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« on: June 12, 2003, 07:28:48 PM »
Vlad! I saw this topic a few days back, but stupidly thought you were talking about the Lara Parker flick, Race for the Devil. I wish I had realized you were talking about Eye of the Devil; I'd have had a friend tape it for me. I used to have a tape of it (from an AMC showing of many years ago, back when they aired movies without commercial interruption) but loaned it to a friend who never returned it, and who is no longer in contact.
Interestingly I have an old magazine (from around 1965) that has a publicity article on the making of Eye of the Devil, or 13 as it was then known. When I finally got to see it, I thought it was a real gem. Niven, Kerr, and Flora Robson all shine in their respective roles. I thought David Hemmings and Sharon Tate were both remarkable in what they were given to do. I think Tate had real promise. It's a shame she met Roman Polanski and moved to Hollywood. I have a bizarre fondness for Tate's performance in Valley of the Dolls. Edith Efron (the evil beeyotch who wrote a nasty article about Grayson in TV guide) interviewed Tate for an infamous Look magazine spread on Dolls and implied that Tate was a brainless bimbo.
So far as I know, Eye of the Devil is not available on video or DVD. It's a pity, because I think it is a beautifully crafted film. It is really a mood piece that evokes the inner power that lives within the Earth, and how people in traditional communities hold that power and the sacrifices they make to honor that strength and to allow their communities to survive. It was of course far too thoughtful and unusual a film to achieve any real critical recognition, then or now.
I'll bet David Niven and Deborah Kerr wish this had become better known than Casino Royale, a fun fluffy film they did together shortly after this.
Best wishes,
Steve