(1982/Italy)
(L’OCCHIO DEL MALE, EYE OF THE EVIL DEAD, THE POSSESSED, EVIL EYE, IL MALOCCHIO)
REVIEWED BY-Devin Kelly
CAST: Christopher Connelly, Martha Taylor (Marta Monteverdi), Giovanni Frezza, Brigitta Boccoli, Cinzia De Ponti, Cosimo Cinieri, Enzo Bellanich, Carlo De Mejo, Andrea Bosic, Laura Lenzi, Lucio Fulci, Martin Sorrentino, Mario Moretti, Tonino Pulci, Giovanni De Nava
DIRECTOR: Lucio Fulci
PRODUCER: Fabrizio De Angelis
Fulvia Film s.r.l
DVD SOURCE: Anchor Bay Entertainment (Lucio Fulci Collection)
RUNNING TIME: 88 min. 52 seconds
Could there be such a thing as a typecast director, so to speak? We know that as is often the case with an actor who has mastered a certain kind of role, they often fall prey to that very label. The perfect psycho, the slapstick clown, the dumb blonde, the pothead stoner, and so on. Can the same be said of expectations of certain directors and their films? Certainly, one doesn’t seek out an H.G Lewis flick for it’s technical and acting merits. Should the same be said for the films of Lucio Fulci? One has to wonder considering the majority reaction to anything post-1979 from the director’s filmography not drenched in gore.
MANHATTAN BABY falls into this category of left-field Fulci; regarded by Fulci completists, but unheralded and dismissed in many ways by those spoiled by the glistening, gloppy gore of his most popular films. Still, although he was a master of envisioning some of the most horrific sequences possible, it seems an unfair stereotype. As respected writer Dardano Sachetti put it during the interview on the Anchor Bay disc, MANHATTAN BABY was an attempt to take Fulci’s horror in a different direction. Although slightly imitative, as many Lucio films are, of other, more popular American horror, the different attempt taken with BABY wasn’t at all a bad effort. Despite the lack of splatter and brutality, combined with budget restrictions, it’s far from the director’s worst film.Echoing William Friedkin’s known world classic, THE EXORCIST (1973), the film starts with a search for ancient artifacts – the setting, Egypt. Archeologist George Hacker (Christopher Connelly), daughter Susie (Brigitta Boccoli), and wife Emily (Marta Monteverdi aka. Martha Taylor), are vacationing in the mysterious land of sand and pharaoh’s while Prof. Hacker hopes to also unravel the puzzle of a powerful deity called Habnouvador. Excited by the recent findings of his Egyptian colleagues, Hacker tries to arrange an expedition into a pyramid leading down into the tomb of the feared and respected God. Unfortunately for him, the locals are too scared to even consider the thought, so George settles for one brave volunteer who knows the way and the two men set off aware of the risks involved. As they make their way in however, the team of two is reduced to one, as Hacker’s guide slides down a trap staircase to be impaled gruesomely on large spikes while the Professor narrowly misses the same demise. A dark fate still awaits the ambitious archeologist though – literally. As he enters another part of the cavern, upon the mysterious walls, the symbol of Habnouvador is held; it’s gaze capturing Prof. Hacker and suddenly sending two blue laser beams directly into his eyes. The Professor somehow manages to wander out of the centuries old structure, but unable to see a thing! 
At the same time as this has occurred, while her mother is taking photos for the publication she works for in New York (setting of a million and one Euro films), little Susie is approach by a strange old woman, fixed upon her with nothing but the whites of her eyes. “Tombs are for the dead!” . She hands over to Susie a beautiful glimmering necklace bearing a large hypnotic eye – the same eye that she doesn’t yet know struck her father blind in Habnouvador’s tomb. Too bad for all those back home in Manhattan. They’re about to get a large dose of the supernatural. 
Back in New York awaits the Hacker’s other child, Susie’s outspoken little brother Tommy (most known, but maybe not best loved of the Italian child actors, Giovanni Frezza). Both of them seem none too fazed by their father’s sudden blindness, preferring to bicker at each other, with Frezza referring to her as a “Lousy lesbian!” while hanging with their fulltime babysitter and former Miss Italy 1979, Cinzia De Ponti, who could be seen the same year getting brutally dispatched at the start of Fulci’s controversial, NEW YORK RIPPER (1982). What occurs in New York at the home of the Hacker’s and around their friends from here on is less than horrifying, but the feeling of it all is still strange and other-worldly. With shades of POLTERGEIST (1982) in abundance, lights flicker on and off, things appear in places they shouldn’t be, mirrors and doors are portals, and an overall presence of something unnatural abounds. Sadly, it’s not really enough to conjure up many real jolts and scares.The plotting is somewhat choppy too in my opinion. For example, halfway through, George regains his vision. This seems a sudden choice considering all the time spent in the opening setting up his impending blindness. Young Susie still could have brought havoc to Manhattan with the necklace without her father needlessly going blind at all, but I guess this was in relation somewhat to the appearance of the old woman in Egypt. Fulci also borrows a little too heavily from other horror films, so much so that it had to have been intentional, maybe even in his mind, paying homage. HALLOWEEN (1978) is sampled from with De Ponti’s character, the babysitter, being called Jamie Lee, watching one child named Tommy. The occult expert (wonderfully played by Cosimo Cinieri) the Hacker’s go to for assistance is Adrian Marcato – reminding us of Polanski’s amazing, ROSEMARY’S BABY (1968). The possession of Susie is no doubt inspired by THE AWAKENING (1980) (as has been said to be the major source of influence for Fulci here). And lastly, there’s no question about some credit going to the aforementioned, THE EXORCIST. All in all though, real Fulci fans will likely forgive and find some Italian horror movie pleasure here still. 
The cast does help to an extent, with some good performances, a few of them standing out definitely more than others, with a couple of Fulci regulars on hand for a familiar territory feel. Bushy-browed Cosimo Cinieri takes the cake in the role of Marcato, and as well documented, supplies the only bout of hardcore flesh-ripping and blood-letting in the bird attack sequence. Cinieri’s wild-eyed expressions certainly add to the impact of the moment and he was and would be no stranger to the direction of Lucio Fulci, having also taken roles in NEW YORK RIPPER, ROME 2072, A.D.- THE NEW GLADIATORS (1983), and the rare MURDEROCK – UCCIDE A PASSO DI DANZA (1984). Also highly entertaining is old favorite Carlo De Mejo (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD ’80, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY ’81), who has a small part as Emily’s goofy, google-eye wearing co-worker and friend Luke, and ends up a corpse laying in the sand half way across the world at the chance of cheering up the kids with some funny magic mumbo-jumbo. In the lead, the late Chris Connelly is good, despite slight blandness to his part, but he’s much better utilized in films like Enzo Castellari’s cult-smash 1990: THE BRONX WARRIORS (1982) and Bruno Mattei’s STRIKE COMMANDO (1987) (where he’s a real prick). Also, I can’t forget to mention two uncredited class of Fulci faces – those being Joe “The Plumber” Freudstein himself, Giovanni De Nava (THE BEYOND ’81, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY ’81) working with Dr. Fulci (yes, Lucio pops up here too), and a hilarious cameo by personal favorite; black actor Martin Sorrentino (CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD ’80, NEW YORK RIPPER ’82), who falls through the oh so phoney floor of an elevator. Sorrentino would often go uncredited, but a smile comes to me every time I spot him.
As an interesting side note, the scorpions used for MANHATTAN BABY became a slight problem when for better effect, larger scorpions from South America were brought in, as opposed to smaller scorpions from Africa which were also available. However, unbeknownst to the crew, South American scorpions breathe through their underbelly and when they went to release them into the hot desert sand, the scorpions were unable to adapt to the heat and kept flipping onto their backs in order to take in air. With all of the ups and downs in the shooting of this film, I still stand by my opinion in saying that it is not the worst Lucio Fulci film you could “dig up”. To me, that honor goes to his less than stellar archeological/nunsploitation themed outing, DEMONIA (1990). Give it a shot if you’ve liked most of your other Fulci experiences. Hate’s a strong word and chances are a good portion of you won’t feel that badly about it.
The Anchor Bay disc is a decent entry in the Fulci collection, even though the bonus interview with Dardano Sachetti isn’t completely focused on BABY. A nice disc all around.
“Emily, I have to find out what it was I saw in that tomb”
-Prof. George Hacker (Christopher Connelly
STORY: 2.5/5 BITCH SLAPS
PICTURE: 4/5 BITCH SLAPS
AUDIO: 4/5 BITCH SLAPS
EXTRAS: 3/5 BITCH SLAPS
OVERALL FILM: 2.5/5 BITCH SLAPSYou can purchase this at X-Ploited Cinema
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