[UK] The Cat O’ Nine Tails Blu-Ray Review

Synopsis from the Arrow Video website:

When a break-in occurs at a secretive genetics institute, blind puzzle-maker Franco Arnò (Karl Malden, Patton, One-Eyed Jacks), who overheard an attempt to blackmail one of the institute’s scientists shortly before the robbery, teams up with intrepid reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus, Beneath the Planet of the Apes) to crack the case. But before long the bodies begin to pile up and the two amateur sleuths find their own lives imperilled in their search for the truth. And worse still, Lori (Cinzia De Carolis, Cannibal Apocalypse), Franco’s young niece, may also be in the killer’s sights…

The Cat O' Nine Tails

Picture Quality

As someone who owns Arrow’s previous slipcase release, I was excited to check out the brand new 4K restoration and it did not disappoint. The visual quality when compared to the original release looks far superior, with the bright colours being highlighted and sharp, and the darks being inky black and not too over shadowed. From my initial viewing, I noticed no major drops in picture quality or breaks. The film is presented in a 2.35:1 ratio.

Sound Quality

The audio on both the English and Italian tracks is clear, with little to no breaks or drops in quality throughout the film. There are a few handy automatic subtitles when Italian words are shown throughout the movie, with one example being the filing cabinet that states ‘Genetica’ in the film and ‘Genetics’ on the sub. The quality of the dub is great (in parts) on the audio tracks that I was questioning whether it was actually originally filmed in Italian or English. This is my first dip into the waters of reviewing a dubbed release so I hope that you all stick with me as I am still learning.

The Specs

  • Region Code: B
  • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
  • Audio Format: 1.0 mono
  • Language: Italian, English
  • Subtitles: English/ English SDH
  • Running Time: 112 Mins

Special Features

  • Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
  • Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
  • Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
  • New audio commentary by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman
  • New interviews with co-writer/director Dario Argento, co-writer Dardano Sacchetti, actress Cinzia De Carolis and production manager Angelo Iacono
  • Script pages for the lost original ending, translated into English for the first time
  • Original Italian and international theatrical trailers
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Candice Tripp
  • Double-sided fold-out poster
  • 4 lobby card reproductions
  • Limited edition booklet illustrated by Matt Griffin, featuring an essay on the film by Dario Argento, and new writing by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes

The Cat O' Nine Tails

The Cat O’ Nine Tails is currently available for purchase in the UK.

Will you be checking this release out in the near future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

About the author

Horror Fan, DC encyclopaedia, Collector, and Student. Trying to look like I know what I'm doing.