Very disappointed :(

Good start, but then it gets ruined

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

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.

****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!

I enjoyed this film however I am bias because I am a big fan of Dario Argento's work.Although some reviews of this film may not put it in the same league as his later works, and despite the fact there is no chance I would state it was anywhere near my favorite work of his, it was still an enjoyable piece of film and a good murder mystery. Sure it does not have the same level of artistic camera work of later works, nor does it have any trademark black gloves or loads of gore, however it still stands up well for a film that is 44 years old.The story is good and revolves around a Medical Research team who's office is broken into and a blind man as well as a reporter who are trying to track down a killer and in the process becoming targets themselves. The characters are good and in the usual fashion of Argento he will keep you guessing right up to the end, and when you think you know who the killer is, you'll be wrong.If you like Argento's work, you should check it out.

Ranking among Argento's best movies, The Cat O'Nine Tails is a compelling giallo with solid writing and two strong leading performances.A fine James Franciscus is the conventional Argento protagonist; more interesting is the blind amateur sleuth played by a magnificent Karl Malden. A vamped-up Catherine Spaak, who was memorable as Gassman's daughter in Il Sorpasso, isn't quite as good as the femme fatale.Neither as creepy as Profondo Rosso nor as stylish as Suspiria, The Cat O'Nine Tails distinguishes itself among Argento's thrillers for its writing, with more care put into dialogues and secondary characters, and an unusually complicated plot.Argento, a huge Hitchcock fan, homages the British director with a sequence involving a poisoned glass of milk (Suspicion).7/10