THE BLACK CAT
Anchor Bay
1980

review by Beth Kattelman

Lucio Fulci. The name conjures up images of poked-out eyeballs, splattered bodies and decaying zombies. Yes, Fulci is famous for pushing gore to the limit on the silver screen. But, in addition to delivering stomach-churning, lose-your-lunch images, Fulci is also able to put together a good, well-crafted film. Such is the case with his 1980 offering, The Black Cat. This is definitely one of Fulci's lesser-known works, but one that's worth checking out. Even though it's not over-the-top with gore, it still delivers some horrific images and a great gothic atmosphere. Here, instead of the out-and-out gore, Fulci emphasizes the hypnotic quality of the story. Repeated close-ups on the eyes, POV shots of the cat stalking his prey and some wonderfully murky settings all combine to create a classic, old-time gothic feel.

The story revolves around a series of bizarre murders that take place in a small English village. The murders somehow seem connected to a local medium (Patrick Magee) and his sinister black cat. An American photographer (Mimsy Farmer) becomes fascinated by the mystery and also finds herself in the midst of the danger when she is enlisted by a Scotland Yard detective to take crime scene photos. The film is very loosely based upon Poe's classic story. The only resemblance to Poe's original, however, is in the film's borrowing of Poe's final image.

Hard-core Fulci fans have slammed The Black Cat because it doesn't contain the visceral, in-your-face gore that they are fond of, but the film still has a lot going for it. It's filled with fine performances by Fulci regulars including Patrick Magee, Mimsy Farmer and Al Cliver. It also has a wonderful soundtrack by Pino Donaggio. I suggest you check out The Black Cat. No, it's not classic Fulci, but it still shows a master craftsman who knows how to tell a good, old-fashioned, scary story.

FEAR FACTOR: Some tense moments and a few genuine scares.---

BLOOD & GORE GAUGE: Moderate amount of blood and gore, but on a Fulci scale it's tame, tame, tame!---

COOLEST THING ABOUT THE DVD: The film has been restored from the original negative and is presented in widescreen for the first time ever.---

TRIVIA TIDBIT: Shot of the decomposing body in the boathouse is actually much longer in the trailer for the film than in the actual film itself.---

BEST "OW, THAT'S GOTTA HURT" MOMENT: Extensive scene of being burned to death--done very effectively.---

BEST QUOTE: "She's looking for a pussycat. . . She's got problems."---

Official Website:
http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/

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