The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971)

But I found this to be a tad boring compared to the rest of the 'Animal Trilogy'. It is not bad but it is not great either. It is still memorable though. I often play the music Ennio Morricone made for this movie in my head. There is something very haunting about this movie's soundtrack. (Well, quite honestly, much of the music in Argento's movies are haunting). It is a very atmospheric music. The POVs of the killer are also quite memorable, it made it feel like you were not only witnessing murder on screen but were taking part in it. Regarding the murders in this movie they are not as flamboyant as they usually are compared to Argento movies. Some might say a little boring. But although they are not as violent or as flamboyant I still find them to be uncomfortable. But what it lacks in violence it makes up for in atmosphere with its images and music. It is a more subtle atmosphere, not as outrageous or as otherworldly as the other movies Dario made. It also has a simpler story and simpler plot. Although simple, it surprisingly is not easy to figure out what is going in the movie. I admit I missed many of the subtleties the first time I saw it. But it was my first Giallo and my second movie of Argento (my first was 'Phenomena') and honestly it left me with a kind of poor impression. But as time went on and I became more familiar with the Giallo sub genre it grew on me.Plot: who is the killer?, writer/director: Dario Argento, year of release: 1971, genre: thriller, themes: secrecy, violence, despair and inquisitiveness. Summary: a blind former reporter teams up with a reporter to solve the murder of a man whose secret got him murdered. In doing so, also becomes the target of the killer who is ready to kill anyone who stands in his way. I would say this is one of Dario's more politically correct movies. If not the most politically correct. I did not find it to be as thought provoking as, say 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'. Or 'Four Flies on Grey Velvet'. Which might have led to Dario calling it his most boring movie to date. I have not seen all of his movies but so far I agree with him. But it is still a good movie. Also I want to mention Karl Malden, his presence in the movie overshadowed the performance of James Franciscus. James is no way a bad actor but he seemed more like a side character in the presence of Karl Malden's character 'Cookie'. I normally don't mention much of the performances of the actresses and actors in an Argento movie since they are not as important as what Dario wants to communicate. But here I felt I had to make an exception and mention Karl Malden.Interesting story, subtle plot and atmosphere. An amazing Karl Malden but with a tendency to drag a little and not so focused plot I will rate this movie 7/10. Worth watching and adding to a Cultist's shelf. Recommended to watch for anyone with an interest in thriller /mystery and the Giallo sub genre.

An early suspense thriller from Dario Argento which lacks some of his later horrific overtones but still benefits from a good helping of style and an involving plot - the story was also written by Argento. Altogether, this is a complex, involving film with plenty of unusual characters with diverse relationships, some good acting, and some moments of extreme violence for which Argento later became known. A big plus in the film's favour is the casting of the charismatic James Franciscus in the lead role as an investigative reporter who's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. You could be forgiven for thinking that blond American Franciscus falls into the category of his contemporary wooden actors such as William Shatner and Doug McClure, but this is not the case. He lends a sophistication and skill to his character which is rarely seen in these horror films, and Argento gets nicely subtle performance out of him.Franciscus is ably supported by an ageing Karl Malden, cast as a blind man. Malden enjoys himself a lot in a meaty role like this, making his snooping, quick-thinking busybody both comical and humane. The pair are supported by a pushy Catherine Spaak playing a mistress and plenty of other Euro-folk, including Rada Rassimov (Ivan's brother) and Horst Frank, familiar from his earlier role in 1967's potboiler, THE VENGEANCE OF FU MANCHU. A jazzy score from Ennio Morricone never misses a beat, considerably adding to that whole '70s "cool" feel to the film, a make-believe world of exotic locations, wholesome folk and the occasional loose cannon.Argento doesn't fail to add his own trademarks into the brew - including tracking shots (from the killer's point of view, this was before BLACK Christmas too) and some unflinchingly brutal murders. Indeed the giallo form is present and correct here, with a faceless killer (we only ever see their eye in extreme close-up) garrotting a number of unfortunates who were too slow to figure out what was coming. A photographer in the wrong place at the wrong time, an informant and even a couple of scientists fall prone to this powerful murderer, their deaths, while not explicit, still being realistic and hard-hitting. Near the beginning of the film, another man is pushed under the wheels of a train, Argento taking the opportunity to show us his mangled body bouncing and writhing as it is broken under the tons of steel pounding over it.Plenty of action and suspenseful sequences build up the twists and turns in the plot, which lead to a predictable confrontation between Franciscus and the killer. This is a fast-paced, intriguing thriller with plenty going on to fill out the lengthy running time, and a must for fans of both mysteries and Italian crime cinema.

Dario Argento's second movie as director shows hints of the things that would give him a cult following. It's not really a horror movie as much as a mystery story, as the main characters try to solve a murder in a pharmaceutical research institute. James Franciscus and Karl Malden prove their versatility as the men who join up to find out what happened. The cemetery scene is the most intense in the movie. As with all these movies, it's clear that the Italian actors are dubbed, while the Americans are speaking English. While this might not have been Argento's favorite of his movies, I liked it. Whether the Renaissance-era paintings or Federico Fellini or the giallo genre, there is no denying that Italy has given us some of the greatest art. You're sure to love "Il gatto a nove code" ("The Cat o'Nine Tails" in English).PS: Dario Argento's daughter Asia played Yelena in "XXX".

(Credit IMDb) A newspaper reporter and a retired, blind journalist try to solve a series of killings connected to a pharmaceutical company's experimental, top-secret research projects and in so doing, both become targets of the killer. I saw this one a few months ago when I was viewing all Argento movies. I'm a huge fan of Dario Argento when he's on his game. Suspiria is one of the greatest horror movies ever made, as is Deep Red. He's also made plenty of other gems, but this movie isn't one of them. It lacks solid suspense, and it's quite boring for the most part in all honesty. Karl Malden makes for a good lead, but I failed to get into his plight. It's not very bloody, either and lacks Argento's usual panache when it comes to gore. Argento's direction is stylish as per usual, I just wish he made it flow better with a more consistent pace. The highlight for me was probably a decent car chase, which is actually out of place in this movie, but I still thought it was well done. I don't remember much about it, so obviously it didn't make much of an impact on me. It's one of Argento's worst efforts4.8/10