Black Cat (Gatto nero) (1981)
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28% of users liked it
(517 ratings)
Italian goremeister Lucio Fulci applies his characteristic touch to the Edgar Allan Poe tale (of which very little remains intact) to tell the story of a deranged, wheelchair-bound English psychic (Patrick Magee) who can record the voices of the dead on tape, and apparently possesses the ability to… More Italian goremeister Lucio Fulci applies his characteristic touch to the Edgar Allan Poe tale (of which very little remains intact) to tell the story of a deranged, wheelchair-bound English psychic (Patrick Magee) who can record the voices of the dead on tape, and apparently possesses the ability to channel evil spirits into the body of his cat -- which he then commands to take vengeance on his enemies. When a freelance crime photographer (Mimsy Farmer) notices traces of feline claw-marks on the bodies of accident victims, her own investigations eventually lead her to Magee's naughty kitty... leading to a confusing climax wherein it is learned (sort of) who's really in charge. Remarkably restrained horror from the man behind such flesh-rending epics as Zombie and The Gates of Hell, this is also nearly incomprehensible, possessing a nightmarish lack of cohesion that is more irritating than frightening. In fact, the most horrifying thing about this film is Fulci's aggressive tendency to shoot super-tight widescreen close-ups of Magee's eyes and nose. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
- Directed By
- Lucio Fulci
- Written By
- Lucio Fulci, Edgar Allan Poe IV
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Apr 4, 1981 Wide
- Studio
- Anchor Bay Entertainment
Critic Reviews
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Lucius Gore, ESplatter
This is a decent Fulci film, delivering all the sleaze and some of the splatter you can expect from the Italian goremeister.
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David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...much of the film consists of long, interminable sequences in which not much happens...
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Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Even for a Fulci film, this is pretty lame.
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Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
All the evil cat really does is what cats ever do: slink around looking suspicious, scratch people, disappear, yowl balefully, and do as they're told not to.
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Cast
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Patrick Magee
as Mr. Miles
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Mimsy Farmer
as Jill Travers
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David Warbeck
as Inspector Gorley
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Al Cliver
as Policeman
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Dagmar Lassander
as Mrs. Grayson
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Geoffrey Copleston
as Inspector Flynn
- Daniela Doro
- Bruno Corazzari
- Daniela Doria
