| "A Maniac Killer Will Stop At Nothing" |
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| aka IL GATTO A NOVE CODE (1971) 112 mins SEDA SPETTACOLI ; ITALY |
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Franco Arno (Malden) is a blind man who lives with his young niece and makes a living writing crossword puzzles. While walking along a street one night, he overhears a strange conversation between two men sitting in a parked car in front of a medical institute where genetic experiments are performed. Also that night, someone breaks into the institute and attacks a guard. Arno decides to investigate with the help of reporter Carlo Giordani (Franciscus). This film is a disappointment. It somehow manages to take a good if strangely old fashioned story and make it totally uninvolving. I feel that the actors have to take a lot of responsibility for this. |
| There are, however good elements to the film. Argento's pre-occupation with photography figures strongly in the plot but the fact that a blind man points out a vital detail that everyone else had missed takes some believing! There are also glimpses of the black gloved hands of the killer which is essential in giallo and Argento style (a close up of an eye and a nicely conceived death by train) but all too briefly. I might say that, a less than healthy relationship between Arno and his niece is alluded to but not explored. |  |
| It does have a plot that makes reasonable sense and I am sure that there are Argento fans out there who will like this film. Indeed, it would make a lot of directors work look stupefying dull. Anyway, it is no more than a competent thriller and a big let down when compared to his excellent debut feature. |
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reviewed by NJD |
| credits | |
| cast: | Karl Malden, James Franciscus, Catherine Spaak, Cinzia De Carolis, Carlo Alighiero, Vittorio Congia |
| director: | Dario Argento |
| producer: | Salvatore Argento |
| screenplay: | Dario Argento |
| cinematography: | Erico Menczer |
| music: | Ennio Morricone |
| sfx: | Giuseppe Ferranti, Piero Marchettiy |
| technical information | |
| negative: | 35mm |
| print: | 35mm |
| aspect ratio: | 2.35:1 |
| format: | Techniscope/Cromoscope |
| [artwork][fotobusa][lobbycard][photo] |
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