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The Film (4/5)
I would like to preface this review with a bit of a warning. Cold Eyes of Fear is being marketed as part of the Giallo subgenre of Italian horror films, it is not a giallo. That is not to see it is bad, I just feel that if you go into Cold Eyes of Fear expecting a giallo, you may be disappointed. Cold Eyes of Fear, in my opinion, is a very effective revenge drama, and I feel that it is important to make that distinction.
Cold Eyes of Fear is concerned with Anna (Giovanna Ralli) and Peter Flower (Gianni Garko) a young couple who meet during a very Grand Guignol dinner theatre performance. They spend the night exploring London, and eventually Peter convinces Anna to spend the night with him at his uncle's house. Unfortunately, for the couple when they arrive there is an armed thief named Quill(Julian Mateos) waiting. It turns out the Uncle is a powerful judge in the area, and had previously locked the man up. It turns out that Quill has become aware of a certain wall safe in the house, that contain quite a bit of money, and he will do anything to get it.
Video(2/5)
Redemption has presented Cold Eyes of Fear in a 1:85:1 letterboxed transfer. This transfer is non-anamorphic, and has many instances of scratching and grain throughout the picture. Also, one of the final scenes appears to have been sourced from a VHS copy of the film.
Audio (2/5)
Cold Eyes of Fear is presented in a dubbed English mono track, that is suitable for the material, but nothing really stands out. The dialogue is clear, but there are no alternative language tracks, nor are subtitles available.
Extras (2/5)
The extras on this disc are quite slim. Redemption has included a trailer under the films original title Desperate Moments, and a still gallery. They have also included trailers for other Redemption releases.
Overall
An interesting and tense thriller from Enzo Castellari (Inglorious Bastards, Bronx Warriors). It feels like a low budget Italian mix of Peckinpah's Straw Dogs and Desperate Hours. Do not go into the film expecting a giallo, and you may be pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, the A/V quality is not very good, and the extras are slim, but the film is definitely good enough to warrant a viewing.
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