Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro

"Eyeball" or "Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro" is mediocre giallo which has serviceable story and characters. It isn't badly made and it even has some decent acting and music. Sadly, it's predictable, nudity present isn't anything special and characters aren't that much interesting and therefore movie isn't anything more than a forgettable afternoon watch for a genre fan. 6/10! Only for the genre fans!

A group of American tourists is visiting Spain. A red-cloaked killer is with them (or following them). The killings are nasty and the victims always have one of their eye balls removed. Right in the beginning of the film there's a very sudden and brutal murder. The fateful knife flashes out, the unlucky victim screams and screams again and the knife goes down and down. From this moment on I was hooked to the film.

Slasher film fans should like "Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro" (Eyeball). The action never lets down and the film is incredibly light and humorous. There are of course pretty girls and the mandatory lesbian couple (with rights to jealousy, fight and reconciliation scenes). The viewer is given a lot of red herrings and this enhances the fun still more. The Spanish locations are delightful (Barcelona and Sitges) and Umberto Lenzi displays his usual cinematic ability with swift and precise camera movements and editing. There are good killing scenes, particularly one in a funhouse.

I guess you won't be able to find out who the killer is. Anyway the story does make sense but is of secondary importance for those who want to enjoy the film.

"Gatti Rossi in un labirinto di vetro" (Eyeball) could be defined as a summer movie for grown-ups. It has it all – it's violent, sexy, funny, colourful and it has a cool soundtrack. So just let your critical brain at the door and enter this giallo funhouse. You may enjoy the ride.

A tour bus carrying a handful of archetypal American tourists is making its way around Barcelona, hosted by an eccentric and sleazy tour guide. Mark Burton (John Richardson) has taken his mistress along with him who he is telling everyone is his secretary. Amongst the others in the group, there's a hip lesbian couple, a fun-seeking young daughter, a couple with a bit of an age difference, and a priest. They are all handed red raincoats to protect them from the torrential Spanish rain, when one of them is murdered by being repeatedly stabbed and having their eye removed. Burton suspects his ex-wife, who is apparently in Barcelona. Soon the tour group are being picked off by this mysterious, red-raincoat wearing psychopath.

My experience with Italian giallo director Umberto Lenzi is only limited at current. The only other work I've seen of his is the rather bad Video Nasty, Cannibal Ferox (1981). From what I've read, his work seems to be up and down, as is the case with the majority of the prolific Italian horror directors of his era. Eyeball, surprisingly, is not bad. It is, of course, unoriginal, cheesy, unsurprising, and rips-off horror master Dario Argento something rotten. Lenzi also makes the strange decision to have the murders take place in broad daylight, in public view. But it's also quite fun, and has a premise that is enjoyably ridiculous and a climatic revelation that blows it out of the water.

Giallos often don't make sense. Even some of the best works in the sub- genre, for example Argento's excellent Tenebrae (1982) is so mind- f*****g and far-fetched that it just makes the whole experience that much better. I wouldn't go that far in the case of Eyeball, but Lenzi's sheer audacity come the climax made me chuckle, and gave the film that all-important charm. The murder scenes are filmed rather badly with no effort made for set-piece or tension, but there's plenty of enjoyment to be had here. Lenzi clearly knows this as he even throws a bonus lesbian scene in the middle, seemingly just for the hell of it, and there's plenty of humour that comes from the mismatched band of characters. Nothing to give Argento and Fulci sleepless nights then, but for fans of giallo and Grindhouse, definitely worth a watch.

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I know, I know, it's not the best made film in the world - but I like it! I love the jingling music, the gorgeous girls, showing us their gorgeousness, and the killings. Gory and regular are the death scenes and each followed by a train of possibilities and guilty looking folk, lurking. The Ramblas looks lovely, the girls, I have already mentioned look lovely but their costumes are fantastic, their hair ever changing and all those 70's hotel rooms, airplanes taking off and landing, matching rainwear, glimpses of Barcelona, even a trip to Sitges. What more could one wish for. Oh and the conclusion stinks but at least we didn't sit back halfway through saying that we knew who did it. Fun!

Highly ridiculous and campy, cheesy dialogue and low production values but fun as hell. This is one of the giallo that falls more on the same side stylistically as the American slashers despite proceeding that whole movement by half a decade. Less flair and more gore but it's still a lot of fun. Still, this is one you'll probably enjoy more as a fan of giallo than of 80s slashers or anything like that. Watch at your own risk.