The Cat O'Nine Tails
by Dario Argento
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DVD details
Actor: Catherine Spaak, James Franciscus, Karl MaldenDirector: Dario Argento
Brand: WEA DES Moines Video
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); French (Original Language); Italian (Original Language)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 112 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Blue Underground
Product features:
- When a simple robbery at a research institute leads to a series of brutal murders, a blind puzzle maker (Karl Malden of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE) and a tenacious reporter (James Franciscus of MAROONED) begin their own investigation of the crimes. With nine different clues to follow, they uncover a shocking web of twisted genetics and dark sexual secrets that will finally lead them to a shattering
DVD Reviews of The Cat O'Nine Tails
DVD Review: A Cat Best Left in the Bag
Summary: 1 Stars
As a fan of Dario Argento's debut giallo shocker, "The Bird With the Crystal Plumage", I had long harbored an interest in seeing his difficult-to-find followup film, "The Cat O'Nine Tails". Unable to find a copy to rent, even in the independently owned video stores, I finally ran across a copy at a local Border's, of all places, and snatched it up. I'd read all the negative reviews over the years, but wanted a chance to see it and make up my own mind. Besides, it was on sale for Halloween, and I didn't figure I had a whole lot to lose.
The Blue Underground transfer is very nicely done. The first time I saw "Bird With the Crystal Plumage", it was a very bad copy on VHS. When Blue Underground released "Bird" on DVD a year or so ago, I grabbed it and was happy to see what a beautiful job they had done. However, the quality transfer is about all "Cat O'Nine Tails" has going for it.
Despite a more coherent storyline than many of Argento's films, "Cat" drags badly in places. Ostensibly a thriller, the plot concerns a series of murders plaguing a top secret project involving scientific research into a rare chromosonal mutation that results in the carrier committing uncontrollable acts of violence. The plot sounds more interesting than it actually is, although I think that, considering his talent, Argento was more than capable of making a terrific, intriguing shocker had he shown more interest. However, Argento's ennui, for whatever reason, is only one of "Cat"'s weak links.
With a couple of exceptions, the acting is almost uniformly bad. James Franciscus is both blonde and bland, and totally unbelievable as a hardened Italian journalist on the trail of the killer. As the younger and (evidently) more virile of the film's two leading men, Franciscus is handsome enough but has the charisma of a chest of drawers. As the alleged femme fatale, Catherine Spaak shows about the same amount of charisma, while demonstrating even less acting ability. The actors playing the police and the scientists aren't much better, and certainly don't add much to move the story along. Karl Malden does an acceptable job as the film's other hero, a blind former newspaperman, although he occasionally skates dangerously (and creepily) close to a bad Bette Davis impersonation in her Baby Jane/Charlotte Hollister phase. Maybe it's the way he rolls his eyes madly in the crypt scene, or, during the film's climax, when he's roaming around the roof. Of everyone, the best performance comes from the child actor, Cinzia de Carolis, playing Malden's "adopted" daughter--a theme that is echoed eerily, in one of the film's few genuinely unexpected revelations involving different characters.
Despite the intermittent murders and accompanying histrionics from Malden and de Carolis, this movie seems to go on forever. When the denouement at last comes and an exciting climax seems to be getting underway, the movie just....ends. It's almost like the production ran out of money and they had to wrap the film in mid-climax--resulting in the cinematic equivalent of coitus interruptus, and it's just about as frustrating.
And, my last complaint is that, as much as I love the work of composer Ennio Morricone, his scoring of "The Cat O'Nine Tails" just doesn't fit. Whenever the music would well up, I had the discombobulating feeling that a Clint Eastwood western was lurking just below the surface of this film. Had that only been the case.
"The Cat O'Nine Tails" is a preposterous muck, and as dressed up by Blue Underground, it is altogether a gorgeous, preposterous muck.
Description of The Cat O'Nine Tails
The Classic Shocker from DARIO ARGENTO, Director of THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE and SUSPIRIAWhen a simple robbery at a research institute leads to a series of brutal murders, a blind puzzle maker (Karl Malden of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE) and a tenacious reporter (James Franciscus of MAROONED) begin their own investigation of the crimes. With nine different clues to follow, they uncover a shocking web of twisted genetics and dark sexual secrets that will finally lead them to a shattering climax of violence and suspense.
Originally released in 1971, THE CAT O'NINE TAILS secured the international reputation of director Dario Argento as `The Italian Hitchcock.' This is the definitive version of Argento's masterful second film, now fully restored from its original camera negative and presented completely uncut and uncensored.
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