A mentally unbalanced man is obsessed with the idea that a black cat is possessed. He tortures and kills it. Later, he comes to believe that the cat has returned from the dead to kill him.A mentally unbalanced man is obsessed with the idea that a black cat is possessed. He tortures and kills it. Later, he comes to believe that the cat has returned from the dead to kill him.A mentally unbalanced man is obsessed with the idea that a black cat is possessed. He tortures and kills it. Later, he comes to believe that the cat has returned from the dead to kill him.
Annabelle Weenick
- Bar Girl
- (as Anne MacAdams)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe Texas owner of the Jaguar automobile used in this film was coincidentally named Tommy Poe, no known relation to the author of the short story on which the script of this film is based.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Shiver & Shudder Show (2002)
Featured review
The cat came back, they thought it was a goner...
The classic Edgar Allan Poe tale gets transplanted to mid-1960s Texas in this spirited midnight movie about a would-be writer named Lou (Robert Frost, in his only film role). One year, Lou receives a present from his wife Diana (Robyn Baker): a black cat whom he names Pluto. Lou, for no apparent reason, becomes a VERY hard-drinking lout who takes his wife for granted, and dotes on Pluto, while also being ignorant towards the rest of his menagerie of pets (including a toucan and a raccoon). In a drunken rage, he mutilates the cat; then, during another drunken stupor, murders the poor thing, in the process burning his house down! Of course, the feline hasn't used up all of its nine lives yet...
Anybody familiar with the Poe yarn, or at least the feature films inspired by it, will find that this version holds no surprises. But it's reasonably amusing, with hilariously florid acting by Frost at times. It contains some decent atmosphere as it depicts his descent into madness, as he becomes convinced that the cat is some sort of demon sent by Satan to torment him. Baker and he were obviously hired for their looks, but she does a decent job as well, creating a likeable character worthy of some sympathy. The cast also includes a couple of faces familiar to fans of Texas-shot movies: Bill Thurman ("The Last Picture Show") as a bartender, George Edgley ("Common Law Wife"), Jeff Alexander ("Horror High"), and Annabelle Weenick ("Don't Look in the Basement").
The stock horror music used here suits the melodramatic nature of the material, and the picture wraps up in a fairly trim 73 minutes. But that doesn't mean that the film is free from filler: there are a few ditties (such as "Sinner Man") belted out by a guy named Scotty McKay and his band during the bar scenes. What will please viewers with more modern sensibilities is the level of violence, as there is one brutal axe murder that takes place. And the ending, while abrupt, is most amusing, and leaves cult horror fans with smiles on their faces.
This is no "lost gem", but is still worth a look for horror fans who seek out more obscure offerings.
Six out of 10.
Anybody familiar with the Poe yarn, or at least the feature films inspired by it, will find that this version holds no surprises. But it's reasonably amusing, with hilariously florid acting by Frost at times. It contains some decent atmosphere as it depicts his descent into madness, as he becomes convinced that the cat is some sort of demon sent by Satan to torment him. Baker and he were obviously hired for their looks, but she does a decent job as well, creating a likeable character worthy of some sympathy. The cast also includes a couple of faces familiar to fans of Texas-shot movies: Bill Thurman ("The Last Picture Show") as a bartender, George Edgley ("Common Law Wife"), Jeff Alexander ("Horror High"), and Annabelle Weenick ("Don't Look in the Basement").
The stock horror music used here suits the melodramatic nature of the material, and the picture wraps up in a fairly trim 73 minutes. But that doesn't mean that the film is free from filler: there are a few ditties (such as "Sinner Man") belted out by a guy named Scotty McKay and his band during the bar scenes. What will please viewers with more modern sensibilities is the level of violence, as there is one brutal axe murder that takes place. And the ending, while abrupt, is most amusing, and leaves cult horror fans with smiles on their faces.
This is no "lost gem", but is still worth a look for horror fans who seek out more obscure offerings.
Six out of 10.
helpful•40
- Hey_Sweden
- Oct 5, 2019
- How long is The Black Cat?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 13 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content