I had to wonder if Alfred Hitchcock had seen the film prior to Psycho, due primarily to the script contributions of Boileau and Narcejac. I also had to wonder how a younger audience that grew up watching more graphic horror would judge Eyes. It seemed odd to think that a film considered too horrifying for film audiences shows so much less than the typical episode of Nip/Tuck on basic cable. What makes Eyes Without a Face a film worth seeing again is watching Edith Scob wearing her mask, a smooth, doll-like face without lines or expression, trapped in the cliche that beauty is literally only skin deep.

The DVD also includes Franju's documentary about Paris slaughterhouses, Blood of the Beasts. I still remain an unapologetic carnivore, but for vegans or members of P.E.T.A this film may seem like Resnais' Night and Fog, with disturbing frankness rendered in artistic imagery. The DVD contains two interviews with Franju discussing Eyes, and interviews with Boileau and Narcejac where they explain their history of collaboration and working style. Criterion even included that American trailer from 1962 when Eyes Without a Face was released as Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus. At the time, United Artists paired the film with The Manster (half-man, half-monster!). With both films available on DVD, one could recreate this double feature, but it may be like pairing a fine, Parisian meal with a bottle of Sprite.

I tried watching Fiend Without a Face a couple of times on television without success. Invisible creatures killing farmers and soldiers didn't hold my attention. I watched the film with a commentary track conducted by a writer, Tom Weaver, with executive producer Richard Gordon. It was through the commentary that I was clued in to wait for the last fifteen minutes which were said to have appalled censors and film critics. The fiends, when they finally materialize, are big brains with spinal column tails, antennas, and feelers. The stop motion photography looks a little primitive, even compared to special effects of that time. Still, there is a thrill watching these creatures fly in the air, crawl on trees, and terrorize Marshall Thompson and company. Reportedly, the shots of the creatures oozing blood and other sticky matter following gun shots and axings set a new standard for gore in movies. I guess paving the way for the future of horror films is a good enough criteria for Criterion.