"The Eye of Satan" (1992)

by Joseph Perry

Normally here at “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict,” both Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. However, here and there they will be taking the reins in a solo outing. For this installment, it’s Joseph with a solo review of  action/horror thriller The Eye of Satan by director David Kent-Watson.

Synopsis

A hitman is assigned to protect the daughter of a local gangster after her life is threatened by a rival organisation. When the hitman is double-crossed by his employers, he wreaks a violent supernatural revenge.

The Good

The Eye of Satan is my first foray into the shot-on-video world of Cliff Twemlow and company, and what a ride it is. Double-dealing arms traders and a hitman who is a master of the dark arts (Twemlow as Kane) cross paths, and the latter owns a black panther that is part of the occult leanings. Kane is somewhat of an antihero, as practically every character except for the police officers is a nogoodnik of one type or another. Twemlow plays Kane as a cross between a muscular, no-nonsense action hero and a self-serving occultist, and it works. Kent-Watson juggles all of the madness handily.

The Bad

The performances run from far more sincere than might be expected for a SOV film to cool and fun to questionable. The several subplots can lead to a bit of head-scratching at times. There’s some racial stereotype name-calling.

The Verdict

The green eyes! The non-sexy sex scenes! Twemlow’s performance! The combination of gangster naughtiness and satanic nastiness! All this and more make The Eye of Satan a heck of a fun watch. Recommended for devotees of action horror and fans of B-movie madness.

The Eye of Satan is available from July 29, 2025 as part of the U.S. nine-disc release BLOODY LEGEND: THE COMPLETE CLIFF TWEMLOW COLLECTION from Intervision Picture Corp. — Severin’s showcase label for shot-on-video classics. The physical set will not get a U.K. specific release, but the set is multiregion and available to buy on import. For British fans, the company has announced that a collection of 10 films including The Eye of Satan will be available to view on U.K. digital platforms on July 28, 2025.

The Eye of Satan

Directed By: David Kent-Watson

Written By: Cliff Twemlow

Starring: Cliff Twemlow, Ginette Gray, Max Beesley Snr

Run Time: 1h 16m

Rating: N/R 

Release Date: February 21, 1992