moonspinner55 Delivered in-between the far-superior "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage" and "Four Flies on Grey Velvet", this Dario Argento murder-mystery doesn't quite rise to those heights--and Argento himself was dismissive of it--but there's still a great deal to treasure here. Karl Malden is terrific as an ex-newspaperman man and puzzle-lover, blinded 15 years ago in an accident and living with his orphaned niece, who partners with reporter James Franciscus in a case involving a break-in at a forensic science institute wherein the burglar assaulted the nightwatchman but didn't take anything. Soon, a doctor at the institute is killed in a mysterious 'accident' involving a train, followed by the photographer who snapped a picture of the man's death--revealing that it was indeed murder. Argento, who directed, helped originate the story, and co-authored the screenplay with Bryan Edgar Wallace, gives us fully-rounded characters with lives outside their jobs, including their extracurricular activities, their acquaintances, their sexual proclivities (including a stop at a gay bar that must have been eyebrow-raising in 1971). If his pacing is sometimes slow, it is deliberately slow, careful. He loves mounting his narrative with as much minutiae as he can stuff into a frame, although he may give viewers too much time to rethink the scenario and find faults with his plotting (on the crowded train platform, did no one notice the killer?). Argento-buffs probably won't mind the flaws, of course, and with that bravura finale of his you can hardly blame them. **1/2 from ****

Giallo Fanatic But I found this to be a tad boring compared to the rest of the 'Animal Trilogy'. It is not bad but it is not great either. It is still memorable though. I often play the music Ennio Morricone made for this movie in my head. There is something very haunting about this movie's soundtrack. (Well, quite honestly, much of the music in Argento's movies are haunting). It is a very atmospheric music. The POVs of the killer are also quite memorable, it made it feel like you were not only witnessing murder on screen but were taking part in it. Regarding the murders in this movie they are not as flamboyant as they usually are compared to Argento movies. Some might say a little boring. But although they are not as violent or as flamboyant I still find them to be uncomfortable. But what it lacks in violence it makes up for in atmosphere with its images and music. It is a more subtle atmosphere, not as outrageous or as otherworldly as the other movies Dario made. It also has a simpler story and simpler plot. Although simple, it surprisingly is not easy to figure out what is going in the movie. I admit I missed many of the subtleties the first time I saw it. But it was my first Giallo and my second movie of Argento (my first was 'Phenomena') and honestly it left me with a kind of poor impression. But as time went on and I became more familiar with the Giallo sub genre it grew on me.Plot: who is the killer?, writer/director: Dario Argento, year of release: 1971, genre: thriller, themes: secrecy, violence, despair and inquisitiveness. Summary: a blind former reporter teams up with a reporter to solve the murder of a man whose secret got him murdered. In doing so, also becomes the target of the killer who is ready to kill anyone who stands in his way. I would say this is one of Dario's more politically correct movies. If not the most politically correct. I did not find it to be as thought provoking as, say 'The Bird with the Crystal Plumage'. Or 'Four Flies on Grey Velvet'. Which might have led to Dario calling it his most boring movie to date. I have not seen all of his movies but so far I agree with him. But it is still a good movie. Also I want to mention Karl Malden, his presence in the movie overshadowed the performance of James Franciscus. James is no way a bad actor but he seemed more like a side character in the presence of Karl Malden's character 'Cookie'. I normally don't mention much of the performances of the actresses and actors in an Argento movie since they are not as important as what Dario wants to communicate. But here I felt I had to make an exception and mention Karl Malden.Interesting story, subtle plot and atmosphere. An amazing Karl Malden but with a tendency to drag a little and not so focused plot I will rate this movie 7/10. Worth watching and adding to a Cultist's shelf. Recommended to watch for anyone with an interest in thriller /mystery and the Giallo sub genre.

kapelusznik18 ****SPOILERS*** One of Dario Argento's lesser known movie despite it's top shelf American cast has to do with a number of murders that are connected to this genetic medical institute involving human genes effect of a person's violent behavior due to his or her chromosome imbalance. And in how by finding and studying them can prevent the person, by being isolated from society, from growing up to become a mass or serial murderer. That's about as far as the movie goes in genetic research when someone who's obviously effected by the chromosome imbalance in his brain goes on a murder spree to prevent this finding, chromosome imbalance, from becoming public. Not only that he's obviously an homicidal lunatic but that finding that out will in a way, by having him discovered and put away, financially bankrupt him as well.It's blind former ace reported Franco Arno, Karl Malden, and his not so willing at first, he thinks he's off his rocker, partner and fellow reporter Carlo Giordani, James Franciscus, who get on this very strange and confusing case after member of the genetic institute Dr. Calabresi, Carlo Alighiero, was pushed to his death from a train platform where the entire incident was photographed by news photographer Righetto, Vittorio Congia. It's Reghetto who unknowingly cropped out the most important detail in the photo, a hand that pushed Calabrise to his death, that after discovering it lead to his own murder. it now becomes apparent that someone at the institute is trying to hide the results of the chromosome study from the public and get, by murdering everyone involved in it, all the glory and credit for it all for himself!****SPOILERS**** Karl Malden as the blind former news reporter Franco Arno is missing for almost the entire movie after he made his grand appearance with his 11 year old niece Lori, Cinzia De Carolis, at the beginning of the film. He only shows up, as if he was awakened up from his sleep by the films director, in the last few moments of the movie. With him confronting the killer after his partner Carlo Ciordani did all the heavy lifting as well as leg work, and almost getting his brains beat out in the process, and with the help of his walking stick does the guy in. The sad fact in all this is that the reason he did the murderer in had nothing at all to do what he accused him of! In that his niece Lori who was kidnapped was at the time alive and well, after being rescued by the police, when he thought she was murdered! And thus prevented the killer, like Lee Harvey Oswald the suspect in the JFK assassination, from getting a fair trial and letting justice, not blind vengeance, prevail!

acidburn-10 "Cat O' Nine Tails" which was directed by none other than Dario Argento and followed on from the brilliance of "The Bird With The Crystal Plummage", this marks another highlight in his filmography and beautifully shot and fantastically produced, giving us another exciting chapter in his animal trilogy.Like the first part the plot again revolves around a murder mystery, and okay this doesn't quite have the style of his other works, but it's definitely an interesting effort. Plot wise this has all the usual giallo trappings with plenty of twists and turns and many red herrings. It starts off with a blind man Franco and his niece Lori who are out walking one night and overhear a conversation between two men in a parked car, Lori sees one but the other is hidden by darkness. Then that same evening a robbery occurs and later leads to several murders. So Franco and Lori enlist the help of a reporter Carlo to unravel the mystery.Like I said this may lack Dario's usual visual style, but it does pack a punch and keeps the viewer interested as the plot of the movie starts to unravel and events take place, and yes at times does become predictable, like when a character knows who the killer is, only to be bumped off straight away, but the deaths lack the usual gore set pieces, therefore not being as violent, but we do get a shot of the killer's eyes which was quite thrilling and well shot. The nine leads hence from the title is another interesting aspect of the movie, but kinda goes off point and all over the place and we are then introduced to sub plots that go nowhere, okay they can be passed off as red herrings, and then there's the eventual reveal of the killer, which wasn't as shocking as it should have been, but the chase and other plot points leading to it was quite intense though.The acting in this is pretty solid the relationship between Carlo and Franco was quite spot on and excellently played by Karl Malden and James Francisous, and both strike up a likable quality which makes you want them to succeed and of course Catherine Spaak was very glamorous and seductive in her role as Anna Terzi, even though her part was pretty small, but still memorable.All in all "Cat O' Nine Tails" isn't as bloody or sleazy as the usual giallo thrillers which isn't a bad thing and still has a good plot, decent acting and plenty of fun and a definite highlight in Dario's filmography.