Film Fest: Rhinoceros Eyes

By Peter Hemminger

Rhinoceros Eyes, starring Michael Pitt of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and directed by David Cronenberg’s nephew, is a quirky picture hitting pretty much every cult-film touchstone but managing to elevate itself with pure charm. Pitt plays Chet, a reclusive and probably mentally handicapped kid who works in a movie prop shop. When a woman comes in to the store requesting rhinoceros eyes for a musical filming the next day, Chet instantly falls in love with her, vowing to find or steal whatever props she’ll need. Cynics will call it by-the-numbers weirdness, but strong performances all around, an off-kilter sense of humour and confident direction make it worth a look. Bonus points for putting Pitt in a Tor Johnson mask for much of the film, especially since the expression on the mask always seems to fit the action.

Leave a comment