Tech News
Reviewed by Chris McEneany, 19th April 2009
Two Evil Eyes is, undoubtedly, a missed opportunity from the once-maestros of the macabre. The title, itself, is rather silly and the initial concept of a TV show, as worthy as I feel it was, works against this stand-alone presentation. Of course, this is the only way we could get to see what Romero and Argento had come up with, so we've just got to accept that. The film should not, therefore, be penalised for lacking that crucial extra tale or two. However, one cannot excuse the tepid tone of Romero's piece, and nor can Argento be let off the hook for that absurd ending, despite coming up with the stronger and more interesting of the two instalments. It is incredibly tempting to speculate just what Richard Stanley and Michele Soavi would have done with their respective screenplays both of which are still sitting on Argento's shelf had they been given the chance. Perhaps Poe is having the last laugh, though. After all, both Romero and Argento have unequivocally lost their once-considerable panache, and even Stanley and Soavi drastically seemed to lose the plot after their remarkably assured debuts. Ironically, John Carpenter another gifted filmmaker who has sadly long since left the rails actually turned down the offer of helming an episode. Thus, it would seem that Two Evil Eyes was tainted with failure right from the outset, the repressed author possibly loving the fact that no-one can completely interpret his prose.
Even considering that the audio remixes are stubbornly un-surround enhanced, and that the films, themselves, aren't all that great, fans of both Romero and Argento should still see this is a decent chance for an upgrade of Two Evil Eyes. But what is surely the selling point of the package is the fabulous interview-featurette that shows Argento in rare fine form articulate, informed and honest - and the sheer indulgence with Tom Savini.
Ultimately, Two Evil Eyes is too long and too bland to be worthy of carrying its two directors' names so proudly. Which is too bad.
Read the full review...
Two Evil Eyes is, undoubtedly, a missed opportunity from the once-maestros of the macabre. The title, itself, is rather silly and the initial concept of a TV show, as worthy as I feel it was, works against this stand-alone presentation. Of course, this is the only way we could get to see what Romero and Argento had come up with, so we've just got to accept that. The film should not, therefore, be penalised for lacking that crucial extra tale or two. However, one cannot excuse the tepid tone of Romero's piece, and nor can Argento be let off the hook for that absurd ending, despite coming up with the stronger and more interesting of the two instalments. It is incredibly tempting to speculate just what Richard Stanley and Michele Soavi would have done with their respective screenplays both of which are still sitting on Argento's shelf had they been given the chance. Perhaps Poe is having the last laugh, though. After all, both Romero and Argento have unequivocally lost their once-considerable panache, and even Stanley and Soavi drastically seemed to lose the plot after their remarkably assured debuts. Ironically, John Carpenter another gifted filmmaker who has sadly long since left the rails actually turned down the offer of helming an episode. Thus, it would seem that Two Evil Eyes was tainted with failure right from the outset, the repressed author possibly loving the fact that no-one can completely interpret his prose.
Even considering that the audio remixes are stubbornly un-surround enhanced, and that the films, themselves, aren't all that great, fans of both Romero and Argento should still see this is a decent chance for an upgrade of Two Evil Eyes. But what is surely the selling point of the package is the fabulous interview-featurette that shows Argento in rare fine form articulate, informed and honest - and the sheer indulgence with Tom Savini.
Ultimately, Two Evil Eyes is too long and too bland to be worthy of carrying its two directors' names so proudly. Which is too bad.
Read the full review...