Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye Blu Ray Review (Twilight Time)

by todayshaul · Published · Updated

Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye (aKa Corringa, La morte negli occhi del gatto and Sieben Tote in den Augen der Katze) is a 1973 giallo film co-written and directed by Antonio Margheriti (Castle of Blood, Vengeance, Death Rage, The Last Hunter, and Yor, the Hunter from the Future). It’s based on the novel by Peter Bryan (The Blood Beast Terror, Trog, The Plague of the Zombies, The Brides of Dracula, and The Hound of the Baskervilles). It was written by Giovanni Simonelli (A Cat in the Brain, Jungle Raiders, Bloody Psycho, Johnny Yuma, and Day After Tomorrow). It was produced by Luigi Nannerini (A Cat in the Brain, Touch of Death, Voices from Beyond, Sodoma’s Ghost, and Massacre). It grossed ₤219.556 million at the box office in Italy. Set in Scotland, a killer drags a man’s body into a dimly lit dungeon and is followed by a ginger cat. Corringa (played by: Jane Birkin from Blow-Up, Evil Under the Sun, Death on the Nile, and The Devil in the Heart) goes to Dragonstone Castle to meet up with her mother Lady Alicia (played by: Dana Ghia from Tough Cop, My Dear Killer, Smile Before Death, and Today We Kill, Tomorrow We Die!) and her aunt Lady Mary MacGrieff (played by: Francoise Christophe from Erik the Conqueror, The Possessors, and The Three Musketeers franchise). She runs into the other residents of the castle during the night that includes Dr. Franz (played by: Anton Differing from Faceless, Victory, The Swiss Conspiracy, The Beast Must Die, Mark of the Devil Part II, and Circus of Horrors), a Priest (played by: Venatino Venantini from 22 Bullets, Ladyhawke, The Adventures of Hercules, and Warriors Five), Suzanna (played by: Doris Kunstmann from Funny Games, Walking a Tightrope, and Hitler: The Last Ten Days), and Lord James MacGrieff (played by: Hiram Keller from Smile Before Death, The Survivors of the Bounty, and Lifespan). The help in the castle includes Angus (played by: Luciano Pigozzi from Blood and Black Lace, Robowar, Zombie 3, Strike Commando 1/2, The Exterminators of the Year 3000, and Escape from Hell), Campbell (played by: Konrad George from Slavers, Magere Zeiten, and School of Fear), and Janet (played by: Bianca Doria from The Hassled Hooker and We the Living). Something isn’t right here and bad luck soon follows this group. The residents start to be killed off one by one by an unknown psychopath with a razor blade. The survivors try to figure who’s the mysterious killer among them as they are trapped inside the dangerous castle.Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye cashed in on the giallo craze during the 70’s. The script had solid suspense with a impressive body count. It had a decent twist and finale for this one. Antonio Margheriti directed this gothic thriller in a castle with a random ape that always made me scratch my head when I watched this but I guess it adds to the bizarre charm for it. It has stylish cinematography and great production design. Nothing really innovative when it comes to the kills but it keeps them interesting. It has some sleaze and a little dark comedy thrown into the mix. This one is loaded with all kinds of familiar faces that includes Jane Birkin, Francoise Christophe, Luciano Pigozzi, Hiram Keller, and Dana Ghia. The acting here is actually really good, no one is really over the top well besides the out of place gorilla in Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye. This isn’t typical giallo and it’s kinda borderline at times but it does the fit the sub-genre for the most part. The music is great here but if you are fan of the genre, you have heard it in other earlier projects. I really enjoyed this one and it’s great to see more Italian horror on blu ray, RECOMMENDED!!!!Let’s talk about the high definition presentation and special features from Twilight Time! This 1080p (2.35:1) transfer is from a 2k restoration that was done a few years ago. It appears to the same as the previous 88 Films home video release but it’s definitely different compared to Blue Underground’s previous DVD. It appears a little brighter than that one when it comes to the colors. It’s an upgrade and it’s the best it’s ever looked in the states for home video. The stylish visuals and cinematography really pop out on here. It has two different audio options which includes Italian: LPCM 2.0 and English: LPCM 2.0 on the disc. All of the dialogue is very clean, the suspense is elevated, and the music has a real nice boost to it. It has English subtitles. It has an “Audio Commentary” with film historian and author Troy Howarth. He chats about the film’s production, characters, and story. He talks about the actors, directors, and other giallo films. He drops all kinds of information and knowledge about the feature. He gets distracted by the random ape a few times which is hilarious on here. He’s very honest and blunt when talking about Seven Deaths in the Cat’s Eye. It’s a fun track to check out while revisiting this one. It has English and Italian “Trailers” for the film. Just a warning, the previous extras that were on the Blue Underground and 88 Films releases weren’t carried over here so you might want to hold on to those if you have them in your collection. It also has a 12 page collectible booklet. This is one of the first home video releases from Twilight Time since it was taken over by Screen Archives Entertainment and it’s an exclusive to their site. This is a limited edition release so don’t sleep on it, CHECK IT OUT!!!!