to a climax that is genuinely creepy (and this despite revelations in the supplemental material wherein SFX master Tom Savini confesses that budget limitations seriously compromised his intentions).

The second short feature on TWO EVIL EYES is THE BLACK CAT, directed by Dario Argento. Like Romero before him, Argento takes many liberties with Poe's original story, which is understandable given the attempt to transpose Poe's universe into a modern setting. One of the ideas Poe was tapping into is certainly given its due and it coincides with the ancient Egyptian notion that held cats as sacred, thus bestowing a punishment of death onto any felon who killed a feline, even if accidentally. In Argento's adaptation, Harvey Keitel plays the part of a crime-scene photographer with a nasty temper that gets out of control - to the detriment of one hapless victim and one hungry cat. While Romero's approach in TWO EVIL EYES is measured, focused, and calm (maybe too calm), Argento's directorial style is more scattered but exuberant and manic as he packs in references to Poe's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, THE TELL-TALE HEART, THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO and many others. This hallucinatory jambalaya approach to storytelling might run in the family; Dario Argento's younger brother, Claudio Argento, who produced TWO EVIL EYES, also produced and co-wrote Alejandro Jodorowsky's fevered SANTA SANGRE around the same time.

Blue Underground;s exemplary release of TWO EVIL EYES marks the films debut to dvd on a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, and gives listeners their choice of DTS 6.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX, and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround sound. It comes with a bonus disk with a wealth of supplemental material that includes a theatrical trailer, poster and still gallery, talent bios, three behind-the-scenes documentaries, and an interview with star Adrienne Barbeau. The Barbeau bit is brief and of little interest, but the other interviews are meatier and well worth the price of admission - especially given how dynamic and animated both Dario Argento and Tom Savini can be. During one revealing moment Argento talks about the lack of funds that cut their Poe tribute short, thus leaving open to speculation the idea that if Argento and Romero had added a version of MORELLA to their film it could have been billed as a tribute to both Edgar Allan Poe and Roger Corman, given that TALES OF TERROR covered the same trilogy of tales.

For more information about Two Evil Eyes, visit Blue Underground. To order Two Evil Eyes, go to TCM Shopping.

by Pablo Kjolseth
Two Evil Eyes

Two Evil Eyes

When Edgar Allan Poe first published his story about death being stalled by hypnosis in THE FACTS IN THE CASE OF M. VALDEMAR in the American Review, December 1845, he was surprised to find many readers believed his story to be true – in part due to the realistic tone with which it was written. Poe himself was inspired by a story that was printed a year earlier in which it was asserted that one man's life was stretched out for two months via hypnosis. Poe's story would, in turn, inspire other writers (i.e.: Jules Verne, H. P. Lovecraft, and C. S. Lewis) and eventually find cinematic purchase in the Argentinean production of MASTER OF HORROR (1960), Roger Corman's TALES OF TERROR (1962), and more recently as one of two short features directed by George A. Romero in TWO EVIL EYES (1990). Romero's modern spin poses Adrienne Barbeau as the gold-digging wife of a sick and old man. Her attempts at getting her husband's wealth are assisted by the doctor at her husband's bedside, who happens to be an old flame with a talent for hypnosis. Romero resorts to some cheap thrills via that old standby of the unexpected object that lunges at the camera, but also develops tension in other scenes where he uses effective crosscuts and makes good use of things falling unnaturally down dark stairwells. It all leads up to a climax that is genuinely creepy (and this despite revelations in the supplemental material wherein SFX master Tom Savini confesses that budget limitations seriously compromised his intentions). The second short feature on TWO EVIL EYES is THE BLACK CAT, directed by Dario Argento. Like Romero before him, Argento takes many liberties with Poe's original story, which is understandable given the attempt to transpose Poe's universe into a modern setting. One of the ideas Poe was tapping into is certainly given its due and it coincides with the ancient Egyptian notion that held cats as sacred, thus bestowing a punishment of death onto any felon who killed a feline, even if accidentally. In Argento's adaptation, Harvey Keitel plays the part of a crime-scene photographer with a nasty temper that gets out of control - to the detriment of one hapless victim and one hungry cat. While Romero's approach in TWO EVIL EYES is measured, focused, and calm (maybe too calm), Argento's directorial style is more scattered but exuberant and manic as he packs in references to Poe's THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM, THE TELL-TALE HEART, THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO and many others. This hallucinatory jambalaya approach to storytelling might run in the family; Dario Argento's younger brother, Claudio Argento, who produced TWO EVIL EYES, also produced and co-wrote Alejandro Jodorowsky's fevered SANTA SANGRE around the same time. Blue Underground;s exemplary release of TWO EVIL EYES marks the films debut to dvd on a 1.85:1 widescreen transfer, and gives listeners their choice of DTS 6.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround EX, and Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround sound. It comes with a bonus disk with a wealth of supplemental material that includes a theatrical trailer, poster and still gallery, talent bios, three behind-the-scenes documentaries, and an interview with star Adrienne Barbeau. The Barbeau bit is brief and of little interest, but the other interviews are meatier and well worth the price of admission - especially given how dynamic and animated both Dario Argento and Tom Savini can be. During one revealing moment Argento talks about the lack of funds that cut their Poe tribute short, thus leaving open to speculation the idea that if Argento and Romero had added a version of MORELLA to their film it could have been billed as a tribute to both Edgar Allan Poe and Roger Corman, given that TALES OF TERROR covered the same trilogy of tales. For more information about Two Evil Eyes, visit Blue Underground. To order Two Evil Eyes, go to TCM Shopping. by Pablo Kjolseth

TCM Remembers - Kim Hunter


KIM HUNTER, 1922-2002

Kim Hunter, the versatile, distinguished actress who won the Supporting Actress Academy Award for her portrayal as the long-suffering Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and appeared as Dr. Zira in three Planet of the Apes movies, died in her Greenwich Village apartment from an apparent heart attack on September 11, 2002. She was 79.

Born Janet Cole in Detroit on November 12, 1922, where her mother was a concert pianist, she made her professional debut at 17 with a small theatre company in Miami. She gained notice immediately with her strong voice and alluring presence, and eventually studied at the Actors' Studio in New York.

She made a striking film debut in an eerie, low-budget RKO horror film, The Seventh Victim (1943), produced by Val Lewton. She played a similar ingenue role in another stylish cult flick, When Strangers Meet (1944) - a film directed by William Castle and notable for featuring Robert Mitchum in one of his first starring roles. Hunter's big break came two years later when Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger cast her in their splendid romantic fantasy, Stairway to Heaven (1946).

Despite her growing popularity as a screen actress, Hunter returned to the stage to make her Broadway debut as Stella in Tennessee Williams'A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). When Elia Kazan adapted the production for the silver screen, she continued her role as Stella opposite Marlon Brando, and won an Oscar as best supporting actress. A few more film roles followed, but sadly her screen career entered a lull in the late 1950s, after Hunter, a liberal Democrat, was listed as a communist sympathizer by Red Channels, a red-hunting booklet that influenced hiring by studios and the Television networks. Kim was blacklisted from both mediums despite never having been labeled a Communist, yet as a strong believer in civil rights she signed a lot of petitions and was a sponsor of a 1949 World Peace Conference in New York. She was widely praised in the industry for her testimony to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 against the publishers of Red Channels, and helped pave the way for clearance of many performers unjustly accused of Communist associations.

Hunter spent the next few years on the stage and didn't make a strong impression again in films until she was cast as Dr. Zira in the Planet of the Apes (1968), as a simian psychiatrist in the classic science fiction film. The success of that film encouraged her to continue playing the same character in two back-to-back sequels - Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). Hunter spent the remainder of her career on the stage and television, but she a terrific cameo role in Clint Eastwood's Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997), one of her last films. She is survived by her daughter Kathryn, from her first marriage to William Baldwin, and her son Sean, from her marriage to actor and producer Robert Emmett.

By Michael T. Toole

TCM REMEMBERS J. LEE THOMPSON, 1914 - 2002

Oscar-nominated director J. Lee Thompson died August 30th at the age of 88. Though he worked in several genres, Thompson was best-known for his action films. Thompson was born in Bristol England on August 1, 1914. After graduating from college he became a playwright and it was the appearance of one of his plays on London's famous West End that got him noticed by the British film studio, Elstree. His first filmed script was The Pride of Folly in 1937 and others appeared sporadically until his career was side-tracked during the war when Thompson served in the RAF as a B-29 tail gunner. (He also reportedly worked as a dialogue coach on Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn, 1939.) Thompson's directorial debut came in 1950 when he adapted his own play Double Error to the screen as Murder Without Crime. Throughout the decade he directed a variety of dramas and comedies until hitting it big in 1958 with Ice Cold in Alex (released in the US minus 50 minutes under the title Desert Attack). It was nominated for three BAFTAs and was enough of a commercial success that Thompson landed the film that made his career: The Guns of Navarone (1961). This enormous international hit snagged Thompson an Oscar nomination for Best Director. He immediately followed that with the original Cape Fear (1962) and his reputation was set. Though Thompson remained active almost three more decades he didn't reach that level again. He worked on Westerns (Mackenna's Gold, 1969), horror films (Eye of the Devil, 1967), literary adaptations (Huckleberry Finn, 1974) and others. During this time, Thompson directed two Planet of the Apes sequels but was kept most busy working with Charles Bronson, for whom he directed nine films. Thompson's last film was in 1989.

KATRIN CARTLIDGE, 1961 - 2002

The news of actress Katrin Cartlidge's death at the age of 41 has come as a shock. It's not just the age but the thought that even though Cartlidge was already a major actress--despite a slender filmography--she held out the promise of even greater work, a promise that so few artists of any type can make. "Fearless" is perhaps the word most often used to describe Cartlidge but emotions are never enough for an actor; much more is required. Director Mike Leigh said she had "the objective eye of an artist" while remarking on her "her deep-seated suspicion of all forms of woolly thinking and received ideas."

Cartlidge was born in London on May 15, 1961. Her first acting work was on the stage, in tiny independent theatres before she was selected by Peter Gill for the National Theatre. Cartlidge also worked as a dresser at the Royal Court where she later made one of her final stage appearances. She began appearing in the popular British TV series Brookside before making her first film in 1985, Sacred Hearts. A small role in the Robbie Coltrane-Rik Mayall vehicle Eat the Rich (1987) followed before Cartlidge had her first leading role in Mike Leigh's scathing Naked (1993).

Cartlidge never took a safe approach in her films. She told The Guardian that "I try to work with film-makers who I feel will produce something original, revealing and provoking. If something provokes a reaction, it's well worth doing." You can see this in her choice of projects. Before the Rain (1994) dramatized violence in Macedonia in the wake of the Yugoslavian break-up and made Cartlidge something of a star in the area. She appeared in Lars Von Trier's controversial look at redemption, Breaking the Waves (1996), Leigh's sharply detailed story of aging friends Career Girls (1997), as one of Jack the Ripper's victims in From Hell (2001), as a call girl trying to leave the business in Clair Dolan (1998) and in the Oscar-winning film about Bosnia-Herzegovina, No Man's Land (2001). Her last work included a BBC adaptation of Crime and Punishment (2002), playing Salvador Dali's wife Gala in the BBC comedy-drama Surrealissimo (2002) and an appearance in Rosanna Arquette's directorial debut, Searching for Debra Winger (also 2002), a documentary about women in the film industry.

Cartlidge died September 7th from septicaemia brought on by pneumonia.

By Lang Thompson

TCM Remembers - Kim Hunter

KIM HUNTER, 1922-2002 Kim Hunter, the versatile, distinguished actress who won the Supporting Actress Academy Award for her portrayal as the long-suffering Stella in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) and appeared as Dr. Zira in three Planet of the Apes movies, died in her Greenwich Village apartment from an apparent heart attack on September 11, 2002. She was 79. Born Janet Cole in Detroit on November 12, 1922, where her mother was a concert pianist, she made her professional debut at 17 with a small theatre company in Miami. She gained notice immediately with her strong voice and alluring presence, and eventually studied at the Actors' Studio in New York. She made a striking film debut in an eerie, low-budget RKO horror film, The Seventh Victim (1943), produced by Val Lewton. She played a similar ingenue role in another stylish cult flick, When Strangers Meet (1944) - a film directed by William Castle and notable for featuring Robert Mitchum in one of his first starring roles. Hunter's big break came two years later when Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger cast her in their splendid romantic fantasy, Stairway to Heaven (1946). Despite her growing popularity as a screen actress, Hunter returned to the stage to make her Broadway debut as Stella in Tennessee Williams'A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). When Elia Kazan adapted the production for the silver screen, she continued her role as Stella opposite Marlon Brando, and won an Oscar as best supporting actress. A few more film roles followed, but sadly her screen career entered a lull in the late 1950s, after Hunter, a liberal Democrat, was listed as a communist sympathizer by Red Channels, a red-hunting booklet that influenced hiring by studios and the Television networks. Kim was blacklisted from both mediums despite never having been labeled a Communist, yet as a strong believer in civil rights she signed a lot of petitions and was a sponsor of a 1949 World Peace Conference in New York. She was widely praised in the industry for her testimony to the New York Supreme Court in 1962 against the publishers of Red Channels, and helped pave the way for clearance of many performers unjustly accused of Communist associations. Hunter spent the next few years on the stage and didn't make a strong impression again in films until she was cast as Dr. Zira in the Planet of the Apes (1968), as a simian psychiatrist in the classic science fiction film. The success of that film encouraged her to continue playing the same character in two back-to-back sequels - Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). Hunter spent the remainder of her career on the stage and television, but she a terrific cameo role in Clint Eastwood's Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997), one of her last films. She is survived by her daughter Kathryn, from her first marriage to William Baldwin, and her son Sean, from her marriage to actor and producer Robert Emmett. By Michael T. Toole TCM REMEMBERS J. LEE THOMPSON, 1914 - 2002 Oscar-nominated director J. Lee Thompson died August 30th at the age of 88. Though he worked in several genres, Thompson was best-known for his action films. Thompson was born in Bristol England on August 1, 1914. After graduating from college he became a playwright and it was the appearance of one of his plays on London's famous West End that got him noticed by the British film studio, Elstree. His first filmed script was The Pride of Folly in 1937 and others appeared sporadically until his career was side-tracked during the war when Thompson served in the RAF as a B-29 tail gunner. (He also reportedly worked as a dialogue coach on Hitchcock's Jamaica Inn, 1939.) Thompson's directorial debut came in 1950 when he adapted his own play Double Error to the screen as Murder Without Crime. Throughout the decade he directed a variety of dramas and comedies until hitting it big in 1958 with Ice Cold in Alex (released in the US minus 50 minutes under the title Desert Attack). It was nominated for three BAFTAs and was enough of a commercial success that Thompson landed the film that made his career: The Guns of Navarone (1961). This enormous international hit snagged Thompson an Oscar nomination for Best Director. He immediately followed that with the original Cape Fear (1962) and his reputation was set. Though Thompson remained active almost three more decades he didn't reach that level again. He worked on Westerns (Mackenna's Gold, 1969), horror films (Eye of the Devil, 1967), literary adaptations (Huckleberry Finn, 1974) and others. During this time, Thompson directed two Planet of the Apes sequels but was kept most busy working with Charles Bronson, for whom he directed nine films. Thompson's last film was in 1989. KATRIN CARTLIDGE, 1961 - 2002 The news of actress Katrin Cartlidge's death at the age of 41 has come as a shock. It's not just the age but the thought that even though Cartlidge was already a major actress--despite a slender filmography--she held out the promise of even greater work, a promise that so few artists of any type can make. "Fearless" is perhaps the word most often used to describe Cartlidge but emotions are never enough for an actor; much more is required. Director Mike Leigh said she had "the objective eye of an artist" while remarking on her "her deep-seated suspicion of all forms of woolly thinking and received ideas." Cartlidge was born in London on May 15, 1961. Her first acting work was on the stage, in tiny independent theatres before she was selected by Peter Gill for the National Theatre. Cartlidge also worked as a dresser at the Royal Court where she later made one of her final stage appearances. She began appearing in the popular British TV series Brookside before making her first film in 1985, Sacred Hearts. A small role in the Robbie Coltrane-Rik Mayall vehicle Eat the Rich (1987) followed before Cartlidge had her first leading role in Mike Leigh's scathing Naked (1993). Cartlidge never took a safe approach in her films. She told The Guardian that "I try to work with film-makers who I feel will produce something original, revealing and provoking. If something provokes a reaction, it's well worth doing." You can see this in her choice of projects. Before the Rain (1994) dramatized violence in Macedonia in the wake of the Yugoslavian break-up and made Cartlidge something of a star in the area. She appeared in Lars Von Trier's controversial look at redemption, Breaking the Waves (1996), Leigh's sharply detailed story of aging friends Career Girls (1997), as one of Jack the Ripper's victims in From Hell (2001), as a call girl trying to leave the business in Clair Dolan (1998) and in the Oscar-winning film about Bosnia-Herzegovina, No Man's Land (2001). Her last work included a BBC adaptation of Crime and Punishment (2002), playing Salvador Dali's wife Gala in the BBC comedy-drama Surrealissimo (2002) and an appearance in Rosanna Arquette's directorial debut, Searching for Debra Winger (also 2002), a documentary about women in the film industry. Cartlidge died September 7th from septicaemia brought on by pneumonia. By Lang Thompson

Quotes

Trivia

Miscellaneous Notes

Released in United States Fall October 25, 1991

Released in United States on Video April 23, 1992

Began shooting July 10, 1989.

Completed shooting September 12, 1989.

Italian language version available

Released in United States Fall October 25, 1991

Released in United States on Video April 23, 1992