The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971) (Arrow Video Blu-ray Review)
Directed By: Dario Argento
Starring: James Franciscus, Karl Malden, Catherine Spaak
Rated: 15 (UK)/Region: A & B/2X35/1080p/Number of disc: 1
Available from Arrow Video
Franco Arno is a blind man that lives with his young niece and makes a living writing crossword puzzles. One night, while walking on the street, he overhears a weird conversation between two man sitting in a car parked in front of a medical institute where genetic experiments are performed. The same night someone breaks in the institute and kills a guard. Arno decides to investigate with the help of reporter Carlo Giordani.
I feel the need to point out that Argento himself isn’t a big fan of this film because he feels it is “too American”. I wasn’t blown away by it either, but that was due to the fact it packs just a slow pace that doesn’t pick up and stay picked up. Don’t get mistaken, it is very well made, packs that classic giallo twist, and does have some cool violence here and there, but it’s the in between that really brings what could have been a much better film down overall. But I do also give credit for going with the leads being a blind man, a little girl, and a reporter instead of being the typical female and reporter lead these types of movies tend to usually have.
The movie as a whole has good camera work and even if it isn’t on the level of stuff we’d see later from Dario the cinematic vision seems to still be looming around from the stylistic side of things. So it isn’t Tenebre, Deep Red, or The Bird with the Crystal Plumage for that matter, but it does top later works like Mother of Tears and Giallo. So to sum it up I’d say, The Cat o’ Nine Tails, is a bit of a mixed bag. I didn’t hate it, but I sure didn’t love it either. But if you like some cool kills, wonderful cinematography, and a nice atmosphere you’ll probably like it well enough.
– Optional English & Italian Audio
– Original uncompressed Mono Audio
– Optional English subtitles
– Dario s Murderous Moggy: Director Dario Argento remembers The Cat o Nine Tails
– Sergio Martino: The Art and Arteries of the Giallo
– Cat o Nine Tails in Reflection, an interview with long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
– Original Italian Trailer
– Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Rick Melton
– Exclusive collector’s booklet featuring brand new writing by Alan Jones, author of Profondo Argento
– Double Sided Poster
