Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll

Director - Carlos Aured (Curse of the Devil, The Mummy's Revenge)
Starring - Paul Naschy (A Werewolf in the Amazon, Mystery on Monster Island), Diana Lorys (Fangs of the Living Dead, The Devil's Man), and Eduardo Calvo (The Mummy's Revenge, Devil's Possessed)
Release Date - 1974
Genre - Horror
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

(Rating out of 5):

     Are you sick of me talking about Paul Naschy yet?  Good, cause I'm just now at the half way mark in the Paul Naschy Collection recently released by Scream Factory.  I decided to go ahead and check out the collection after I reviewed the Mondo Macabro release of Inquisition which also starred Naschy.  So far in this set I've watched the awesome Horror Rises from the Tomb.  This is the first Naschy film I saw way back when.  The second film in the set was Vengeance of the Zombies.  The movie was solid but left a lot to be desired.  As I move on to the third film in the set, Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll, I can think how awesome that title is and how it could easily be the title of an early 70s giallo.

     The film follows Gilles (Naschy) who is an ex-convict trying to get his life together and put his past behind him which is difficult considering he has horrible nightmares where he kills beautiful women.  He gets a job as a caretaker for a family consisting of three sisters who are complete opposites.  When he thinks he has a grasp on his life someone is going around killing blonde haired women and cutting out their eyes.  Will Gilles past come back to bite him in the ass or is someone else killing for a diabolical reason?
     Vengeance of the Zombies was a solid flick but I had some issues with it and that made me just a little skeptical about how Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll would play out.  I was lucky and the film is actually a Spanish giallo which I didn't know they even existed before this.  The acting in this one is pretty solid.  Naschy once again delivers an amazing performance and this time we see a softer side.  We do see him turn violent which is to be expected but we rarely see Naschy in an emotional role.  Sadly, no one else stands out in the film which is good.  A slower story relies on genuine characters which is what we get.   The story for this one is predictable but it still delivers on an entertaining plot.  The film moves at a very slow pace at first but builds with tension and suspense.  The story does a great job at building suspense and creating atmosphere just like the classic Italian giallo.  Sadly, once the film starts you know exactly how it is going to end.  Finally, the film does show a few on screen kills that are easily forgettable.  The kills are what we have seen in so many other films. including previously reviewed Naschy films, that offer up minimal effects.  An amazing film falters at the deaths.  Overall, Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll definitely surprised me.  I was not expecting a well put together giallo starring Naschy.  The kills could have been more but the overall film still delivers.  Check it out.