Eyes of a Stranger (1981)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Ken Wiederhorn

Writers:

Eric L. Bloom (writer)
Ron Kurz (writer)

Release Date:

27 March 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Sorry, your party is dead.

Plot:

A reporter suspects a creepy neighbor, who lives in the high-rise building across from hers, is a serial killer terrorizing the Miami area.

Plot Keywords:

News Anchor | Sister | Serial Killer | Deaf | Elevator

Cast

Lauren Tewes	...	Jane Harris
Jennifer Jason Leigh	...	Tracy Harris
John DiSanti	...	Stanley Herbert
Peter DuPre	...	David
Gwen Lewis	...	Debbie Ormsley
Kitty Lunn	...	Annette
Timothy Hawkins	...	Jeff
Ted Richert	...	Roger England
Toni Crabtree	...	Mona
Robert Small	...	Dr. Bob
Stella Rivera	...	Dancer
Dan Fitzgerald	...	Bartender
Jose Baramonde	...	Jimmy
Luke Halpin	...	Tape Editor
Rhonda Flynn	...	Woman in Car
Tony Federico	...	Man in Car
Alan Lee	...	Photographer
Amy Krug	...	Young Jane
Tabbetha Tracey	...	Young Tracy
Sarah Hutcheson	...	Friend
Jilian Lindig	...	Mother
George De Vries	...	Father
Mel Pape	...	Doctor
Robert Goodman	...	Crewman
Herb Goldstein	...	Elderly Man
Sonia Zomina	...	Elderly Woman
Joe Friedman	...	Movie Patron
Patricia Warren	...	Susan (as Pat Warren)
Kathy Suergiu	...	Karen
Michael De Silva	...	Technical Director
Richard Allen	...	News Director
Madelon Curtis	...	Nurse (as Madeline Curtis)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Steven Belgard	...	Bar Patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Ken Wiederhorn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Eric L. Bloom		writer
Ron Kurz		writer (as Mark Jackson)

Produced by
Ronald Zerra	....	producer

Original Music by
Richard Einhorn
Red Neinkirchen

Cinematography by
Mini Rojas

Film Editing by
Rick Shaine

Production Design by
Jessica Sack

Makeup Department
Dean Gates	....	special makeup effects artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup effects

Production Management
Josi W. Konski	....	production manager

Art Department
Karen Simon	....	props

Sound Department
Stan Bochner	....	sound editor
Dan Lieberstein	....	supervising sound editor

Camera and Electrical Department
John Leeward	....	grip
Frank Smathers	....	grip

Casting Department
Dee Miller	....	location casting

Other crew
Steven Belgard	....	production assistant
Jay Tobias	....	set production assistant

Production Companies

• Georgetown Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1981) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Bros. (1981) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia (1981) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

84 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

West Germany:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | UK:18 | USA:R | Iceland:(Banned) | Norway:(Banned) (1981-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Miami, Florida, USA

Company:

Georgetown Productions Inc.

Trivia:

At the movie theater there is a poster for Dawn of the Dead (1978) which Tom Savini also did makeup-effects for.

Goofs:

Continuity: During one of the last scenes of the movie, a man rips Jennifer's top completely from front but during next few seconds her top is intact but later on when she goes to bathroom her top is ripped again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Penny Dreadful (2005)

Unspectacular but effective

EYES OF A STRANGER is an effective thriller. It unfortunately does have a TV movie feel/look to it and the slight story takes place only in a couple of apartments and parking lots. But even if there's nothing remotely original or spectacular about it, in the end, I thought it was effective nonetheless. There are a couple of standout scenes, like the head in the fish tank and the scene when the woman is taking a shower and the killer is staring at her with his face pressed against the glass door. Creepy!!! And the scene when Lauren calls the killer is full of tension. The acting by Jennifer Jason Leigh was very good, and to my surprise, even Lauren Tewes was good and nothing like the annoying saccharine character she played on THE LOVE BOAT. I recommend EYES OF A STRANGER to fans of thrillers, slashers or horror films.