 Decemberdike # 5
The Third Eye (1966)
A hugely enjoyable modern day (Well the sixties anyway) Gothic chiller in which Franco Nero, in an early role, plays a count living with his domineering mother who descends into madness following the death of his fiancee in a car accident.
The young Nero is excellent here and you can tell why he became such a huge star across Europe with his matinee idol looks and intense persona. Just as impressive is Erika Blanc in a dual role as the dead girlfriend and her look-a-like sister who turns up at Nero's country residence out of the blue much to the chagrin of his housekeeper (Gioia Pascal) who had her eyes on the count herself.
Quite strong for it's time, with it's bloody knife murders shot in crisp black and white and it's overarching theme of necrophilia and the deranged mind whilst clearly inspired by 1960's Psycho, The Third Eye was a truly pleasant surprise for me on first viewing last night and was obviously the inspiration behind Buio Omega(1979)
One thing did strike me, and it's not solely to do with this film either, is the accident in which the girl dies. Her car brakes were sabotaged prior to setting off and 'spoiler alert' she ends up careering off a cliff top road and plunging down a ravine to her death. I mean. Does nobody in the movies use their brakes. When Blanc drove away from the house down the drive, through the gates and onto the main road, did she not brake once and thus notice that her car was faulty? Is it purely a game of Russian Roulette that she pulls onto the road and doesn't get hit by a passing eighteen wheeler?
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