BLIND DATE (1984)
Article 5037 by Dave Sindelar
Date: 1-2-2016
Directed by Nico Mastorakis
Featuring Joseph Bottoms, Kirstie Alley, James Daughton
Country: USA / Greece
What it is: Giallo of sorts

A man has an accident and goes blind, though there appears to be nothing physically wrong with him. A scientist fits him with a device that will allow him to use computer technology that will allow him to see within certain limits. When he stumbles across a serial killer, he finds his life in danger and must try to bring him to justice.

After I watched this movie, I went back and read the reviews of the other Nico Mastorakis movies I’ve seen, and if I see a pattern, it’s that they usually have an interesting central concept or gimmick, but for some reason it never quite gestates into a compelling movie. Also, there’s usually a lot of great Greek scenery to enjoy. In this one, however, he’s less interested in Greek landscapes and is more interested in pulchritude; the movie is full of women in skimpy outfits; some appear topless as well. I know many people consider this a plus, but it’s also such an easy directorial choice that it doesn’t impress me. The gimmick about a man using an artificial device that works like sonar to allow him to see is a clever concept, but I must admit to being disappointed with the way the movie handles the concept visually, and I’m not sure the gimmick is really necessary to a story that boils down to a man facing off with a serial killer. Still, I do feel that one of my major problems with the movie is that I never feel a shred of suspense; though intellectually I know how I’m supposed to feel in certain scenes, I never actually feel it, and at least part of the reason here is that I don’t really like or care for the main character. It also doesn’t help that the script seems quite contrived at time, and the climax just plain doesn’t work for me. In short, the movie never really sucks me into its story; it remains distant and remote. I found this one quite disappointing.