Collaborations - they are or rather can be quite the dream for fans. So seeing Dario Argento doing a movie with George Romero ... I can only guess how excited some were back in the day. But this is not one movie - it is is actually two movies or rather two stories.

And as one may expect of me, I liked the Romero part better than the Argento part. That does not mean, I think the Argento second half of this is bad. Actually even the Romero "short" (if you can call a one hour segment that) is not up to other things that he did. Not sure what the background to this was, but as it is, the shorts are enjoyable. The acting is fine and the effects are also ok, for the time and budget they had

"Two Evil Eyes" is something of an anthology, consisting of a mere two parts based loosely on Edgar Allan Poe tales (although my understanding is that the film was intended to have more notable directors attached). In the first film, a couple deals with a frozen man who refuses to stop talking to them. In the second, a man and his girlfriend have a rocky relationship and his intent to end it is thwarted by a black cat.

George A. Romero's half is rather bland, nothing amazing to speak of and almost made me fall asleep (though I was heavily intoxicated on Scoresby Scotch by this point, so sleep was immanent). Adrienne Barbeau appears, which was a treat for horror fans who enjoyed her in other films ("The Fog", for example). Romero is a nice guy and a talented guy, but his genius is overstated and this film just further stresses that point. While he may be remembered for zombies (his original trilogy of "Dead" films is awesome),he has just as many flops and failures. This can join that list.

Luckily, the other (second) half was directed by Dario Argento and starring Harvey Keitel ("Reservoir Dogs") in a beret. While I should have been more sleepy at this point, I perked right up with Argento's well-paced story and Keitel's erratic behavior (which never seems to get old no matter how many films he comes across the same). This part is based on Poe's "Black Cat", although the connection is only very minor for the bulk of the story. Compare this to other incarnations, and you've still got a solid movie. I thoroughly enjoyed Stuart Gordon's interpretation of "Black Cat" (and may say it is the best),but this did nothing to take away from Argento's vision.

I would have to be sober in order to more properly analyze this film. But, I can say this: the Romero part was boring and the Argento part was not, just as I could have predicted. Since the two halves have nothing connecting them, at least as far as I could tell, I would still say this is a movie worth owning. You could skip to the second half and be in the presence of a great work of art. Of course, you should watch the first part, too, but I don't believe it will get a lot of repeated viewings. (Also appearing: Julie Benz, in her first acting role, and Tom Savini.)

When the two greatest Horror directors alive (and two of the greatest of all-time),George A. Romero and Dario Argento make a movie together, a fan of Horror might rightly hope for a masterpiece. "Due Occhi Diabolici" aka. "Two Evil Eyes" from 1990 features two separate 1 hour films based on the work of Edgar Alan Poe, "The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar", directed by Romero, and "The Black Cat" directed by Argento. "Two Evil Eyes" is certainly great entertainment and a pleasant Horror experience, however it does not quite come up to the high expectations one might have of a film by these two brilliant directors. It must be said, however, that it may be very difficult for a Poe-themed movie to impress me after Roger Corman's brilliant Poe-cycle from the sixties, starring my all-time favorite actor, the great Horror icon Vincent Price. These films, such as "Pit And The Pendulum", "The Haunted Palace" and "Masque Of The Red Death" (just to name the three most ingenious masterpieces of this brilliant cycle) are essential all-time Horror greats, no Poe-themed film has ever come close to those flicks, and it is very unlikely that any ever will.

The second segment, Argento's "The Black Cat" is, in my opinion, a lot better than Romero's "Mr. Valdemar", not only for the fact that one of the greatest living actors, Harvey Keitel, plays the lead, but also since it is far more twisted and atmospheric.

"The Facts In The Case Of Mr. Valdemar", mainly based on Poe's short story of the same name, tells the tale of a woman named Jessica (Adrienne Barbeau),who, alongside her ex-lover (Ramy Zada),is willing to do quite anything to inherit the entire property of her terminally ill older husband (Bingo O Malley)... The 1 hour segment has some very eerie moments, and a chilling atmosphere over-all. As mentioned above, however, Roger Corman handled the same topic with a lot more depth in 30 minutes as the final segment of "Tales Of Terror" (1962). Admittedly, Corman had a brilliant cast, Vincent Price, Basil Rathbone and Debra Paget.

"The Black Cat", is also mainly based on Poe's short of the same name. However, this second segment furthermore contains elements from certain other Poe works. A crime-scene photographer with a familiar name, Roderick Usher (Harvey Keitel) and his younger girlfriend Annabel (Madeleine Porter) live happily together in a nice old building. Until one day Anabel takes a black cat home... The second segment is highly atmospheric, nightmarish and very eerie, and crowned by Harvey Keitel's leading performance.

All said, "Two Evil Eyes" is neither a highlight of Romero's nor Argento's career, however it is still a good film. Let's not forget we're talking about two geniuses here! If you set your expectations too high and expect a masterpiece of the brilliance of "Night Of The Living Dead" Or "Suspiria" you'll be disappointed. Nevertheless, this is great Horror entertainment. Just keep in mind that you're not about to watch something comparable to Romero's or Argento's masterpieces in quality, and you will have a great time as a Horror fan. My rating: 6/10 for Romero's segment and 8/10 for Argento's segment, makes an overall 7/10. Recommended!