James Kline & J.H. Alison continue Lucio Fulci Month with one of his strangest films—The Black Cat (1981). A moody mix of Edgar Allan Poe inspiration, European gothic vibes, and Fulci’s signature brutality, this movie asks the question: what happens when a psychic professor uses a cat to control minds and kill his enemies?
We kick things off with thoughts on the film’s connection to Poe’s short story and James checking in from Australia this month. Then it’s time for our Weekly History Segment—we dive into what was happening in April 1981: James covers a wild WWF house show headlined by Andre the Giant vs. Hangman and Don Muraco vs. The Black Demon, while Alison explores the band Spellbound and how their sound shaped different metal bands of the era.
From there, we break down the film’s background: co-writer Biagio Proietti, Fulci’s shift into more violent territory, and casting secrets—including one shocking actor almost cast as Miles that blew our minds. We cover Dagmar Lassander’s near-death fire stunt, Fulci’s gothic set design, and how The Black Cat mixes murder mystery, gothic horror, and straight-up weirdness.
Finally, we review the movie itself—Scotland Yard’s Inspector Gorley stumbling through the case, Jill the photographer caught up in it all, Miles’ creepy mansion complete with bats, cats, and Halloween spirit, and of course the killer feline itself bringing that cat scratch fever.
This one’s a bizarre but fun slice of Fulci madness you don’t want to miss.
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