Eyes Without a Face/Fun Facts

• Director John Carpenter once suggested that selecting the mask that Michael Myers wore in Halloween (1978) was influenced by Edith Scob's mask in this film.

• During the original release of the film, an English film critic for The Spectator was nearly fired for writing it a positive review, while the general critical reaction had been poor.

• The initial release of the film was met with negative reactions from film critics. One French critic stated the film was "in a minor genre and quite unworthy of his [director Georges Franju] abilities." Franju responded by saying that the film was his attempt to get the minor genre to be taken seriously.

• The film was re-released uncut (and under its original title) to US theaters for the first time on Halloween night of 2003.

• When the film appeared in the Edinburgh Film Festival in 1960 it was reported that seven audience members fainted during the surgery scene. Director Georges Franju responded "Now I know why Scotsmen wear skirts."

• Director Georges Franju never considered the film to be a horror story, but instead felt it was tale of anguish.

• Originally released in the US in an edited version titled "The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus" - an odd title considering there's no one named Dr. Faustus in the film.

• Hubert de Givenchy created the gowns that Christiane wears throughout the movie.

• Although the film passed European censors upon its original release in 1960, the film's disturbing facial surgery scene still caused controversy.

• In 1984 Billy Idol released the single "Eyes Without a Face" from the album Rebel Yell (1983). The song features background vocals by Idol's then-girlfriend Perri Lister who sings in the chorus the phrase "les yeux sans visage" which is the French translation for "eyes without a face" and the original French title of this film.

• Originally released in the U.S. on a double feature with the Japanese horror film The Manster (1959).

• Was chosen by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the "100 New Classics ranking as #74 in the June 20, 2008 issue. The issue ranked the greatest movies of the previous 25 years.

• This film made its debut in Paris on March 2, 1960.

• Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

• This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #260.