'The Crimes of the Black Cat' is a bizarre yet fun Giallo flick from the early 70's that features all the genre tropes with plenty of violence, sleaze, and memorable set pieces. The movie's narrative is somewhat disjointed and heavily borrows several elements from far better Giallo's from the likes of Mario Bava and Dario Argento, but this is a solid enough entry in the genre.
The plot = A blind composer Peter (Anthony Steffen) sets to investigate a string of murders after his girlfriend Paola (Isabelle Marchall) is killed. The killer is using a bizarre method of using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare which has the police baffled and Peter is soon drawn into a web of danger.
The direction by Sergio Pastore is strong with plenty of off-kilter shots and decent cinematography as well as doing a good job of exploiting the genre's tropes, but the editing was a bit haphazard and choppy. The storyline itself was pretty inventive even if the pace was a bit sluggish at times, but the mystery itself was compelling enough with plenty of mis-direction and red herrings to keep you interested throughout.
The cast here are strong with plenty of colourful characters Anthony Steffen is brilliant in the leading role and provides a compelling screen presence. Sylvia Koscina and Giacomo Rossi also gave strong and noteworthy performances as the fashion designer and her husband. Then finally Giovanna Lenzi gives an over the top and quite hammy performance as the former circus performer turned pet shop owner Susan who's forced to take part in the murders.
Overall 'The Crimes of the Black Cat' is a cheesy yet entertaining giallo flick that sure has a few problems, but its solid effort all round.
The plot = A blind composer Peter (Anthony Steffen) sets to investigate a string of murders after his girlfriend Paola (Isabelle Marchall) is killed. The killer is using a bizarre method of using a black cat with its claws dipped in curare which has the police baffled and Peter is soon drawn into a web of danger.
The direction by Sergio Pastore is strong with plenty of off-kilter shots and decent cinematography as well as doing a good job of exploiting the genre's tropes, but the editing was a bit haphazard and choppy. The storyline itself was pretty inventive even if the pace was a bit sluggish at times, but the mystery itself was compelling enough with plenty of mis-direction and red herrings to keep you interested throughout.
The cast here are strong with plenty of colourful characters Anthony Steffen is brilliant in the leading role and provides a compelling screen presence. Sylvia Koscina and Giacomo Rossi also gave strong and noteworthy performances as the fashion designer and her husband. Then finally Giovanna Lenzi gives an over the top and quite hammy performance as the former circus performer turned pet shop owner Susan who's forced to take part in the murders.
Overall 'The Crimes of the Black Cat' is a cheesy yet entertaining giallo flick that sure has a few problems, but its solid effort all round.