DVD Review: BLIND ALLEY

Posted by Stephen Lambrechts (@Slambrechts)

THE FILM: With the Euro-horror trend back in full swing, filmmakers who appreciate the glory days of the '60s and '70s have started paying tribute to the classics in their work. This is immediately evident with Spanish writer/director Antonio Trashorras' film BLIND ALLEY. Stylistically, the film bears all the hallmarks of an old Mario Bava or Dario Argento giallo, with a funky '60s-style opening credit sequence featuring Go-Go dancing, inventive camera-work that employs lots of split-screen and close-ups of eyeballs and lighting that goes through all of the usual primary colours. This is pretty much where the giallo comparisons end.

BLIND ALLEY tells the story of Rosa (Ana de Armas), a maid who dreams of getting her big break as a dancer or actress or something (is there a market for Go-Go dancing these days?) and after a particularly bad day, gets some good news in the form of a second audition for a gig the very next morning. With her washing machine not working, Rosa takes her outfits for the audition to a creepy-ass laundromat down the end of a dead-end alley near her place. Unfortunately for her, she ends up finding herself trapped and tormented there by a sadistic murderer (Diego Cadavid). Will Rosa be able to survive this dangerous game of cat and mouse?

The film starts quite promisingly, with a lead character that is not only gorgeous, but sympathetic as well. Armas is charming in the role, handling the lighter, seemingly romantic moments with a sense of sweetness, and then turning that on its head by conveying the sheer terror of her situation. Her main co-star Cadavid is also well-cast, with a handsome exterior that can suddenly turn dark and terrifying. Director Trashorras has a keen visual eye, but balances this with a nice emphasis on character, giving us reasons to root for Rosa, even when she does stupid things, like smash her phone in a fit of rage, despite it being her only hope for outside communication.

Had the film continued on the path laid down by its first two acts, we may have been talking about a minor Spanish-terror classic. Instead, the film takes a turn into supernatural territory in its third act, taking much of our interest along with it. While the goopy gore effects are certainly appreciated, after having invested in these characters and their situations for most of the movie, the sudden turn feels like somewhat of a cop-out. The film goes from being genuinely thrilling, to kind of silly in what seems like a heartbeat.

Still, there is much good work here from everyone involved. The actors are great and pretty, the digital photography is splendid, the characters are well-written, the special effects are great and the directing is also commendable. The film would’ve benefitted from an earlier reveal of its supernatural side, or if that side had been left out entirely. Even with its final act drop-of-the-ball, BLIND ALLEY is easy to recommend to fans of stylish Euro horror flicks, and to anyone who longs for a return of the good old days, when style and colourful camera-work reigned supreme.

THE DISC: Fans of Italian cinema will get a huge kick out of the ‘Pre-Show’ special feature on the main menu of Monster Pictures’ DVD release of BLIND ALLEY. We are treated to a series of classic Italian giallo/horror trailers from the ‘60s and ‘70s, including such gems as THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE and FOUR FLIES ON GREY VELVET. The package also comes with a trailer for BLIND ALLEY and a reversible ‘unrated’ cover sleeve. Picture and sound quality are exceptional, due to the gorgeous digital photography giving up a crisp, almost high-def quality, and wonderful bombastic soundtrack.