An ex-convict (played by director Paul Naschy) enters a village looking for work. He becomes a handyman at a farm owned by two sisters- one with a prosthetic hand and one who is, erm, very flirtatious towards him. He seems tormented with nightmares of him strangling women. Murders start to happen in the village around the time of his arrival. But is he responsible?

Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll is surprisingly bright and breezy from the opening title sequence through to the colour palette that is so colourful that it will make your eyes water.

There’s also a playfulness that reminds me of Russ Meters’ masterpiece Faster Pussycat, Kill.

One of the signature moves of the killer is to extract the eyes of his victims and place them in water. This is also shown after each murder. Note- I must write an essay on horror films that dwell on eyes.

There’s also a very graphic scene of a pig being stabbed in the throat and it’s blood being drained. This scene was cut from some versions. I’ll think of this scene and the sound of the pig screaming when I next eat black pudding.

Blue Eyes of the Broken Doll is a treat for the eyes and indeed all of the senses. Suspenseful, beautifully shot and containing several iconic kills, this might just be my favourite Naschy movie. It’s aged amazingly well.

4 out of 5 stars