Through clairvoyant eyes, lurid fashion photographer Laura Mars(Faye Dunaway)sees her associates/friends murdered by a leather gloved killer using a sharp instrument, stabbing them in the eyes. Laura later discovers that, in fact, she's seeing through the eyes of the psychopath(..see understands this as she sees the killer coming from behind her..imagine how eerie that must've been!). The "attacks" spontaneously appear, out of the blue & often when she's behind the camera about to shoot a series of photographs, hindering her new work for a client. Eventually her job becomes effected overall by these blunt visions which interfere with daily life, robbing her set-up programs with models causing pains for her agent(Rene Auberjonois)and employer(Michael Tucker), who can not understand with what Laura is dealing with. Detective on the case, John Neville(Tommy Lee Jones), not an admirer of her work deeming it morbid and sleazy junk, will attempt to catch the killer, finding it hard to accept her rather far-fetched explanations of "sight", with them falling in love during the process. Another eerie coincidence Neville "discovers" is that many of Laura's (in)famous photographic works resemble crime scene photos taken after the fact, both taken only months apart. Could someone within Laura's entourage be the one committing these murders? Will Neville find the killer responsible before he/she comes after Laura? Why is the killer targeting people associated with Laura?
I feel "Eyes of Laura Mars", a film created from a story concocted by director John Carpenter(..perhaps inspired by the slate of Italian giallo thrillers populating the scene at the time), is very similar to the Italian giallo. I would go as far as to say, "Eyes of Laura Mars" is as close to an American giallo as one can ever get. As previously mentioned in the overall synopsis above, the "proof is in the pudding" so to speak:You have a crazy premise(fashion photographer of lurid commercial work can see through the eyes of a killer eliminating her friends and employers clairvoyantly, but is seemingly unable to stop the events before they transpire), lots of red herrings(could it be Brad Dourif, her grubby, chain-smoking chauffeur with a criminal record, or possibly Raul Julia her shady, alcoholic, money-hungry ex-husband?), a flawed, naive heroine(Faye Dunaway, who I felt was very "Joan Crawford-esquire"..no, I mean the way she carries herself and her whole demeanor, perhaps how she uses her eyes and waves her hair)who can not save those she loves, a hunky police detective she falls head-over-heels for(a very young Tommy Lee Jones), an inside look into the world of wealth and glamor, and the overall foray of eccentric personalities Dunaway comes in contact with on a daily basis(such as the flamboyant and self-absorbed agent Rene Auberjonois, who steals every scene he's in, spirited model Darlanne Fluegel).And, the gloved killer with a sharp instrument stabbing victims appropriately enough in the eyes. And, to top it off, a ridiculous reveal which has you saying to yourself" Huh?!"
Yeah, I had fun with this one. Yes, it's convoluted and flawed just like many an Italian giallo, with resolutions which has you scratching your head. But, it has many of the traits I admire, as mentioned above add nauseum.
I feel "Eyes of Laura Mars", a film created from a story concocted by director John Carpenter(..perhaps inspired by the slate of Italian giallo thrillers populating the scene at the time), is very similar to the Italian giallo. I would go as far as to say, "Eyes of Laura Mars" is as close to an American giallo as one can ever get. As previously mentioned in the overall synopsis above, the "proof is in the pudding" so to speak:You have a crazy premise(fashion photographer of lurid commercial work can see through the eyes of a killer eliminating her friends and employers clairvoyantly, but is seemingly unable to stop the events before they transpire), lots of red herrings(could it be Brad Dourif, her grubby, chain-smoking chauffeur with a criminal record, or possibly Raul Julia her shady, alcoholic, money-hungry ex-husband?), a flawed, naive heroine(Faye Dunaway, who I felt was very "Joan Crawford-esquire"..no, I mean the way she carries herself and her whole demeanor, perhaps how she uses her eyes and waves her hair)who can not save those she loves, a hunky police detective she falls head-over-heels for(a very young Tommy Lee Jones), an inside look into the world of wealth and glamor, and the overall foray of eccentric personalities Dunaway comes in contact with on a daily basis(such as the flamboyant and self-absorbed agent Rene Auberjonois, who steals every scene he's in, spirited model Darlanne Fluegel).And, the gloved killer with a sharp instrument stabbing victims appropriately enough in the eyes. And, to top it off, a ridiculous reveal which has you saying to yourself" Huh?!"
Yeah, I had fun with this one. Yes, it's convoluted and flawed just like many an Italian giallo, with resolutions which has you scratching your head. But, it has many of the traits I admire, as mentioned above add nauseum.