HOLLYWOOD CLASSIC # 8 "The Eyes of Laura Mars"
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Eyes of Laura Mars is a 1978 horror film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, adapted from a spec script titled Eyes, written by John Carpenter, was Carpenter's first major studio film. Producer Jon Peters, who was dating Barbra Streisand at the time, bought the screenplay as a starring vehicle for the actress, but Stresiand eventually decided not to take the role because of "the kinky nature of the story," as Peters later explained. The role went, instead, to Faye Dunaway, who had just won an Oscar for her performance in "Network."
Production began on October 17, 1977. It was shot entirely in New York and New Jersey. The famous sequence where the Laura Mars character photographs a group of models against a backdrop of two burning cars was filmed over four days at New York's Columbus Circle. The $7 million production wrapped on January 9, 1978, after 56 days of filming. It was reported that Peters and Dunaway had tense relationship while making the film, and that Streisand visited the set on a few occasions.
On its release, the film received mixed critical reviews, with critics such as Roger Ebert pointing out its clichéd "woman in trouble" plot. Despite its lukewarm critical reception, the film was a box office hit, earning $20M off of a $7M budget.
The film's theme song, "Prisoner," was performed by Streisand, and became one of the major hits of 1978. The soundtrack included other hit songs from the period.
Laura Mars is often compared to the 1994 film Color of Night. They're both poorly-reviewed erotic thrillers with big stars, themes of alternative lifestyles, and award-winning, haunting theme songs. Both films are archetypal examples of the giallo genre of film. Oddly, they also both star Brad Dourif, and both contain scenes where a boom mic is visible. Here's a link to one of the scenes where Laura experience one of her visions:.
Eyes of Laura Mars is a 1978 horror film starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones and directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, adapted from a spec script titled Eyes, written by John Carpenter, was Carpenter's first major studio film. Producer Jon Peters, who was dating Barbra Streisand at the time, bought the screenplay as a starring vehicle for the actress, but Stresiand eventually decided not to take the role because of "the kinky nature of the story," as Peters later explained. The role went, instead, to Faye Dunaway, who had just won an Oscar for her performance in "Network."
Production began on October 17, 1977. It was shot entirely in New York and New Jersey. The famous sequence where the Laura Mars character photographs a group of models against a backdrop of two burning cars was filmed over four days at New York's Columbus Circle. The $7 million production wrapped on January 9, 1978, after 56 days of filming. It was reported that Peters and Dunaway had tense relationship while making the film, and that Streisand visited the set on a few occasions.
On its release, the film received mixed critical reviews, with critics such as Roger Ebert pointing out its clichéd "woman in trouble" plot. Despite its lukewarm critical reception, the film was a box office hit, earning $20M off of a $7M budget.
The film's theme song, "Prisoner," was performed by Streisand, and became one of the major hits of 1978. The soundtrack included other hit songs from the period.
Laura Mars is often compared to the 1994 film Color of Night. They're both poorly-reviewed erotic thrillers with big stars, themes of alternative lifestyles, and award-winning, haunting theme songs. Both films are archetypal examples of the giallo genre of film. Oddly, they also both star Brad Dourif, and both contain scenes where a boom mic is visible. Here's a link to one of the scenes where Laura experience one of her visions:.
posted by Patrick at Saturday, February 03, 2007
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