Due occhi diabolici (1990)

Directors:

Dario Argento
George A. Romero

Writers:

Dario Argento (segment)
Franco Ferrini (segment)
(more)

Release Date:

25 October 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

When I Wake You...You'll Be Dead.

Plot:

Two horror tales based on short stories by Edgar Allan Poe directed by two famous horror directors, George A. Romero and Dario Argento.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Black Cat | Alcoholic | Photographer | Hypnosis

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Adrienne Barbeau	...	Jessica Valdemar (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Ramy Zada	...	Dr. Robert Hoffman (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Bingo O'Malley	...	Ernest Valdemar (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Jeff Howell	...	Policeman (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
E.G. Marshall	...	Steven Pike (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Harvey Keitel	...	Roderick Usher (segment "The Black Cat")
Madeleine Potter	...	Annabel (segment "The Black Cat")
John Amos	...	Det. Legrand (segment "The Black Cat")
Sally Kirkland	...	Eleonora ("The Black Cat")
Kim Hunter	...	Mrs. Pym (segment "The Black Cat")
Holter Graham	...	Christian (segment "The Black Cat") (as Holter Ford Graham)
Martin Balsam	...	Mr. Pym (segment "The Black Cat")
Chuck Aber	...	Mr. Pratt (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Jonathan Adams	...	Hammer (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Tom Atkins	...	Det. Grogan (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Mitchell Baseman	...	Boy at Zoo (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Julie Benz	...	Betty (segment "The Black Cat")
Barbara Bryne	...	Martha (segment "The Black Cat")
Mario Caputo
Lanene Charters	...	Bonnie (segment "The Black Cat")
Bill Dalzell	...	Detective (as Bill Dalzell III)
Anthony Dileo Jr.	...	Taxi Driver (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Christine Forrest	...	Nurse (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar") (as Cristine Forrest)
J.R. Hall	...	2nd Policeman (segment "The Black Cat")
Scott House	...	3rd Policeman (segment "The Black Cat")
James MacDonald	...	Luke (segment "The Black Cat") (as James G. MacDonald)
Charles McPherson
Larry John Meyers	...	Old Man (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Jeff Monahan
Fred Moore
Christina Romero	...	Mother at Zoo (segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar")
Peggy McIntaggart	...	Young Policewoman (segment "The Black Cat") (as Peggy Sanders)
Ben Tatar
Lou Valenzi	...	Editor (segment "The Black Cat")
Jeffrey Wild	...	Delivery Man (segment "The Black Cat")
Ted Worsley	...	Desk Editor (segment "The Black Cat")
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jonathan Sachar	...	Officer Brian (segment "The Black Cat") (uncredited)
Tom Savini	...	The Monomaniac (segment "The Black Cat") (uncredited)

Directed by
Dario Argento		(segment "The Black Cat")
George A. Romero		(segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar") (as George Romero)

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Dario Argento		segment "Black Cat, The"
Franco Ferrini		segment "Black Cat, The"
Peter Koper		uncredited
Edgar Allan Poe		stories
George A. Romero		segment "The Facts in the Case of Mr. Valdemar"

Produced by
Claudio Argento	....	executive producer
Dario Argento	....	executive producer
Achille Manzotti	....	producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Peter Reniers

Film Editing by
Pasquale Buba		(as Pat Buba, segment 'The Black Cat')

Production Design by
Cletus Anderson		(segment "The Black Cat")

Set Decoration by
Diana Stoughton		(as Diana L. Stoughton)

Costume Design by
Barbara Anderson

Makeup Department
Everett Burrell	....	special makeup effects artist (as Everett Burrel)
Terrie Godfrey	....	assistant makeup artist
Will Huff	....	special makeup effects artist
Jeannee Josefczyk	....	hair stylist
Jeannee Josefczyk	....	makeup artist
Tom Savini	....	special makeup effects supervisor
John Vulich	....	special makeup effects artist

Production Management
Carol Cuddy	....	production manager
Fabrizio Diaz	....	production manager: Rome (as Fabrizio Cico Diaz)
Fernando Franchi	....	general manager
Andrea Tinnirello	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Luigi Cozzi	....	second unit director
Fred 'Fredo' Donatelli	....	second assistant director
Nicholas Mastandrea	....	first assistant director
Maria L. Melograne	....	second assistant director (as Maria Melograne)
Nicola Pecorini	....	second unit director

Art Department
Eloise Albrecht	....	set dresser
Lawrence Bailer	....	assistant set designer
Charles Ballew	....	scenic artist
Norman Beck	....	props
Francine Byrne	....	set dresser
Nora Cline	....	scenic artist
Eileen Garrigan	....	set painter
Marty Garrigan	....	property master (as Martin Garrigan)
Thomas J. Garrigan	....	property department (as Thomas Garrigan)
Frederika Gray	....	first scenic artist
Howard Jones	....	chief carpenter
Gary Kosko	....	art department coordinator
Paula Payne	....	scenic artist
Jim Schneider	....	lead man
Louis P. Taylor	....	construction coordinator
Mark Worthington	....	art production assistant

Sound Department
Nick Alexander	....	adr editor: Rome
Luciano Anzellotti	....	additional sound effects (as Luciano Anzelotti)
Luciano Anzellotti	....	foley artist (as Luciano Anzelotti)
Massimo Anzellotti	....	additional sound effects (as Massimo Anzelotti)
Massimo Anzellotti	....	foley artist (as Massimo Anzelotti)
Felipe Borrero	....	production sound mixer
Romano Checcacci	....	sound re-recording mixer
Cesare D'Amico	....	dialogue editor: Rome
Tommy Louie	....	boom operator
Federico Savina	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby Stereo

Special Effects by
J.C. Brotherhood	....	ram effects
Kevin McTurk	....	special effects makeup
Tom Savini	....	special effects

Stunts
Norman Douglass	....	stunts
Andy Duppin	....	stunts
David S. Lomax	....	stunts (as David Lomax)
Phil Neilson	....	stunts
Mick O'Rourke	....	stunts (as Mike O'Rourke)
Michael Russo	....	stunts (as Mike Russo)
Tom Savini	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Abeln	....	electrician
Erik L. Brown	....	first assistant camera (as Erik Brown)
Bart Flaherty	....	grip
Marcello Gabriele	....	lighting director
Brian Haughin	....	electrician
John Janusek	....	best boy grip
Barry Kessler	....	electrician
Beth Kukucka	....	still photographer
Michael J. Latino	....	first assistant camera (as Michael Latino)
Ed Letteri	....	gaffer
Fernando Massaccesi	....	gaffer
Frank McGough	....	best boy electric
John S. Moyer	....	second assistant camera (as John Moyer)
Nicola Pecorini	....	Steadicam operator
Joseph 'Bruno' Pelle	....	grip
Frank Perl	....	camera operator
Fred Pope Jr.	....	generator operator (as Fred Pope)
Rich Sieg	....	grip
Nick Tallo	....	grip (as Nick 'Bomba' Tallo)
Ted Wiegand	....	electrician

Casting Department
Donna M. Belajac	....	local casting (as Donna Belajac)
Staci A. Blagovich	....	extras casting (as Staci Blagovich)
Christina Romero	....	local casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Kathy Borland	....	wardrobe supervisor
Diane Collins	....	seamstress
Melinda Eshelman	....	wardrobe assistant (as Mindy Eshelman)
Debra Marks	....	seamstress
Nancy Palmentier	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
John S. Bich	....	second assistant editor
Ray Boniker	....	assistant editor
Pasquale Buba	....	executive editor
Lorenza Franco	....	first assistant editor: Rome

Music Department
Sergio Marcotulli	....	music mixer
Natale Massara	....	conductor
Paolo Steffan	....	musician: synthesizer

Transportation Department
Jon Bergholz	....	transportation coordinator
Edward J. France	....	driver
Anthony J. Yannone	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Bert Bell	....	interpreter
Lisa Bradley	....	production office coordinator
Kathy Carthers-Wayne	....	choreographer
Greg Day	....	public relations: international
Carlo Du Bois	....	production accountant: Rome
Allegra Elson	....	production secretary
Kenneth Gargaro	....	dialogue coach
Kevin Halloran	....	location consultant: PBS
Enrico Lucherini	....	unit publicist: Italy (as Lucherini-Fantoli)
Aldo Mafera	....	title designer
Judy Matthews	....	location manager
Matthew Myers	....	production assistant
Chris Peworckik-Call	....	cat wrangler
Grant Rhinehart	....	craft service
Andrew Sands	....	production assistant
J.S. Shoe	....	script supervisor
Luciano Tartaglia	....	production accountant
Burton White	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• ADC Films
• Gruppo Bema

Distributors

• Taurus Entertainment Company (1991) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (UK) (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Beam Entertainment (Japan) (DVD producer)
• Blue Underground (2003) (USA) (DVD) (special edition)
• Blue Underground (2005) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Cinefear (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (1990s) (Australia) (VHS)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Finnkino (1998) (Finland) (VHS)
• Firebox (2008) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Living Colour Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Media Home Entertainment (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• Record Visión S.A. (1992) (Spain) (VHS)
• Stomp Visual (2005) (Australia) (DVD)
• Viking Video (2000) (Russia) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Perpetual Motion Pictures

Other Companies

• Cinesicurtà  insurance brokers
• Faso Edizioni Musicali  music production
• Fono Roma  post-production facilities
• Perpetual Motion Pictures  optical effects
• Studio A.M.  titles and opticals
• Zahiya & Associates Inc.  public relations

Also Known As:

Edgar Allan Poe (USA) (working title)
Two Evil Eyes (USA)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

Italy | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Italy:VM14 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:R | France:-16 | Germany:18 | Norway:18 (video premiere) | UK:18 | USA:R | Spain:18 | Australia:MA (DVD rating) | Argentina:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

ADC Films

Trivia:

The "Black Cat" segment contains several other Edgar Allan Poe tales and character names. Two of the crime scenes recorded by Rod Usher are "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "Berenice"; the Tom Savini character in the latter is made up and costumed to look like Poe himself (who wrote "Berenice" in the first person, about a man who opens the tomb of his cousin and removes her teeth). Poe did, in fact, marry his own cousin, who died at the age of 25. Rod's wife's name is Annabel (neé Lee, one supposes); the bartender who returns the cat to him is named Eleonora; and the next-door neighbors are called Pym (first name, no doubt, Arthur Gordon).

Quotes:

Policeman: We found blood in the freezer down in the cellar.
Det. Grogan: Christ! Rich people... Sick stuff always turns out to be rich people.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dario Argento: Master of Horror (1991)

Romero fumbles, but Argento scores

Two Evil Eyes threatened to be another disappointment from Dario Argento, especially since the first half of this modernised Edgar Allen Poe double-header, The Facts in the Case of Mr Valdemar, directed by George A. Romero, felt like a competent but uninspired network TV compilation episode. So it's a real surprise just how much dark fun Argento has with The Black Cat, playfully riffing both on Poe's other short stories and classic movies (there's even a subtle Psycho moment where Martin Balsam's nosey neighbour finds himself at the foot of another staircase looking for another missing woman) as Harvey Keitel's crime photographer - first seen photographing the aftermath of a Pit and the Pendulum incident - finds his life going to Hell when he gets rid of the girlfriend's cat. It's not prime Argento, but compared to his stale going-through-the-motions later efforts like Phantom of the Opera, The Card Player and Phenomena, it'll remind you why you liked him in the first place.