THE CAT O’ NINE TAILS (1971) Reviews of Dario Argento’s Giallo

  

Reviews:
” …Argento’s sheer prowess as a filmmaker carries it past the doldrums of genre norm and transforms an otherwise routine story into something that’s at the very least watchable, and is at its very best captivating but not necessarily intense or even all that memorable.” Blu-ray.com

“This is one of Argento’s better mysteries, though it seems like he’s mostly disowned the picture now. Because such little focus is placed on the kills The Cat O’ Nine Tails has to make up for it with a long yarn and in terms of scripting, it’s mostly a success. Argento, who co-wrote, doesn’t stuff the picture with red herrings…” Dread Central

” …a well-meaning, entertaining giallo that’s not nearly as graphic or overblown as some of his later work. The script is neatly concocted, and the film has a more controlled, Hitchcock-style ambience to it. Karl Malden and James Franciscus are extremely satisfactory in their roles.” DVD Drive-In

” there are some marvellous moments of sheer Argento style: the early break-in to the institute, with its attention to minutiae such as locks being picked and shadows being chased along white walls; a show-stopping rail station murder which benefits from some sterling editing work; the excellent finale and its taut employment of atmospheric compositions.” SGM

“Handsome film helped by a beautiful score from the amazing Ennio Morricone…a work as haunting as anything he did for the famous spaghetti westerns. Malden and Franciscus are both captivating performers, memorable ‘hands on’ climax.” The Terror Trap

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