Recent Reviews
DVD Review: Seven Deaths In the Cat's Eye
By HammerFanatic
Dec 31, 2005, 11:38

Blue Underground offers yet another film which was supposed to be packaged in the Giallo Collection Volume 2, but which now appears to be a stand alone release and the film is; Seven Deaths In the Cat's Eye. This is my first time viewing this film and I must say, I found it to be a very enjoyable experience.

Young Corringa (Jane Birkin) returns home from a Catholic school to her family's ancestral castle in Scotland. As is usually the case, nothing is as it seems and murders abound in the walls of the castle. Madness, evil, strange nightmares and Vampires are all part of the storyline and a few impressive shocks and murders are also part of the mix. The one witness to the murders appears to be the family cat and this is one feline that isn't talking! At times the story tends to jump around a bit, but never enough to cause this viewer to lose interest.

This was my first viewing of the film and as I've mentioned, while I have been introduced to more Italian giallo films over the past few years, this film doesn't strike me as belonging in the same vein of films. Now, this isn't meant as a slight to the film, I found it to be very enjoyable, but I found it to be more of a Gothic horror film than a giallo.

Antonio Margheriti directed and also wrote the story and as mentioned, it appears to me that Margheriti had a flair for Gothic horror in addition to the fare he was to direct later, including, Cannibal Apocalypse and Killer Fish. The cast is very solid with Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller (Lord James MacGrieff), Anton Diffring, Venantino Venantini (Father Robertson), Francoise Christophe (Lady Mary MacGrieff) and Dana Ghia (Lady Alicia) leading the cast.

The film is Italian, but is dubbed into English and that's not really a problem, but I'm curious as to why it wasn't offered in Italian with English subs. There are a few scenes where the film is actually in Italian with English subs, too. Even Anton Diffring, who stars as Dr. Franz Hertz, is dubbed in a voice, not his own! Overall, the film looks very good, but again, being my first viewing of the film, I have nothing to compare the print quality to. Blue Underground offers the film in anamorphic widescreen and while no theatrical trailer is offered, there is an interview with co-writer, Giovanni Simonelli which is rather interesting. There's some added footage of the late Margheriti offering some insight as to why he used the pseudonym, 'Anthony Dawson' for some of his films, as well.

I found this to be a most enjoyable film and would recommend this to fans of Gothic horror or Italian giallos.

Buy the Seven Deaths In the Cat's Eye on DVD at Amazon.com