Review of Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) by Al M — 31 Mar 2013

With a screenplay co-written by John Carpenter and direction by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back), Eyes of Laura Mars is a stylish late-70s thriller that examines our cultural fascination with sex and violence and the link between the two.

Undoubtedly influenced by the Italian giallos, Eyes of Laura Mars features an amazing cast: Faye Dunaway, Tommy Lee Jones, Brad Douriff, Raul Julia, and others. Unfortunately, style somewhat outweighs substance, and the film lacks the tension or brutality that drove the giallos along amongst their aesthetic excesses.

Eyes of Laura Mars doesn't quite reach the heights to which it aspires, but it it remains a minor classic of 70s thriller cinema.