THROUGH NAKED EYES

 

David Soul

THROUGH NAKED EYES (1983 telefilm). Director: John Llewellyn Moxey. 

In an apartment complex in Chicago, an unknown murderer is killing both men and women. One of the chief suspects is flautist William Parrish (David Soul), who uses binoculars to watch a neighbor, Anne (Pam Dawber), across the way and discovers that she is looking at him with a telescope. Eventually the two meet, even as obnoxious Sgt. Scopetta (Gerald Castillo) follows Parrish' every move and even warns Anne about him. Anne is convinced that William is just a nice, lonely guy with artistic abilities but then she discovers some photographs in his possession ... 

Pam Dawber and David Soul

Through Naked Eyes, written by Jeffrey Bloom, is a better-than-average TV movie with some good performances and a considerable amount of suspense. The biggest problem with the film is that it has no style, even though it somewhat apes Brian De Palma (although De Palma's Body Double did not come out until a year later) and Dario Argento -- minus the gore. Soul never gives away whether he is guilty or not, Dawber is bland but effective, and William Schallert steals the film as Parrish' father, who is given a very affecting, well-delivered speech in which he tries to address the gap between the two men and the lonely life that he, too, is living. The telefilm is capped by an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Supporting and bit roles are played by Rod McCary, Dennis Farina, John Mahoney, and Ted Levine. The plot of this film has some similarities to the Italian film The Case of the Bloody Iris. 

Verdict: Absorbing thriller with an interesting storyline. ***. 

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE?

Kathleen Quinlan and Peter Graves

WHERE HAVE ALL THE PEOPLE GONE? (1974 telefilm). Director: John Llewellyn Moxey. Teleplay by Lewis John Carlino. 

Steven Anders (Peter Graves of Beginning of the End) and his children David (George O'Hanlon Jr.) and Deborah (Kathleen Quinlan) are out camping when they investigate a cave and discover something bizarre has happened while they were inside. Their friend Clancy (Noble Willingham), who was not inside the cave, becomes very sick and eventually dies while they are taking him to civilization. What's weirder, his body disappears. Back in town the Anders discover that somehow solar flares (and, ironically, a virus) have killed off most of the populace, turning their bodies into dust. In addition there are no phones or electricity. Steven's wife did not go camping and now his primary focus is to fight off both animal and human predators and make his way back to his spouse. 

Verna Bloom as Jenny

Where Have All the People Gone? is a compelling and suspenseful story that at times comes off like an eerie Roger Corman movie. The characters, including a woman survivor named Jenny (Verna Bloom) whose husband disintegrated and whose children were attacked and killed by maddened dogs (a side effect of the solar flares), are well-developed and the acting is quite good -- with the exception of lead Peter Graves, who rarely works up the consternation and emotion Steven would be feeling. Steven eventually finds his wife, but it is not a happy moment. It might have been good if the script offered some more detail as to what's happened, but it works as a nominal end-of-the-world scenario that is not without hope for the future. 

Verdict: Depressing but quite good doomsday telefilm. ***.