El gato de las nueve colas

I just can't understand the editors of the "Maltin Movie and Video Guide" sometimes. How could they possibly give their lowest "Bomb" rating to 1971's "The Cat O'Nine Tails," for example, citing its "graphic gore and sex" and "bad dubbing"? The uncut DVD that I just viewed had hardly any gore at all, one very brief topless scene and was excellently dubbed (indeed, the main characters look to be speaking English). This is actually a very fine mystery thriller that should have received 3 stars from this often-dubious guide. In the film, a blind ex-reporter played by Karl Malden teams up with journalist James Franciscus to investigate a string of murders that takes place following a break-in at a genetics lab. The two make a fine and believable team, especially when joined by Malden's cute little niece (Cinzia de Carolis); I could have easily seen the pair continuing on to a crime-busting TV series of their own. Speaking of TV, this film often reminded me of old "Avengers" episodes, what with a crazed killer doing away with folks around a scientific institution while our heroes scramble to track him/her down. Of course, though, this is a Dario Argento giallo--his least favorite of all his films, he tells us in one of the DVD's many extras, but a very entertaining one from where I sit. The picture has a complex plot that takes many unexpected turns, involving genetic anomalies, garrotings, a visit to a gay bar, a double poisoned-milk tribute to Hitchcock's "Suspicion," kidnapping, blackmail, an insult contest, a very-high-speed car chase, grave robbing, death by locomotive and elevator shaft, and on and on. Ennio Morricone here delivers yet another superb score, alternating between a creepy childish lullaby of sorts and discordant, pulsating, arrhythmic jazz. The film also features some excellent dialogue and handsome production values. A bomb? Hardly!

I saw this on The Horror Channel.

Having seen a few Dario Argento horror flicks on this channel now, I would dare say that Cat O' Nine Tails is the most restrained, at least in the gore/violence stakes, of those I've watched. There are moments of extreme but swift, clever nasty bits, though.

I guess you'll be watching this cos it is by this so-influential 'Italian Hitchcock' maestro rather than for its story, but having said that, it's decently far-fetched enough but with enough relevance to paranoia around government testing of miracle drugs and all that...

It looked to me to have been made in English, rather than dubbed, or could just that the brilliant, understated performance by Karl Malden was and everyone else were dubbed after. He plays a blind, retired journalist, who has a young orphaned girl as his visual aide and along with a current newspaper reporter,(James Franciscus) they uncover all these secrets after a man, they suspect, was pushed under a train, rather than falling and then, other murders.

I'm no expert on the horror genre but would dare say that this still has signs of the director's visual stylish daring, but is less operatic than some of his, being more workmanlike and 'American'. It still works well, but is more akin to a crime thriller than out-and-out horror, though we do get moments of terror and suspense and the odd twist in the tale.

This might be a lesser Argento (number of reviews and score on IMDb) but is still a heap better than many Hollywood affairs but somehow, doesn't have that magic ingredient that his best movies have. Quite good, but not great.

Il gatto a nove code (The Cat O' Nine Tails) is written and directed by Dario Argento. It stars Karl Malden, James Franciscus, Catherine Spaak, Horst Frank, Aldo Reggiani, Carlo Alighiero and Rada Rassimov. Music is by Ennio Morricone and cinematography by Erico Menczer.

Blind puzzle solver Franco Arno (Malden) and newspaper man Carlo Giordani (Franciscus) team up to see if they can solve the mystery of the murders that are terrifying the city. With their own lives becoming increasingly in danger, and the lines of investigation splintered all over the place, the men are drawn to the mysterious Terzi Institute where geneticists are tampering with gene patterns…

Argento doesn't like it and the fans are very much divided about the worth of it on the Argento curriculum vitae, yet The Cat O' Nine Tails is a delightfully entertaining oddity.

The plot is labyrinthine with relish on top, spinning the viewers into the same convoluted investigative maze that Messrs Arno and Giordani find themselves in. In fact, it's near genius that it rarely makes sense under inspection, yet still there's a fascinating edge to the story, with its characterisations, sexual kinks and cruel murders, there's a power to the piece that rewards if you can just run with it, buy into Argento's Giallo singed world.

With Malden turning in a great performance and Franciscus performing to a level nobody thought was in him, the lead characters really come to life. Add to that Morricone's creepy jazzy-garde fuelled score underlining the skew-whiff nature of the beast, and Menczer's photography tonally muted, tech credits are at one with the themes ticking away in the narrative, a narrative that has observation, ironically, on vision, sight and minds eye. While there's a couple of rug-pulls jostling for our attention just to keep things twisty.

Then there is the director himself. The Cat O' Nine Tails finds him restrained compared to the excess of style over substance films that would dominate his oeuvre post release of The Cat. That's not to say there isn't style here, there's plenty as Argento dallies in POV, iris vision, and a nifty trick that gives the blind Arno "sight", further ensuring that the supposed handicapped character is the key player and potential saviour of all. A number of scenes are bursting at the seams with suspense, with a cemetery/mausoleum sequence top draw, for sure Argento is firmly getting in his stride here.

It's not a gore movie, something which I personally think has led to some of Argento's fans giving the film the cold shoulder, but it's the tale (or tails of course) and characterisations that hold it up as being under valued. It's a Giallo whodunit flecked with sexual stings and no little amount style draped all over it. 7/10

The second film from the great Dario Argento, following his excellent depute film Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), is a lengthy but enjoyable thriller.

Reporter joins with a blind old man (and former-reporter) to solve the mystery of why someone is killing people involved with genetic research.

While granted Cat O' Nine Tails doesn't rank with Argento's earlier film (or his later ones for that matter) it is still an atmospheric and well-made giallo thriller that is worth a look. The mystery is a well-mounted one with some nice twists to be had. The roof-top climax and shocking conclusion is quite worth the wait as well! The direction is sleek and the music score of Ennio Morricone is beautiful.

Cast-wise the film is good as well, James Franciscus and Karl Malden steal the show though as an unlikely pair of investigators.

Most people don't rate this film as one of Argento's best, even Argento himself declares it his least favorite film, but Cat O' Nine Tails still deserves to be seen - if only by Argento fans.

*** out of ****

When fans of Dario Argento watch his films, they expect to see certain things: violence, amazing camera-work, violence, crazy story-lines, violence towards women, etc. And that's the main problem with CAT O' NINE TAILS: it doesn't deliver those things fans of Argento expect to see. If you take Argento's name off of this film's credit, I'm sure a lot of people would consider it great but because it's sorta thrifty when it comes to the usual Argento ingredients, too many have dismissed it as being average. Most of the on-screen killings are strangulations. I'm sure many fans of Argento were disappointed with this. And most of the people killed are men, which probably also disappointed fateful Argento fans, accustomed to seeing the director murdering women in spectacular ways.

Compared to other non-Argento Gialli, CAT O' NINE TAILS is excellent. For example, it is much better than DELERIUM, SOLANGE, TORSO, THE CASE OF THE BLOODY IRIS and slew of other average or mediocre gialli out there. It's a shame this movie is a Dario Argento film because it is completely overlooked as a great giallo.

With that said, the film still has some weaknesses. It's all over the place. One minute, it's a mystery. The next, it's a racing movie. Then it suddenly becomes a romance story, etc. The lack of focus in the direction and the script is evident throughout the movie. In comparison, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE was much more focused that this second movie in Dario's animal trilogy. The characters' motivations are also murky and muddled. The relationship between handsome Franciscus and not-so handsome Malden is fun if not really convincing. There's simply very little background information about those two characters, certainly James Franciscus' character, who is as one dimensional as humanly possible. But the acting is better than most Argento films and what's lacking in details in the characters is compensated by the excellent cast. The little girl was really good. The comedic bits, like the barber shop scene or when Franciscus decides to wear a raincoat after making love (?!?!) fell flat with a big thud. But the film's story-line IS interesting, if implausible. The feel and look of the film is dream-like and the music is excellent. Even if CAT O' NINE TAILS doesn't have as many signature Argento scenes as his other famous films, there are a couple of stand-out moments or shots peppered throughout which makes this worthwhile viewing. And there's actually an ending to this Dario Argento film.

All in all, I think CAT O' NINE TAILS is totally memorable. It is much better than the crap Argento has been making these days. And like I've said above, it is much better than most non-Argento gialli made in those days. So, the only thing wrong with this great film is that it's a Dario Argento film.