Want a horror movie set in the desert where the ladies wear fur? Sure, we got that too. Interestingly, White of the Eye relentlessly establishes the southwest Arizona scenery every chance it gets, all so Cathy Moriarty can cruise around it in a red fox jacket. Oh, and a horny housewife can pull the ole lynx-fur-coat-seduction-on-the-handyman trick. Man, if I had a nickel for every time that happened in a movie… I’d have a nickel.
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White Of The Eye (Bluray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]
Format: Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, NTSC, Widescreen
White of the Eye – The Movie
This is a slasher of sorts, though it has more in common with old-school Giallo than anything featuring Freddy or Jason. A serial killer is targeting ladies in Globe, Arizona, and stereo installer Paul White (David Keith) is a suspect. He lives in town with his wife, Joan (Cathy Moriarty), and his kid. The movie has some X-Files-lite paranormal subtext because Paul has some strange auditory ability that allows him to find the perfect speaker installation spots. Spoiler: Paul turns out to be a pretty good suspect.
White of the Eye – The Furs
There are two furs in the movie… and this. It is a peacock feather jacket worn by Joan during flashbacks and at the film’s end. I include it for the sake of completeness and because, if I didn’t, I’m sure I’ll get a comment like, “I swear there was another fur in that movie….” There was not, I assure you.
Joan has a couple of pretty decently long scenes wearing this shorter-haired red fox stroller. The first is intercut with the scene that you’re all here for. So you get a little two-for-one action.
She finds her ex, Mike (Alan Rosenberg), in the back of the gas station and has a long chat while wearing the red fox.
While they’re chatting, Paul makes a house call with this lady, Ann Mason (Alberta Watson). She’s looking very cordial in a full-length lynx fur coat.
Joan remains at the gas station, getting an exposition dump from Mike, including his claim he can see the future or something. Again, this is six or so years pre-X-Files. Honestly, if I was going to cut between a “fur coat seduction” scene and anything else (I wouldn’t), it would at least be another scene with a fur coat. So, kudos, White of the Eye.
Ann is undoubtedly friendly with her local handymen, which is just common courtesy.
Paul briefly resists.
Briefly.
The scene isn’t particularly explicit for those interested, even though the film has an R-rating.
Later Joan does a little investigating of her own. Once again, she’s prowling the desert in her red fox stroller.
Sadly, the peacock feather jacket is given the honor of accompanying Cathy Moriarty through the climax of the film. I suspect this choice was intentional to bookend the flashbacks where she wore it when she first met Paul. “Cinema” is all well and good until it forces poor fashion decisions.
Because it’s funny, here’s a still showing Cathy’s stunt double mid-leap into a reservoir. Nice wig.
With the quibble that the peacock feather jacket should have been real fur, it’s still a solid film with a decent runtime (for not being a madcap heiress movie from the ‘30s). The red fox isn’t quite as full as I’d like it to be, but it’s fine. Clearly, the full-length lynx is the marquee fur, and it’s only a bonus it’s used in a seduction scene. I do love the juxtaposition of the desert setting with the furs. I’ll give credit if there’s a dialogue where the characters state it’s winter that I just missed.
Fur Runtime: approx 5 minutes
Film Runtime: 111 minutes
On-Screen Fur Ratio: 4.85%
Find-A-Fur: White of the Eye, 1987
(all time codes are approximate)
- 16:05 – Peacock Feather Jacket
- 24:20 – ”
- 34:20 – 40:54 – Red Fox Jacket / Lynx Scene Intercut
- 51:10 – Red Fox
- 1:33:00 – 1:45:30 – Peacock Feather Jacket Throughout Final Act
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