Monday, October 06, 2008

Cat O' Nine Tails

(1971) ***½

Franco Arno (Karl Malden) is a blind retired journalist who overhears a suspicious conversation preceding a murder. He then gets involved with Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus) a newspaper reporter and together they try to solve the mystery. Seems a pharmaseudical company is trying to conceal a huge research secret. With each clue they uncover their lives become more and more endangered. Everytime they find someone who could lead them to the truth that person winds up dead. Attempts are made on both of their lives. It becomes a race against time to uncover the murderer before they are killed.

A complex tale of intrigue, murder and big hair. I have to say this was not one of my favorite Argento flicks. It was rather draggy at times and didn't seem to really have any of his flare with color & light. It was almost like he was trying to be more like Hitchcock with this one. Not a bad story and was worth the watch but really not a fair demontration of his directing talents.

5 comments:

Johnny Sweatpants said...

I agree wholly. This is one of Argento's weakest. I think Deep Red is my favorite after Suspiria. Bird With a Crystal Plumage is also a beauty. Octopunk wrote a stellar review of that a couple of years back.

Whirlygirl said...

i have bird with a crystal plumage on its way to me from the library. i netflixed it last year but rec'd a bad disc and said the hell with it.

Johnny Sweatpants said...

Crystal Plumage borrows heavily from Hitchcock also but Argento's twisted vision still shines through.

Catfreeek said...

I loved Crystal Plumage

Octopunk said...

Ditto! Crystal Plumage has styyyyyle, Cat O' Nine Tails has Karl Malden in a sweater.

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