Definitely one of the better neo gialli. There were a few details that took me out of the time period but overall this felt very true to the 80s, more than most big budget throwbacks, and did a great job recapturing that giallo vibe and style. It's also very interesting that they opted to look back at 80s gialli rather than 70s (although they took cues from several of the latter as well) seeing as how 80s films of that type were usually less highly regarded and the trend was over, meaning less of them were being made. Most neo gialli are set in the 70s so this is definitely something new. It has a very obvious low budget which was a bit disappointing as one of the main keys of the subgenre is lavish and opulent set design but they did a good job nonetheless, going for the art noveau style of argento's most popular period. That last building was the real thing though, and gorgeous.

Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano are two talented new film-makers from Buenos Aires, who at London's Frightfest revealed their main passions - giallo and women in their 60s and 70s, preferably screaming. Their second feature, first to be shown internationally, was intended as one part of a web series but expanded. There's not much of a plot. Drug-addicted, bad-tempered model Alexis Carpenter gets her just deserts when she's accidentally burned during a catwalk show, a bravura sequence that sets the tone of the film. The media reports her death but soon afterwards a sinister masked "silueta", assumed to be the disfigured Alexis goes on a killing spree. A succession of murders ensues, but there's a twist ending befitting the film-makers' favourite Italian genre. Considering Endelman and Montejano claim to have had almost no budget, the art direction is sumptuous and the cast (mostly female) are dressed, coiffed and made-up to the nines. Rarely have we seen so many high heels click-clacking up and down floors and staircases. The "Suspiria"-style lighting is superb and the murders are staged with a flare that Argento probably would acknowledge. The violent music of Pablo Fuu enhances the visuals perfectly. The audience for this film is going to be niche. Considerable knowledge of classic Italian giallo is necessary and it will also help to be familiar with the cast, some of whom are movie veterans. Silvia Montanari made her screen debut in a Poe portmanteau, "Obras maestras del terror" (1960),starring the great Narciso Ibanez Menta. Someone calling him/herself Issis Trash also cuts a strikingly grotesque figure as the masked psycho. If all this sounds like your sort of thing, seek out this film as it does the festival circuit.

"Mirada de Cristal" perfectly captures the essence of Italian horror productions from the late 70s and 80s and this is something that I personally loved to see. It features all the elements that made those movies from that particular era so fun to watch: an uncomplicated plot with the right amount of mystery, fun characters, creative death scenes, a killer wearing a very distinctive mask, a bright color palette and great music.

While watching "Mirada de Cristal", I couldn't help but thinking of one of my favorite Italian horror flicks from the 80s, like Michele Soavi's "Deliria" (aka "Stage Fright"),especially with all those colorful lights, the flamboyant characters with diva attitudes and the creative death scenes. The characters are one of the many things I love about this flick: they are clearly supposed to be over the top and somewhat campy, so I also give credit to the actors for delivering their lines in a way that was very evocative of those flicks from the 80s. I especially enjoyed seeing the late Silvia Montanari and veteran actress Claudia Lapacó in a small role towards the very end. To be fair, though, most of the cast members were up to the task, not only the most famous ones.

Though the budget was modest (and it shows from time to time),directors Ezequiel Endelman and Leandro Montejano used it wisely enough for the most part. They tried to recreate the aesthetics of the dance academy from "Suspiria" (1977),which is not exactly easy to do with moderate budget, but somehow, they managed to get the job done (hell, we even get a brief glimpse of ornamental glass peacock!). I regret to say that, at times, the scenery looked perhaps a little bit too stiff and cartoonish. I don't know if this was intentional or not, but I personally didn't care for it that much. That being said, I'll take artificial scenery over lousy CGI any day! For the most part, the scenery was great. The photography and the strident color scheme was very well done and it reminded me of Dario Argento's "Inferno" (1980),for the most part.

Throughout the entire film, the killer wears a patent leather trench coat, high heels and a creepy mask of a woman with heavy makeup and dead eyes. When chasing his/her victims, the killer walks as if he/she were on a catwalk, even going so far as to strike glamorous poses (how can anyone not enjoy the deliberate campiness of this?). The chase scenes are very well done, providing just the right amount of tension and without being unnecessarily prolonged. As for the kills, they are really creative and intentionally over the top (the one with the crystal bird was just perfect). As for the killer's identity reveal, well, it really wasn't very surprising, but, who cares? Most "old-school" slashers were predictable to a certain extent too, so I don't consider this a flaw.

I really enjoyed this movie and I think those who have watched more than a couple of Italian/American horror productions from the 80s will be able to acknowledge that both directors really have a tremendous passion for horror flicks and they put a lot of effort into this. They evidently cared about their film, nothing felt rushed, they took a lot of time and dedication to take care of even the tiniest details and it shows. When something is done with such devotion, it most likely ends up getting the recognition it deserves.