EYE OF THE CAT

RELEASED 21 JUNE 1969 | 15 | Blu-ray

Director David Lowell Rich

Cast Michael Sarrazin,

Gayle Hunnicutt, Eleanor Parker, Tim Henry

Regularly striking a note of febrile hysteria, this when-felinesattack thriller should by rights have starred Joan Crawford or Bette Davis. The work of expert hands – Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano wrote it; the music’s by Lalo Schifrin – it centres on a San Francisco hairdresser (Gayle Hunnicutt) who pairs up with a client’s estranged nephew (Gayle Hunnicutt) for a scheme to knock off his sickly, mog-loving aunt (Eleanor Parker) and split the inheritance.

Sarrazin’s amoral hipster, a smirking pretty boy who spends half the film with his shirt off, feels like a Joe Orton character. The aunt/nephew relationship simmers with barely concealed incestuous lust. The script rattles off arch bon mots at a rate of knots. And the climactic cat attack features at least one poor puss clearly being tossed through the air by the crew. An exquisitely camp confection.

Extras In addition to the theatrical cut, you get the sanitised TV version – it trims blasphemy and sexual references, and has one cat attacking instead of scores; it also adds some extraneous chat. A 38-minute featurette helpfully runs through the differences. A 21-minute talking head by – who else – Kim Newman places the film in context. Writer Kevin Lyons provides commentary. Plus: trailer; radio spot; gallery; booklet. Ian Berriman