''Cold Eyes of Fear'' () is a 1971 Italian Giallo film directed by
Enzo G. Castellari, starring Fernando Rey.
Plot
A handsome young playboy (Gianni Garko) picks up a pretty Italian girl (Giovanna Ralli) and brings her to his uncle's house for some fun. What he doesn't know is that two dangerous convicts are lying in wait at the house to avenge themselves on the young man's uncle (Fernando Rey), who was the judge who caused them to go to jail. The characters are all trapped together in the house for a very tense night, with the young playboy trying to figure out how to save his uncle from a bomb planted at his uncle's workplace.
Cast
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Giovanna Ralli: Anna
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Frank Wolff: Arthur Welt
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Fernando Rey: Juez Flower
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Gianni Garko: Peter Flower
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Julián Mateos: Quill
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Karin Schubert: Nightclub Actress
Production
The film was written by
Enzo G. Castellari and Tito Carpi. Although
Leo Anchóriz of Spain is credited as a co-writer, he didn't have anything to do with the script. His name appears solely for co-production laws that were required to establish the film as a dual-nationality production. Capri and Castellari wrote a film based on the idea of the entire film being set in an apartment, an idea influenced by the film ''
Wait Until Dark''. Casterllari was also influenced by
William Friedkin
William David Friedkin (; August 29, 1935 – August 7, 2023) was an American film, television and opera director, producer, and screenwriter who was closely identified with the "New Hollywood" movement of the 1970s. Beginning his career in doc ...
's ''
The Boys in the Band'' (1970) and borrowed plot elements from
William Wyler
William Wyler (; born Willi Wyler (); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Aca ...
's ''
The Desperate Hours'' (1955). The film was originally intended for foreign audiences so Castellari and Carpi had their script translated into English by actor
Frank Wolff's wife Alice.
The film was shot at
Cinecittà in Rome and on location in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Castellari shot the film in sequence. During filming, Alice left Wolff. Wolff committed suicide a few months after production in December 1971 in his hotel room in Rome.
Release
''Cold Eyes of Fear'' was released in Italy on 6 April 1971, where it was distributed by Cineraid. It grossed a total of 197,089,000
lira
Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current Turkish lira, currency of Turkey and also the local name of the Lebanese pound, currencies of Lebanon and of Syrian pound, Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, ...
domestically. It was released in Madrid Spain on 21 May 1972. It was also released as ''Desperate Moments''.
Reception
AllMovie
AllMovie (previously All Movie Guide) is an online database with information about films, television programs, television series, and screen actors. , AllMovie.com and the AllMovie consumer brand are owned by RhythmOne.
History
AllMovie was ...
described the film as a "cleverly crafted giallo-thriller", noting that the film appropriates "some of the form's penchant for cool production design and bizarre cinematography (one scene is shot through ice cubes in a glass)" and that a "kinky S&M stage show which, despite occurring at the start of the film, remains its most memorable sequence."
The review concluded that "The rest of this loopy Italian-Spanish co-production isn't bad, however, crisply edited by Vincenzo Tomassi (who went on to edit many of Lucio Fulci's most popular horror films) and well scored by Ennio Morricone" Danny Shipka, author of ''Perverse Titilation'' a book about European exploitation films stated that the film appeared to be "designed to be a thriller that incorporated some giallo constructs when the subgenre became lucrative." The review concluded that audiences of either thrillers or gialli were probably disappointed with ''Cold Eyes of Fear'' and that "there are plenty of action-packed, gore-soaked gialli to watch, but this is not one of them."
See also
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List of Italian films of 1971
A list of films produced in Italy in 1971 (see 1971 in film):
References Footnotes
Sources
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External linksItalian films of 1971
at the Internet Movie Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Italian Films Of 1971
Lists of Italian fil ...
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List of Spanish films of 1971
References
Bibliography
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External links
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{{Enzo G. Castellari
1971 films
Spanish thriller films
Films directed by Enzo G. Castellari
1970s mystery thriller films
Italian mystery thriller films
Films scored by Ennio Morricone
Films shot in Rome
Films shot in London
1970s Italian-language films
1970s Italian films