Review: The Cat O’ Nine Tails Ltd Ed UHD
Franco Arnò (Karl Malden) is a retired blind journalist who lives with his niece and makes a living from writing crossword puzzles. While taking a walk one evening, he overhears a suspicious conversation between 2 men who are sat in a car parked outside a scientific medical institution where genetic experiments are taking place. When people begin to be killed who are linked to the institution, Franco teams up with a newspaper reporter to try and solve the mystery of what is happening.
The Cat O’ Nine Tails is an early film from Dario Argento, yet still displays some of the beautiful camerawork and composition that he would finesse in later projects.
While containing fewer bloody kills than Argento’s previous film The Bird With the Crystal Plumage, the deaths are still nonetheless terrifying when they happen, and viewpoints from the killers perspective throw you right into the middle of the horrific action being played out before you.
The characters are likeable and well rounded, with Karl Malden soon making you forget about his iconic character of Detective Lt. Mike Stone in The Streets of San Francisco which began a year after The Cat O’ Nine Tails was released (now there’s a man who could have solved this mystery too!).
This new limited edition UHD release from Arrow Films really makes the colours pop and reveals more details in the many darker scenes that were lost in previous releases, which all help to create a greater sense of tension during the night time sequences.
Roundly considered to not be one of Argento’s best, The Cat O’ Nine Tails is still a solidly enjoyable giallo which ticks all the right boxes.
Accompanied by Arrow Films usual superb selection of special features, this is another worthy addition to your collection.
4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
- New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
- English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
- Audio commentary by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
- Nine Lives, an interview with co-writer/director Dario Argento
- The Writer O’ Many Tales, an interview with co-writer Dardano Sacchetti
- Child Star, an interview with actress Cinzia De Carolis
- Giallo in Turin, an interview with production manager Angelo Iacono
- Script pages for the lost original ending, translated into English for the first time
- Original Italian, international and US theatrical trailers
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring an original essay on the film by Dario Argento, and writing by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes
- Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
- Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards
- Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
