The
Black Cat (1981/Fulci/Arrow Blu-ray)
Picture:
B+ Sound: B+ Extras: B+ Film: B
Lucio
Fulci's 1981 film, The Black Cat, also known in Italian as
'Gatto Nero', gets the Arrow treatment with an amazing 2K restoration
from the original 2-perf Techniscope camera negative that looks
exceptional on Blu-ray disc. In addition, the disc is packed full of
extras that make this a must for Fulci fans! Visually spectacular,
this Italian horror flick features a killer Black Cat that strikes
terror into its victims! The film stars Patrick Magee, to whom you
will most likely recognize from his extraordinary role in Stanley
Kubrick's masterpiece A Clockwork Orange (1971, reviewed
elsewhere on this site). The film also stars David Warbeck and Mimsy
Farmer.
Another
highlight is the fantastic score by Pino Donaggio (best known for his
work with Brian De Palma), which I definitely need to get my hands
on, that mimics Hermann's score for Hitchcock's Psycho (1960)
in many instances. Regarded by many as one of Fulci's overlooked
achievements, this Arrow release was the first time I had seen this
film and I really enjoyed it.
Lucio
Fulci was not only the godfather of Italian Horror Cinema but was
known for such classics as Zombi (an unofficial sequel to
Romero's Dawn of the Dead), The Beyond (my personal
favorite), The New York Ripper, City of the Living Dead,
and many more. For those unfamiliar, his style is rich with brutal
violence (most of which looks pretty fake to today's standards) which
at the times shocked audiences. His films are very visual and all
very well shot as he was the master at using silhouettes and close up
shots as well as quick editing to make his films scary.
Perhaps
loosely inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, The Black Cat
centers around a Scotland Yard detective and a nosy American
photographer who are both investigating a series of bizarre deaths in
a small English village. Soon, these murders are connected to a
local literacy professor (Magee) to whom has the psychic ability to
talk to dead spirits and somehow uses his gift to direct the entities
to his pet black cat who becomes his instrument for revenge on those
who oppose him.
Granted,
some parts of the film involving the cat killing make it pretty
obvious that the lot of this film is dependent on B-Roll cutaways of
the black cat hissing or simply looking into the camera,
running/pouncing out of frame, and squinting. But it is Fulci's
masterful style and the help of the soundtrack that help add tension
and make it seem as if this tiny creature is a murderer.
Arrow
delivers high quality transfers and digital audio and this release is
no exception. Presented in 1080p high definition with a widescreen
aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and shot in the small Techniscope 35mm format
(usually, such films were released in 3-strip, 35mm Technicolor
prints, but such prints were not made by this time, so you'd get a
regular color print. The format with non-Technicolor print releasing
was once also known a Chromoscope.) along with the English and
original Italian soundtracks in lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio)
Mono 1.0 track presentations. The film looks and sounds better on
this release than I've ever seen it before.
As
mentioned, this is the 2K remastered version from the original film
negative. A few instances have some noticeable film noise and grain
as you would expect from the smaller frames, but all in all, the film
looks flawless on disc. There are also optional English subtitles
for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack.
The
extras are bountiful and they include
-
Brand new audio commentary by filmmaker and Fangoria editor Chris
Alexander
-
From Poe into Fulci: The Spirit of Perverseness with film
historian Stephen Thrower on Fulci's Poe-tinged classic
-
In the Paw-Prints of The Black Cat takes a look at the
original Black Cat locations
-
Frightened Dagmar is a brand new career-spanning interview
with actress Dagmar Lassander
-
At Home with David Warbeck is an archival interview with the
Black Cat star
-
Original Theatrical Trailer
-
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
by Matthew Griffin
Not
to be confused with the Bela Lugosi/Boris Karloff film of the same
name, The Black Cat is full of tension and thrills. If you're
a fan of Italian horror cinema, specifically Fulci, then you won't
want to miss this release from Arrow. The film is a fun watch and
being able to see two different versions of the film in this release
is an added treat. You won't look at cats the same way after this!
-
James Lockhart
https://www.facebook.com/jamesharlandlockhartv/
