Psychic medium Professor Robert Miles (Patrick Magee) lives a bitter life of solitude with the exception of a black cat, to which he has managed to forge a companionship in lieu of the feline attacking him at every turn. He's paid a visit by a young photographer named Jill Travers (Mimsy Farmer) whom wishes to return a piece of .. Read more
| Starring | Patrick Magee, David Warbeck, Mimsy Farmer, Al Cliver |
|---|---|
| Director | Lucio Fulci |
| Genres | Horror |
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Psychic medium Professor Robert Miles (Patrick Magee) lives a bitter life of solitude with the exception of a black cat, to which he has managed to forge a companionship in lieu of the feline attacking him at every turn. He's paid a visit by a young photographer named Jill Travers (Mimsy Farmer) whom wishes to return a piece of the professor's equipment she has found in an underground tomb. Miles wastes no time in attempting to hypnotize the woman, but is interrupted by the pestering cat as it inflicts deep scratches into the man's hand. Jill responds with a hurried exit, and soon after meets Inspector Gorley (David Warbeck) who employs her as a crime-scene photographer in the investigation of a rash of fatal accidents that have recently befallen the sleepy village. She discovers cat-like scratches on one of the hand of one of the victims, and soon learns that a black cat has been present during all of the incidents. Curiosity leads the photographer back to Miles' estate, where she learns all too agonizingly the history of the old man's estranged relationship with the black cat.
While a less gruesome than usual outing from the 'Godfather of Gore,' Lucio Fulci's adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's classic tale is loose but effective in its own right. The ominous score in conjunction with Sergio Salvati's superb cinematography create a sense of claustrophobic tension, which adds a unique spin on the classic supernatural tale.
| Starring | Patrick Magee, David Warbeck, Mimsy Farmer, Al Cliver |
|---|---|
| Director | Lucio Fulci |
| Studio | SHAMELESS |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 28 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Horror |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 31 Dec 2007 Production year: 1981 |
| Format | DVD |
The quality of the transfer on this disc shows what can be done, even with low budget stuff like this, if proper care is taken. The print looks incredible even compared to dvds of major films from the same period - colours and details are spot on. The only blemishes on the print seem to be those inherited from the master print itself. The dvd is 4:3 letterboxed only, so widescreen viewers will need to hit the zoom button as the dvd is not widescreen enhanced.
As to the film itself, well it's good to see Patrick Magee in fine bonkers form - and Mimsy Farmer too for that matter - and the cat puts in a cracking performance. Give that moggy an oscar!
One warning - this dvd forces you to watch a number of trailers before starting the main film. How they got past the bbfc censors I do not know since the first one (New Yorker Killer) seems to consist of nothing else but brutal and sexually explicit attacks on various women, including a particularly nasty one involving a broken bottle being rammed against a female victim. The other trailers are not much better - apart from a very silly one for Venus In Furs!
The quality of the transfer on this disc shows what can be done, even with low budget stuff like this, if proper care is taken. The print looks incredible even compared to dvds of major films from the same period - colours and details are spot on. The only blemishes on the print seem to be those inherited from the master print itself. The dvd is 4:3 letterboxed only, so widescreen viewers will need to hit the zoom button as the dvd is not widescreen enhanced.
As to the film itself, well it's good to see Patrick Magee in fine bonkers form - and Mimsy Farmer too for that matter - and the cat puts in a cracking performance. Give that moggy an oscar!
One warning - this dvd forces you to watch a number of trailers before starting the main film. How they got past the bbfc censors I do not know since the first one (New Yorker Killer) seems to consist of nothing else but brutal and sexually explicit attacks on various women, including a particularly nasty one involving a broken bottle being rammed against a female victim. The other trailers are not much better - apart from a very silly one for Venus In Furs!