Mark Turner With the release of THE CAT O'NINE TAILS director Dario Argento was on his way to stardom. Having directed THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE the previous year to critical praise he set out to make a follow up that would include stylistic items that became familiar in almost all of his films.Blind crossword creator Franco "Cookie" Arno (Karl Malden) is walking home with his adopted niece Lori when he overhears a conversation taking place in a car as they walk home, a blackmail attempt being made. He tells Lori to describe who is talking and they continue on. That night the man in the car breaks into a medical research lab and takes something.Investigating the break in is reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus). At the police station is Franco who overhears Carlo's questioning a detective about the break in. He introduces himself and the pair hit it off, enough so that they begin sharing information in the hopes of solving the case and Carlo getting a scoop out of it.As the movie carries on the motivations for the break in, the blackmail scheme overheard by Franco and the investigation conducted by Carlo all tie in together. As each piece of evidence is collected or investigated, suspects are murdered or disappear. Those who seem innocent might not be how they appear to be. And eventually the lives of Franco, Lori and Carlo are on the line as the guilty party does everything he can to prevent them from finding out his identity.The movie is not the best that Argento ever made but it does offer a glimpse into the development of his style, his use of camera and color and his way of depicting the acts committed by his protagonists. In watching his films I noticed that this film tried to take a different approach, focusing less on the murders and more on the original crime involved. From those I've watched it was a direction Argento abandoned, instead going back to the murders instead.This film also felt more talkie than Argento's previous film, THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE, or his subsequent films. As a sophomore outing though he does show that he was developing as a director and the potential was there. Thank goodness it came out with each movie he made.Some have hailed Argento as the next big thing to come out of Italy when discussing directors and rightfully so to my mind. He was at the forefront of a new wave of Italian directors who focused nearly all of their films in either crime or horror, who made films with little funds and who made use of their limitations to become more artistic and stylistic than many who came before. Without Argento and his substantial success in other countries directors like Fulci might never have been discovered or their films shown in other countries.Fans of Argento will want to add this to their collection. It's not the first time the film has been released on disc but it is the best edition you will find for the film. That's because Arrow has once again gone out of their way to make this the best edition of the film possible.To begin with they're offering this film in a 4k restoration from the original camera negative. The extras on hand are also above and beyond what we've had in the past. There is a new audio commentary track by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman, new interviews with Argento, co-writer Dardana Sacchetti, actress Cinzia De Carolis and production manager Angelo Iacono, script pages for the lost original ending translated into English for the first time, the original Italian and international trailers, a reversible sleeve with new artwork by Candice Tripp, a double sided fold-out poster, 4 lobby card reproductions and a limited edition booklet with illustrations by Matt Griffin that includes an essay on the film by Argento as well as new writings by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes. Whew! That's a lot of bang for your buck!If you've never seen the movie I highly recommend it. Not only is it a way to become acquainted with Argento it is a solid film all unto itself. It is entertaining and will keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer. But what else would one expect with a Dario Argento film?

JohnHowardReid RELEASE DETAILS: Copyright 1971 by Seda Spettacoli/Mondial Film (Rome) and Terra Filmkunst (Munich) and Labrador Films (Paris). U.S. and U.K. release by National General Corporation (N.G.C.). New York opening at neighborhood cinemas: 26 May 1971. U.S. release: May 1971. U.K. release: July 1971. 112 minutes (U.S.); 104 minutes (U.K.). Italian release title: Il Gatto a nove code.COMMENT: This Techniscope Dario Argento film suffers from cropping on a TV screen, though it is not one of his class "A" efforts all the same, despite fluid camera-work for the subjective eye of the madman and typical thematic pre-occupations, plus some rather grisly killings. Interest in the actual identity of the murderer is rather perfunctorily worked up, and Karl Malden is almost laughably uncomfortable in the role of a blind ex-newspaperman who loves solving puzzles. James Franciscus is not much more at ease as the newspaperman, but Catherine Spaak makes an agreeable femme fatale.OTHER VIEWS: The above review was based on the cropped TV version. This movie is now available on DVD in its original 'Scope format. Needless to say, it plays far more suspense-fully and really rivets the attention. Even the actors like James Franciscus and Karl Malden come across with far more power and innate charisma.

Giallo Fanatic 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.

Lee Eisenberg 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".