‘Death means nothing to a beast with nine lives!
Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eyes is a 1973 European Giallo-horror film about a series of murders that occur within a Scottish castle.
Directed by Antonio Margheriti (Web of the Spider; Castle of Blood; The Virgin of Nuremberg) from a screenplay co-written with Giovanni Simonelli (A Cat in the Brain; Bloody Psycho; The Crimes of the Black Cat).
The film’s score by Riz Ortolani uses musical cue’s from previous Margheriti films such as The Virgin of Nuremberg, and Castle of Blood.
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The Italian-French-West German production stars Jane Birkin, Hiram Keller, Françoise Christophe, Venantino Venantini (City of the Living Dead), Doris Kunstmann and Anton Diffring (Mark of the Devil; Circus of Horrors).
Plot:
Dragonstone Castle, Scotland: A man is murdered with a razor by an unknown killer. The killer drags the man’s body into a dimly lit dungeon and is followed by a ginger cat.
Corringa (Jane Birkin) returns to spend summer with her mother. A gorilla is seen watching the carriage from an upper window.
Corringa is reunited with her mother, Lady Alicia (Dana Ghia), and her aunt, Lady Mary MacGrieff (Francoise Christophe). Other castle residents include Doctor Franz (Anton Diffring), a priest (Venantino Venatini), the French teacher Suzanna (Doris Kunstmann), and her mad cousin, the son and heir of Lady Mary, Lord James MacGrieff (Hiram Keller). After a dinner party, Lady Alicia is suffocated with a pillow while the ginger cat watches…
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Our review:
This gothic Giallo begins in a frenetic manner with a pre-credits murder, after which rats devour the corpse-all the while viewed by the overweight titular moggy. The unsubtle opening sets the tone for what becomes almost a black comedy in which every character either a blathering eccentric or stark raving mad (it’s no surprise that writer Simonelli and director Margheriti’s previous stab at the genre, The Young the Evil and the Savage, was also full of humour).
To top it all, there is the splendidly absurd notion that lunatic Lord James would keep a live ex-circus gorilla caged up in his quarters, which allows for some vintage monkeying about behind wall panels by the real killer. References to chimaeras and vampires and even “a new theory by someone called Freud” are thrown into the pot but go nowhere.
The casting of Euro-pop chantress Jane Birkin and Gallic songster Serge Gainsbourg adds novelty value to the proceedings but little else. Sumptuously-lensed, this entertainingly overblown package is suitably complemented by Riz Ortolani’s recycled bombastic orchestral arrangements.
Ade J Smith, MOVIES & MANIA
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Free on YouTube in some territories [1080p HD – minus opening murder and credits]:
Free on YouTube [480p – minus brief female topless nudity]:
Cast and characters:
Jane Birkin … Corringa
Hiram Keller … Lord James MacGrieff
Françoise Christophe … Lady Mary MacGrieff
Venantino Venantini … Father Robertson
Doris Kunstmann … Suzanne
Anton Diffring … Doctor Franz
Dana Ghia … Lady Alicia
Konrad Georg … Campbell (as George Korrade)
Serge Gainsbourg … Police inspector
Luciano Pigozzi … Angus (as Alan Collins)
Bianca Doria … Janet Campbell
Franco Ressel … Priest
Alessandro Perrella … Policeman (as Penella Alessandro)
Bruno Boschetti … Policeman with a moustache
Tom Felleghy … Man at Funeral
Silvio Klein … Undertaker
Filming locations:
Incir De Paolis, Rome, Lazio, Italy
Castello Massimo, Arsoli, Roma, Italy
Filming dates:
February 1972
Alternate titles:
La morte negli occhi del gatto (Italy)
Les Diablesses (France)
Sieben Tote in den Augen der Katze (Germany)
Cat’s Murdering Eye
