Don't watch this film tired or drunk or you'll be asleep in seconds. Not that I'm slagging off this film, it's just that this particular giallo is very dreamy and features people wandering around tombs, creaky old houses, and tunnels in near darkness. Perseverance however is rewarding, and having been knocked out twice trying to watch this I managed to watch it during the day and found an extremely stylish and atmospheric film that's low on gore and nudity but high on imagery and such like.Corringa turns up at her aunt's castle in some undetermined era (I'm guessing early twentieth century), to find her mother and aunt have been arguing about something or other. Turns out her aunt Mary ain't got a lot of cash but Corringa's mother isn't willing to give her a loan, seeing as how she can just sell the castle. Her aunt Mary's got a doctor 'friend' who she schemes with, and an eccentric son who keeps a pet gorilla. Things get weird when Corringa's mother dies and the so-called MacGrieff curse comes into play. That curse means that when a MacGrieff kills a MacGrieff, the victim will come back as a vampire! It's up to Corringa and major red herring James to find out what's going down, and it's all done in a mix of fog, flickering candles, cobwebs and that darn cat. Expect plenty of sweeping camera-work and gasping ladies. Antonio Margharetti's an old hand at these kinds of films, and I've never seen anything that's been less than good by the guy. Included in the mix is Venantino Venantini (of City of the Living Dead and War of the Robots) and the guy who looks like Peter Lorre (Werewolf in a girls Dormitory, Terror Creatures for the Grave). Do yourself a favour and try and get a cleaned up copy of this film. My copy was picked up in a street market in Rome and the visuals are so soft it's like someone smeared Vaseline on the screen. And I still enjoyed it! A nice Gothic setting for the giallo.

"Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye" (1973) is a very unusual kind of giallo film, taking place as it does not in modern times, but rather in what appears to be the early 20th century. Is it a giallo or is it a Gothic murder mystery with a high body count? I suppose the answer must be "Who cares?" when a picture is as fun as this one. The film shows us what happens when the young, pretty Corringa (Jane Birkin) returns to her aunt's ancestral Scottish castle of Dragonstone after an extended absence; namely, a series of increasingly bizarre murders amongst the oddball inmates of the house. The picture combines some slightly graphic homicides (you know how many, and which household pet witnesses them, from the film's title, right?) with vampire lore, some hinted-at lesbianism, a maddened orangutan (who looks like a "Jungle Jim" gorilla), ravenous rats, bats, secret passageways, cemetery exploits, and incest to make one wild and heady melange. The film also features stylish direction by Antonio Margheriti, as well as gorgeous set decoration (the picture is very handsomely produced) that is shown to good advantage on this stunning-looking DVD from Blue Underground (although it's a shame that no subtitles option is offered). And how nice to see Anton Diffring, whose performance in 1960's "Circus of Horrors" so impressed me, here again playing another suave slimeball! As regards the potential viewer of "Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye" and his or her ability to guess the identity of the killer, my advice would be to not even try. Just emulate the titular tabby, sit back and enjoy the show!

Antonio Margheriti, director of the enjoyably cheesy cult horror Cannibal Apocalypse, helms this Gothic-flavoured giallo starring gap-toothed 70s icon Jane Birkin (as well as her massive-conked French lover of the day, Serge Gainsbourg).Unfortunately, despite the inclusion of such treats as a tasty bi-sexual French teacher and a terribly unrealistic killer orangutan, Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye ends up a dreary mess which is a struggle to endure.Pretty schoolgirl Corringa (Birkin) returns to her family's Scottish estate after many years away, only to discover that a maniac is murdering her relatives one by one. Using the whole array of 'spooky old house' tricks (hidden doorways, dark corridors, creepy graveyards, candlelit cobweb covered rooms), Margheriti cobbles together a confusing tale which at times promises supernatural goings-on, but ends up with a lame cop-out ending that is unimaginative in the extreme.'And where exactly does the cat fit in to all of this?', I hear you ask. Well, a rather pudgy moggy witnesses each murder thus justifying Margheriti's rather cool sounding title.'Gory, stylish fun' claims the DVD cover; 'Boring pile of dung' says I.

SEVEN DEATHS IN THE CAT'S EYE is not really a standard "Giallo" by any stretch of the imagination. It's actually a 1970's Italian variation on the Old Dark House genre--it even hearkens back to early sound films such as THE MONSTER WALKS and silent films such as THE CAT AND THE CANARY--but with a Hitchcock and Tennessee Williams twist, and all done in the stylish Gothic manner that Italians do so well. Jane Birkin is a girl home from boarding school to an old castle with the ultimate dysfunctional family. Hiram Keller, of FELLINI SATYRICON fame, is superb as James, the outcast of the home who turns out to be the only sane one. It's a florid, over-the-top performance that makes me want to search out more of the late Mr. Keller's obscure European films. And it's a hoot to see (but not hear) Serge Gainsbourg as a Scottish police inspector (he's dubbed). The mysterious cat motif works well, and there is a sly sense of humor and good fun throughout the entire film, but enough murders and atmosphere and mystery to make the experience well worth you time. This is not the kind of film to over-analyze--just enjoy it and let yourself go along for the ride as if you are on a roller coaster or in a fun-house. The widescreen transfer looks nice and the beautiful, rich colors come through well. I can imagine pulling this film out again every year or so and still being entertained. Recommended!