Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

The Third Eye Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 16, 2022

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of Gothic Fantastico: Four Italian Tales of Terror.

This is the time of year when spookiness is almost literally in the air, but it may also be an appropriate time to consult any number of experts prone to helping identify genres, at least for those who may be interested in battening down exactly what this or that generic term might refer to. The recently reviewed megaset from Severin All the Haunts Be Ours: A Compendium of Folk Horror spent a good deal of time in both an accompanying documentary as well as several commentary tracks trying to define exactly what "folk horror" might or might not be, with some fairly divergent opinions emerging, but perhaps thankfully, there seems to be at least a bit more consensus about what constitutes so-called "gothic horror". In that regard, Mark Thompson Ashworth provides introductions for the four films Arrow has aggregated for the Gothic Fantastico set, and in one of them he cites Touchstones of Gothic Horror, a book by David Huckvale which lists tropes like staircases, storms, ruins, heaving cleavage and ornate coffins, most of which at least are on display in this quartet at various times.

Frank Nero? That's a decidedly more pedestrian sounding moniker, despite the evocative surname, but it's how the soon to be legendary actor is billed in The Third Eye, one of his earliest roles. This kinda sorta Psycho wannabe features Nero as a put upon schlub named Mino, who is under the thumb of his domineering mother (Olga Sobelli), who, unlike Mrs. Bates in the Hitchcock masterpiece, is among the living (at least for a little while). Mino is finding his mojo as an adult man by refusing his mother's orders not to marry Laura (Erika Blanc), but some conspiratorial conniving between good old Mom and housekeeper Marta (Gioia Pascal), who herself has eyes for Mino, mean that the proposed nuptials encounter a few "minor" obstacles, like Laura dying in a horrifying car accident after Marta makes a few alterations to the car.

What ensues is a particularly gonzo effort that sees Mino, who works as a taxidermist, apply his "particular set of skills" to Laura's corpse, while also working through his more than obvious "mommy issues" by becoming a serial killer. Suffice it to say that while Mom may in fact end up more or less like Mrs. Bates, kind of surprisingly it's not by Mino's own hand, and in fact it's the twisted relationship between Mino, Marta and a late arriving twin sister of Laura's (also played by Erika Blanc) which give this film its really peculiar energy.

It's actually kind of fascinating to see Nero, the very definition of machismo, at least for some, playing a guy who is obviously deeply troubled and perhaps sexually impotent unless excited by the prospect of (or proximity to) death. The film has an increasingly hallucinatory style as Mino becomes more and more roiled, and the film might be faulted for going completely Grand Guignol in its third act. Some of the graphic sexuality and violence evidently caused umbrage in the ranks of Italian censors back when the film was originally released.

The Third Eye Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arrow has lumped all four films together in terms of its verbiage on the transfers included in the insert booklet which accompanies this set:

The Blancheville Monster (Horror), The Third Eye (Il terzo occhio) and The Witch (La strega in amore) are presented in their original aspect ratios of 1.85:1 with Italian and English mono audio. Lady Morgan's Vengeance (La vendetta di Lady Morgan) is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with Italian mono audio.

The original 35mm camera negatives for The Blancheville Monster, The Third Eye and The Witch were scanned and restored in 2K resolution at L'Immagine Ritrovata, Bologna. The films were graded at R3Store Studios, London. The mono Italian and English language tracks were remastered from the optical sound negatives by L'Immagine Ritrovata and Bad Princess Productions, London.

The original 35mm camera negative for Lady Morgan's Vengeance was scanned in 2K resolution at Cinema Communications Services, Rome. Grading and restoration were completed at R3Store Studios, London. The mono Italian language track was remastered from the optical sound negative by Bad Princess Productions, London. The audio synch for all three films will appear slightly loose against the picture, due to the fact that the dialogue was recorded entirely in post production, as per the production standards of the period.

All original materials used for the restorations of The Blancheville Monster, The Third and Eye and The Witch were made available from Movietime.

All original materials used for the restoration of Lady Morgan's Vengeance were made available from Variety.

The Third Eye becomes increasingly psychedelically tinged as Mino becomes more and more unhinged, and as such, this transfer has to account for a number of challenges, including lots of opticals and askew framings. Perhaps surprisingly, then, detail levels remain remarkably intact throughout this presentation, and fine detail is often quite evocative, as in the probably obvious use of pounds of pancake makeup on Blanc as the deceased Laura. Fine detail can admittedly fall prey to various stylistic flourishes that are employed, but in reasonably "normal" framings, looks excellent. Grain resolves naturally throughout.

The Third Eye Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Third Eye features LPCM Mono track in the original Italian and an English dub. Kind of interestingly, Mark Thompson Ashworth briefly mentions that there was no English language version of this film, so I can't account for that discrepancy, but the good news here is, whatever the provenance of the English language track, there's virtually no difference that I could perceive between it and the Italian track, in terms of general mix or amplitude. Both tracks offer secure renderings of effects, score and dialogue, though there's still the somewhat boxy sound that accompanies all of the audio options in this set. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Third Eye Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by Rachael Nisbet


• The Cold Kiss of Death (HD; 6:15) is an introduction by Mark Thomspon Ashworth.


• Nostalgia Becomes Necrophilia (HD; 12:00) is a visual essay by Lindsay Hallam.


• All Eyes on Erika (HD; 15:40) is an interview with Erika Blanc, described as "newly edited". Subtitled in English.


• Image Gallery (HD)

The Third Eye Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of Franco (and/or Frank) Nero are probably going to be more than a little surprised by his characterization in this film, which owes more than a bit to Anthony Perkins' inimitable work as Norman Bates, but which frankly may ultimately be even more over the top than that memorable performance, if only because this film doesn't obfuscate some of Mino's murderous tendencies the way the Hitchcock film does with regard to Norman. Technical merits are solid and the supplements very appealing, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.