Seven Deaths in the Cats Eyes

source: Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eyes

La morte negli occhi del gatto

A nice Italian Gothic semi-giallo in which it is remarkable to see French singer Serge Gainsbourg play a Scottish speaking (dubbed) police-inspector. The next remarkable role is of course played by the beautiful Jane Birkin - well, not the role itself so much, but Birkin is. Hard to miss also (in a negative way) is that man in the monkey suit... who thought up that one? Very pleasant camera-work (although some parts were a bit too dark), a highly effective soundtrack (Ortolani) and a beautiful setting in and around a Scottish castle (+ adjacent graveyard) make this a thoroughly enjoyable feat. But, as often is the case with many Italian films like these, the story is quite far fetched, and that gorilla did not help. But, given the fact that there is also some naughtiness and gore to be enjoyed, my rating must at least be on the plus side.

This slow, plodding, uninvolving movie, is somehow mysteriously given if not high scores, than above average ones. But even those are pretty much an overpraising of the film. One thing you can't really say about the majority of the films in the Giallo genre is that the excel in plot, for they really don't and the aesthetics, atmosphere, and style are all far paramount to the substance. The best of these type of movies (the earlier Argento films, films of Bava, etcetera...) excelled greatly at this. But this film doesn't even get the atmosphere right and as such relies on the plot which is poor to say the least. It doesn't work in the least and you'll likely be bored to tears. Blue Underground does an excellent job on the transfer naturally as always, but that was way more than this forgotten movie that should have stayed so deserved. My Grade: D Blue Underground Blue Underground DVD Extras: Only an eight minute interview with co-writer Giovanni Simonelli

S10 Review: * * * / * * * * * Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye is about a young and innocent school woman who comes home to her family's Scottish castle. She comes home to find many of strange thing's going about a veritable smörgåsbord of soap opera plots going on, her mothers in financial ruin and needs to sell the castle, a mentally unstable cousin with an equally unstable monkey pet, a live-in doctor trying to help the cousin while he messes around with the aunt, a French tutor who is more likely a French nympho and to top it off a killer trying to off everyone else. Good heady stuff in this giallo by Antonio Margheriti (Cannibal Apocalypse). Yeah the script is a bit soapy and takes a bit of it's own sweet time to get going but Seven Deaths in a Cat's Eye does is photographed very well and the music score excellent (by Riz Ortolani of Cannibal Holocaust fame). The acting is a bit tough to judge is dubbed fare but it does what it needs to with no major stinking on-board.

Quite standard Spaghetti slasher is nowhere near excellent, but also too far from awful to merit serious critical assault. The usual Gothic castle goings-on are given no special treatment here, and the psycho-killer's carnage is strictly PG on the shocks and gore board. This film is, moreover, surprisingly atmospheric. The mossy, rustic exterior of the castle, as well as its rich baroque antique decorum, make for a great looking European horror setting. Too bad, though, that the film never really gains much momentum...I found myself looking around the room after the first 30 minutes. Fortunately, the fairly intense closing scenes make up heartily for these shortcomings. SEVEN DEATHS is a watchable enough seventy-odd minutes, but if you're an unwaning viewer of connate movies, then chances are you've seen all this done before, and probably more successfully. *** Were they feeding that cat bacon-wrapped tater-tots or something? That thing was a freakin' tank! 5/10

Atmospheric and with some decent performances but this gets lost in it's own complicated Ten Little Indians story. Nice touch with the creepy looking cat arriving to herald each killing but it's not enough. It's all rather slow and uninvolving (till the end) but it's interesting to see a young Birkin and I'm sure I've never seen Serge to looking so young. Inconsistent to say the least, this seems to drag because there is not enough to hold the attention. Not unlike a lesser Hammer production in this respect which to some extent it does resemble. Musical score all over the place too and this doesn't help. So, very average, great poster though reproduced on the DVD cover!

"Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye" is a great giallo from the director of "School Girl Killer"(1968)and "The Virgin of Nuremberg"(1963),among others.A series of savage and gory killings take place in a Scottish castle...all watched,with a lazy eye,by a cat.A young schoolgirl Corringa(Jane Birkin)tries to discover some of the castle's secrets.Antonio Margheriti adapted this Gothic chiller from a novel by Peter Bryan.The film is very atmospheric and there's enough suspense to make fans of Italian horror happy.There are some stylish cut throat razor killings and plenty of Gothic elements(everything from hidden doors leading to bat infested,cobwebbed corridors to family curses).Check it out.Highly recommended.