Murder as performance art! White of the Eye

White of the Eye should be available, but like many other very deserving films out there, it has never had its day. It came out in 1987 to little fanfare, lackluster distribution, and poor sales, only to quickly disappear into delete bins in stores across the country. There are bootlegs available (my review is based upon one), and to be fair to the legacy of the film, I feel compelled to recommend that you seek them out, just to get a look at this great but forgotten film. Ordinarily I wouldn't advocate piracy, but when you are a cinephile, you must occasionally stoop to this level in order to see films. If this film ever gets a proper release I will be the first in line to place my order for a copy, until then I am thankful I found the dishonest individual I procured this from!

Based on the novel Mrs. White by authors Andrew and Laurence Klavan (under the pseudonym "Margaret Tracy") the story follows events surrounding a rash of brutal yet oddly artistic murders of young, affluent women, in Arizona. The killer has a penchant for orchestrating his crimes to appear as a work of art, a performance piece utilizing murder as its canvas. Many films since have peered into the mind of a killer, but rarely as chillingly as this. Usually we are presented with grimy, dark veritable hells' on earth. Once inside you inevitably find yourself being introduced to a madman that anyone could identify as disturbed. Sure they are scary looking, but in most instances turn out to be nothing more than one dimensional cookie cutter evil, dressed in a grimy apron, Leatherface light as it were. Not every murderer uses Eddie Gein as a role model; some of the fuckers are of the Ted Bundy variety, a mental defective with a disarming smile and an education. Never be fooled by stereotypes people!

Beginning with a particularly vicious murder of a self involved socialite in an upscale home, Director Cammell (Demon Seed ) deftly delivers a terrifying murder without actually showing you anything, save a kitchen knocked into disarray. From this point it quickly switches gears introducing viewers to the White family, "Paul" (David Keith), "Joan" (Cathy Moriarty), and young daughter "Danielle" (Danielle Smith). Paul White is a custom stereo designer who caters to the wealthy who can afford his uncanny aural abilities. He specializes in being able to walk into a room and after concentrating on the energy, perfectly place customers stereos to attain the best possible sound quality.

As the film progresses it introduces us to Detective in charge of investigating the crimes "Charles Mendoza" (Art Evans). Charles becomes interested in Paul's activities when a tire track the authorities believe comes from the murderers vehicle, turns out to be the same Mickey Thompson tires Paul uses on his van.

It is here that Director Cammell begins to offer some wonderfully staged character development by utilizing flashbacks to the time Paul first met Joan, his wife. Joan arrived in Arizona on her way to Malibu ten years prior, and never left. Travelling with her boyfriend "Mike" (Alan Rosenberg), a small time hood from New York, the couple engages Paul to repair the stereo in their van after an unfortunate soda incident occurs during an argument. In the time it takes to get the eight track repaired Joan falls in love with Paul and Mike gets sent packing.

The flashbacks expose a story within a story that escalates quickly. The film has an almost hypnotic quality as these events lead up to an explosive climax. Is Paul a lunatic, or is he being set up? If you would like the answers you're going to need to begin hanging around dark alleys and flea markets in search of either an old VHS copy or a bootleg DVD in a brown paper wrapper. What ever you have to do get your dirty mitts on a copy of this film, do so, I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Find out for yourself what the fuck is going on in Arizona, and find out why Paul White is one of my favorite characters to ever grace a movie screen! Actor David Keith has never been better, and both Cathy Moriarty and Art Evans light up the screen with their work in a film that is without a doubt one of the most criminally overlooked thrillers ever produced!