Bezenby This is one of those rare Italian movies where it doesn't pay to have beers during it's playing time, because if you do, you'll be in a coma by the halfway mark.That's not really a criticism though, because the Black Cat is a nice change of pace from the splatter of early eighties Italian horror. Rather than spend the running time making people vomit up their own guts, Lucio Fulci has sought to bring back the Gothic tone of those late sixties supernatural movies (The Ghost, Blancheville Monster etc).Patrick Magee (love those eyebrows), is a cantankerous medium taken to wandering graveyards at night, recording the voices of the newly dead. There's plenty of newly dead in this sleepy English town too, which has got something to do with Magee's Black Cat. The two of them spend an awful lot of time staring at each other.Meanwhile, Mimsy Farmer, a visiting American (I think) photographer, gets interested in Magee and spends her time annoying him at his house, just as cop David Warbreck arrives in town, to help local bobby Al Cliver search for some missing teenagers.I'm surprised that Fulci managed to create something so coherent during the run of films that included House By The Cemetery and Manhattan Baby. Although not gore-filled, the first half of the film does consist of the cast being stalked and wasted in a variety of ways, and the only time the film falters is when it starts actually following the story of Poe's Black Cat. Plus, you've got great B-movie fodder in the form of Al Cliver (err...great dubbing there), Daniella Doria and the aged, but still lush, Dagmar Lassander.It wouldn't be a Fulci film without some daftness though, eh? Well, apart from people acting terrified of a cat (although a teleporting, hyper-aggressive cat might be a bit scary), you've got Lassander trying to put out an inferno with a cushion, an absolutely awful bat attack, and I'm still not sure whether to be impressed or start laughing every time Magee appears on screen.Good enough for any Fulci collection, just don't expect gore. Great soundtrack too!

Witchfinder General 666 ***SPOILERS!*** The work of Edgar Allan Poe has been brought to screen on many occasions, most brilliantly by Roger Corman with seven films starring the great Vincent Price in the early sixties. Poe's story "The Black Cat", in particular, has been filmed on various occasions, most memorably probably by Sergio Martino, with his 1972 Giallo-masterpiece "Your Vice Is A Locked Room and only I Have The Key". While it has hardly anything to do with Edgar Allan Poe's story, "Gatto Nero" aka. "Black Cat" (1980) is a creepy and unusual film by Lucio Fulci, which is especially interesting for its uncanny Gothic atmosphere.A small English village has been struck by a series of bizarre murders. After the investigating Scotland Yard Inspector Gorley (David Warbeck) asks Jill (Mimsy Farmer), an American photographer, for her help it soon becomes clear that the black cat of the local psychic Professor Miles (Patrick Magee) was involved in all the crimes. Miles, who has psychic powers, is suspected of being responsible for the murders, but it seems as if his cat is also committed to killing her owner... In this rare case, a vengeful or evil character of a cat is not merely suggested, but the cat is actually a murderous key character of the film. The storyline may not always be 100% logical, but it is definitely intriguing, and the film maintains a creepy atmosphere from the beginning. The English village is a great setting, and the murderous black cat is actually a villain far more vicious and interesting than one might imagine. Partick Magee ("A Clockwork Orange", "Masque Of The Red Death",...) is great as always in his creepy role. Beautiful Mimsy Farmer, a regular female lead in Italian Horror films ("Four Flies On Grey Velvet", "Autopsy", "The Perfume Of The Lady In Black",...), fits in her role well, and is nice to look at as always (even though she keeps her clothes on this time). The cast also includes David Warbeck and Al Cliver, both of whom are regulars of Italian Horror/Exploitation productions. This is not nearly one of Fulci's goriest films, but there are still a bunch of well-done and pretty nasty gore scenes. The best aspects of the film are doubtlessly its stylish Gothic looks, genuinely creepy atmosphere and brilliant score as well as the incredibly sinister Patrick Magee and the premise of a murderous cat. Overall, "The Black Cat" is not one of the absolute must-sees by Fulci, but it is definitely an original, creepy and highly atmospheric flick that should not be missed by lovers of Italian Horror. Highly recommended!

Gunnar_Runar_Ingibjargarson The Black Cat (Lucio Fulci, 1981) Always remember, the title credits say the film is freely adapted from Poe's story. Freely may be the understatement of the year. Best not to think on Poe's tale until the final ten minutes.The killer kitty is at the center of the story, causing a series of accidents in a small Scottish town whose inspector, Wilson (Fulci regular Al Cliver), gets expatriated and calls Scotland Yard. They send in Inspector Gorley (David Warbeck, who also teamed with Fulci for The Beyond the same year). Gorley and Wilson, with the help of plucky American photographer Jill Trevers (sixties biker bad girl Mimsy Farmer), try to solve the crimes while working out what an aging, eccentric mystic (Patrick Magee) has to do with it all.And now, the part that will make Fulci fans wonder who really directed this movie: there's no eye scene, and there's no spider scene. In fact, it's almost as if Fulci wanted to tone down the gore and make an atmospheric, Gothic horror/romance, but without the romance (except for one sex scene that would barely rate a PG-13 today).Fulci himself considers this movie a disaster. Who am I to disagree? Well, I will, at least in part. It's certainly watchable enough, if confused. It's not Zombi or The Beyond, but it's got its endearing points. Worth a free rental.

Bjorn (ODDBear) Somewhat atmospheric but ultimately a rather pedestrian affair from Fulci. The story is pretty lame and the pacing is off in this "re-imagining" of the Poe classic, which by itself isn't a bad thing 'cause the story has been filmed countless times.Made at the time when Fulci was at full force, making such classics as The Beyond, City of the Living Dead and House By The Cemetery and this one, all in two years time, it is reported that Fulci's heart wasn't all together in this project. Out grabbing a smoke this time around are frequent script collaborator Dardano Sacchetti and composer Fabio Frizzi and, honestly, they're sorely missed. Although Pino Donaggio contributes a solid score, the writing here is below par and Sacchetti, who more or less was responsible for Fulci's nightmarish visions in The Beyond and City of the Living Dead (two very effective horror films), would probably have injected more life into the proceedings and delivered some better dialogue.Dialogue wise, this is pretty stupid. Fulci has some fine talents here; Patrick Magee is menacing as the local medium who has a strange relationship with the black cat, Mimsy Farmer is always welcome in an Italian production and David Warbeck is always likable. But poor dubbing and shitty lines do count for much here, the actors own voices aren't even in sync. Another thing that bothered me here; the cinematography. Sometimes it's scope photography is very effective when it's focusing on the town village which is covered with fog and at times it builds up quite an atmosphere. But the insane (and very frequent) close-ups on the actors eyes is way too much. It happens nearly in every scene to some extent.The pacing here is off and it drags quite a bit, despite only just reaching 90 minutes. In the beginning the story looks promising when Magee is attempting to communicate with the dead (you immediately think of The Beyond and City) but it veers off in another direction altogether once the psychic link between him and the cat starts taking control. That part of the story never really gels (and it's here that the story is similar to Poe's original but it has a twist) and although some of the death sequences are handled well it doesn't make up for the remainder of the film which is a bit too slow and impassionately executed. The ending is also pilfered wholesale from Fulci's earlier The Psychic (aka Seven Notes in Black) and that leaves a nasty aftertaste.I must say, however, that the scenes with the cat are amazing. That's one impressive cat and a damn fine actor to boot. Quite the acrobat and problem solver and I'd be scared of him too.