The Black Cat
(Lucio Fulci; 1981)
(Anchor Bay)
-Overview-
Adapted from the story by Edgar Allan Poe, a series of bizarre accidents are occurring in a small English village. Believing said accident to be murder, a Scotland Yard detective suspects the local recluse who is rumored to be a medium with the ability to commune with the dead.
I figured it was about time I cracked this one open, seeing as it’s been sitting on the unwatched shelf for the better part of four years… and I’m sort of on the fence about it. It’s certainly not Fulci’s worst film, but not his best either. This film has gotten a lot of flak for its lack of gratuitous gore and nudity, which in all fairness is on the tame side as far as Fulci goes. There’s still some decent effects and a small amount of T&A however, so just as long as you’re not expecting Zombie or New York Ripper, you should be fine. The story is compelling, and the film is still shot very much in Fulci’s now infamous style. Check it out if you’re a fan of Poe or Fulci.
-Sound-
Mono. No noticeable distortion.
-Picture-
A fair amount of artifacting is evident with this print. Most evidently in a black line that runs vertically up the right side of the screen for almost the entirety of the film. Presented in Widescreen.
-Special Features-
- Theatrical trailer
- Lucio Fulci Bio
-Packaging-
Standard DVD keep case.
Sound: 2
Picture: 2
Packaging: 2.5
(Rating scale is out of 5, with 1 being the worst and 5 the best)