A Black Cat is stalking around a small Italian village, causing numerous deaths. A weird psychic (Patrick Magee) might be involved in some way as well. An American journalist (Mimsy Farmer) visiting the village catches wind of the murders and decides to investigate along with a Scotland Yard detective (David Warbeck).
Lucio Fulci is an insane genius. Imagine if someone took heavy amounts of mind-altering substances and then decided to adapt Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat. This is essentially what you would get. The film is delightfully bonkers. Surprisingly, it gets most of the beats of Poe's story correct while stull finding enough space to add in some madness.
Patrick Magee is the best actor here. He is completely magnetic and creepy, just his mere presence is enough to captivate you. The gothic mansion he lives in and the cellar underneath are gorgeous and feel like they have been ripped right out of Poe's imagination. There's not as much visual style, or blood and gore. Instead, this film is completely committed to making you feel like someone slipped a drug into your cocktail. When the full details of the plot emerge, it's hard not to feel like you've gone a little crazy yourself (in a good way).
The Black Cat is easily one of Fulci's most insane, wacked-out films. It's also one of his best.
4 STARS
No comments:
Post a Comment