Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) Reviews

• Better Than It Had To Be

  style-22005-01-31

  Jon Peters' first production as he transformed himself (with girlfriend Barbra Streisand's help) from hairdresser to movie producer, the movie is a gem of Seventies style at it's finest. The clothes, the hair, makeup, music, attitude, interiors and locations ride the crest of the high-style wave that flooded the world through the Eighties. Combining the improbable worlds of violence and fashion, with a story that centers on a famous photographer (Dunaway) and her ability to *see* her friends and colleagues being stalked and murdered, *Eyes* has moments of serious suspense, but that's hardly the reason to see this movie. Utilizing the actual photography of fashion god Helmut Newton, the film maker has exquisitely captured the 1978 New York fashion and disco scene in a way that none of the recent looks at the Seventies has been able to, but then, again, this movie was *made* in 1978, not 27 years later. The scenes of photo shoots are particularly fun to watch, with one scene portraying a burning car crash in Columbus Circle in which the models, clad in garter belts and fur coats cat-fight before the camera. The ingenuous use of *real* models add the precise amount of vacuity necessary to make the surreal shot work. Another photo shoot involves a model dead from a gunshot to his heart lying in a pool surrounded by exotically dressed disco-dancing models and a throbbing disco beat. The plot is secondary to style in this movie, and style is the only reason this movie should be remembered. Favorite moment: Darlanne Fluegel as the model Lulu haplessly trying to explain to the press *why* violence is important in fashion photos.

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• Very well-made supernatural thriller

  bd119-22003-01-14

  This 1978 chiller directed by Irvin Kerschner (RoboCop 2) and based on a story by John Carpenter, has Faye Dunaway as a fashion photographer who suddenly discovers that she has the ability to "see" through the eyes of a serial killer. All her premonitions of the murders are very accurate, and the victims are all people she knows. Soon it becomes apparent the killer is coming after her. Tommy Lee Jones is great as the police lieutenant/love interest (back when his face wasn't pockmarked with age), and the supporting cast (Raul Julia, Brad Dourif) is excellent. The movie's depictions of the murders were quite shocking for it's day, and it manages to keep us scared and in suspense throughout, though some of the scenes border on grotesque. Direction by Kirschner is tight, music is suitably eery, and the performances are overall impressive. A winner

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• A stylish thriller.

  Hermit C-21999-07-01

  This movie was around for twenty years before I saw it. I recall it as not having the best of reputations. But I found it to be suspenseful and it could be considered a forerunner of today's erotic thrillers. Faye Dunaway is Laura Mars, a fashion/glamour photographer whose work is controversial in that some say it glorifies both sex and violence towards women. (Sounds like a pretty contemporary theme, doesn't it?) She becomes troubled by frightening visions she has of killers-eye views of murders. When a killing she has just "seen" turns out to have actually happened nearby she tells the police. She then finds out that a detective (Tommy Lee Jones) has already been investigating some cases where murder scenes closely resembled her photos. Dunaway is always consistent in delivering good performances and this one is no exception. It was refreshing not to see Jones in his "Mr. Intensity" character he's played so often since 'The Fugitive.' Although some will doubtless find flaws to point up here and there, I found the film to be very enjoyable. Brad Dourif, Rene Aberjonois and Raul Julia also star. Irvin Kershner's direction is stylish and John Carpenter is responsible for the story and co-wrote the script.

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• A terrific thriller, both gripping and spell-binding

  Nightman852006-08-02

  A surprisingly forgotten gem of a psychological thriller, Eyes of Laura Mars is a unique and sophisticated shocker that stands out from the normal variety of thrillers. NYC fashion photographer is having visions where she sees through the eyes of the murderer that's targeting the people around her. But what will she do when she sees said murderer coming after her? Eyes of Laura Mars was originally based upon a screenplay by master horror director John Carpenter, which isn't surprising considering just how imaginative and effectively frightening that this film comes off. Yet, Eyes' isn't just a terror film, it's also a film of intriguing mystery, sweeping romance, and well-rounded characters. All of this adds up to an enveloping story that's directed with flair and style by Irvin Kershner. The murder sequences pack plenty of tension, yet they aren't gory. The NYC filming locations are fantastic and allow for some truly breath taking cinematography. While the 70's fashions do date the film, they don't subtract from its over all impact. The soundtrack is composed of some great disco numbers, and the theme song by Barbara Streisand is stunningly good. The cast is perhaps the best highlight of the film though. Star Faye Dunaway is excellent as always as our understandably disturbed heroine. Tommy Lee Jones is equally excellent as the police detective who falls in love with Dunaway. Rene Auberjonois is plucky as Dunaway's agent. Brad Dourif is good as the shifty-eyed driver, as is Raul Julia as Dunaway's wretched ex-husband. Eyes of Laura Mars is on a level above the average terror film. It's not only thrilling, but strong enough to be emotionally devastating as well. Well worth finding for thriller and horror fans alike. *** 1/2 out of ****

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• Seeing is believing--looks maybe can't kill!

  unakaczynski2006-05-31

  Eyes of Laura Mars -- Horror/Thriller -- 1978 This is an old supernatural thriller of sorts from way back in the 70s'. It revolves around a female fashion/glamour photographer who lives to make crude photographic nudie art that sepcializes in scenes of violence. Some people find her "art" to be rather disturbing and horribly offensive. So someone decides to go around killing her friends and acquaintances. To make matters worse, Laura Mars can see the murders happening--through her own eyes! Here's the breakdown: The Good: --Clever story, and fairly original. Adds a nice twist to the usual cops-hunting-murderer story. --Good acting all around. Brad Dourif is creepy, Tommy Lee Jones is cool, Raul Julia is... kinda weird... --Good atmosphere and cinematography all around, with some strong direction. The tense moments are generally pretty well done. --Some nice, genuine, surprises throughout the film. It does manage to successfully keep you guessing just who the killer is. Didn't Hurt It, Didn't Help: --Contains a decent amount of fairly well-known actors including Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Dourif (better known as Chucky from the Child's Play series), Raul Julia, and Rene Auberjonois (famous for his Star Trek: Deep Space Nine role). It was also co-written by John "Halloween" Carpenter. --Quite a bit of nudity. She is taking pictures of naked "victims of violence" after all. --Somewhat grotesque 70's music permeates here and there. --Some decent character development and depth. The Bad: --Not quite as scary or riveting as I'm sure it was back in '78. This review being written in 2006. --Some "logic" problems every now and then. For instance, when Laura Mars sees someone being murdered, that's all she sees--yet there are times when she seems to be able to move around, once even driving a car, with more competence than one would expect from someone who just instantly "went blind." --Occasional dips in the quality of the atmosphere and writing. The Ugly: --The make-up used on the models in the 70's. Holy crap! Memorable Scene: --Nice climax to the film. Fun Fact: --The photographic art in the film is actually from professional "glamour" photographer Helmut Newton. Acting: 8/10 , Story: 8/10 , Atmosphere: 7/10 , Cinematography: 8/10 , Character Development: 7/10 , Special Effects/Make-up: 7/10 , Dialog: 7/10 , Music: 6/10 , Direction: 9/10 Nudity/Sexuality: 5/10 , Violence: 6/10 , Gore: 3/10 Cheesiness: 2/10 , Crappiness: 0/10 Overall: 7/10 Finally, I would recommend this to hardcore horror/thriller fans or film buffs. John Carpenter or Tommy Lee Jones fans will likely enjoy it. The movie is not without its problems, small though they are, but may not be enjoyed all that well by many modern viewers. www.ResidentHazard.com http://bartboard.proboards3.com/index.cgi (Movie themed message board)

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