1970
Italy/West Germany
Technostampa Chromoscope 96m
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo, el Pajaro de las Plumas de Cristol, The Phantom of Terror (USA), The Gallery Murders (UK: theatrical title), Le sadique aux gants noirs, L'oiseau au plumage de cristal, The Sadist With Black Gloves, The Bird With the Glass Feathers, Das Geheimnis der schwarzen handschuhe (Germany), L'oiseau au plumage de cristal (France), De messen morden (Holland)
CREDITS
Production
Company: Seda Spettacoli (Rome)/C.C.C. Filmkunst (Berlin)
Director: Dario Argento
Producer: Salvatore Argento
Story & Script: Dario Argento
(based loosely on 'The Screaming Mimi' by Fredric Brown)
Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Editor: Franco Fraticelli
Art Director & Costumes: Dario Micheli
Music: Ennio Morricone
Music Director: Bruno Nicolai
Assistant Director: Roberto Pariante
Make-Up Artist: Pino Ferrante
CAST
*Uncredited
- Dario
Argento (Black jacketed killer),
Tony Musante (Sam
Dalmas), Enrico Maria Salerno
(Inspector Morosini), Suzy
Kendall (Giulia),
Eva Renzi (Monica Ranieri),
Umberto Raho (Alberto
Ranieri), Giuseppe Castellano
(an agent), Omar Bonaro (other agent),
Werner Peters (antique dealer), Gianni
Di Benedetto (Professor Renaldi),
Renato Romano (Carlo/Dover,
Sam's friend), Reggie
Nalder (assassin), Karen Valenti,
Annamaria Spogli, Gildo
Di Marco, Pino Patti,
Rosita Torosh, Fulvio
Mingozzi, Carla Mancini
(girl in street), Bruno Erba, Mario
Adorf (Berto Consalvi)
VIDEO
France:
SVP, Cinema Conseil.
Germany: Toppic 'Krimi' series -as Das Geheimnis der Schwarzen Handschuhe.
Greece: label unknown -full screen, English language, Greek subtitles as The
Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Spain: Manga Films S.L - 96m, letterboxed at 2.35:1, Spanish language as
EL PÁJARO DE LAS PLUMAS DE CRISTALl.
Denmark: Video International - as Fuglen Med Krystalfjerpragten.
Portugal: Filmitalus - as Bird with the Crystal Plumage
Holland: Polygram/Spectrum - 91m, full screen as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
Italy: Creazioni Home Video -103m, full screen as L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo.
Mondadori Video- as L'uccello dalle piume de cristallo, 96m, Uncut, Cat
No. MVEC03042.
Japan: Columbia Video -96m 07s, letterboxed, in English with Japenese subtitles
as The Bird with the Crystal Plumage.
UK: Vampix/Videomedia - 92m 10s, slightly cut BBFC 'X' certificate version (the
shot of a female victim's panties being ripped is missing), full screen as The
Bird with the Crystal Plumage; Stablecane - 92m 07s, slightly cut BBFC 'X' certificate
version with slightly washed out colour transfer as The Bird with the Crystal
Plumage.
USA: VCI/United - cut US 'PG' version, full screen; VCI - no rating, Widescreen
98m.
NOTE
- Click
here
to order the U.S NTSC Widescreen
video.
LASERDISC
Japan:
label unknown - letterboxed, uncut.
USA: Image Entertainment - cut US 'PG' version, letterboxed at 2.35:1, richer
colours than the Japenese disc; Roan Group - Uncut, letterboxed at 2.35:1 with
good colour transfer.
DVD
* r0
USA: VCI Home Video - Taken from the Roan Group
print, 98m uncut, letterboxed at 2.35:1, original theatrical trailer, featuring
newly remixed Dolby Stereo Surround sound also issolated Original Motion Picture
Soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, weblinks.
NOTE
- The
first release of this disc had a few reinstated frames out of sequence during
the panty ripping scene.
The re-released version
has now been corrected. The audio level is now higher as some thought it too
low for the initial DVD release.
The web link to Dark Dreams has been updated to http://www.darkdreams.org.
There were also complaints about 'letterbox ghosting' when viewed on 4:3 TV's.
I believe this may also have been corrected.
The
cover art is slightly different on the rear and does not now refer to the incorrectly
spelled 'Susperia' as it did before.
NOTE
- Click
here
to order this DVD.
* r2
France: TF1 Video - letterboxed 2.35:1 as L'uccello dalle piume de cristallo, French and Italian soundtracks, later with French subtitles, Dario Argento Filmography and Interview, photos of the shoot, stories regarding the movie, posters, screensaver, weblinks.
* r2
Japan:
Culture Publications - 96m 56s, 2.00:1 (approx) aspect ratio as L'uccello dalle
piume di cristallo. Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0, Italian language, Japanese subtitles
(Optional), Cat
No. CPVD-1115.
NOTE
- A
clean, richly coloured print.
Sound is average considering the age of the films negative.
*
r2
NOTE
- This
title was originally due for release on 27th July 2001 from a company called
DIVID.
However this and their other proposed release PROFONDO ROSSO were put back time
and time again.
It seems both titles have now been released by a company called Platinum Media
Distribution.
UK:
Platinum Media Distribution - 92 mins, Letterboxed at 1.85:1, Dolby AC-3 Sound,
Italian Language track with burned in English subtitles, A
short behind the scenes segment, Theatrical
Trailers for The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Profondo Rosso, Cat O' Nine
Tails, Demons, Demons 2.
Originally
wrongly titled "Bird of Crystal Plumage".
Slightly cut version.
NOTE
- This
DVD is incorrectly framed at 1.85:1 instead of the correct 2.35:1.
Thanks to András Hernadi for the infomation.
Click here
to order this DVD.
SOUNDTRACK
USA:
CD An Ennio Morricone/Dario Argento Trilogy - a fifteen track compilation of
music from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat O'Nine Tails and Four
Flies on Grey Velvet, plus a five minute interview with Dario Argento conducted
by Claudio Fuiano.
drg MOVIES #32911
NOTE
- Click
here to see the written translation
of the interview by Claudio Fuiano.
Click here
to order this soundtrack CD from the U.S.A.
Or click here
to order this CD from the U.K.
1971
Italy/West Germany/France
Technostampa Cromoscope 112m
ALTERNATIVE TITLES
Il gatto a nove code, Die Neunschwanzige Katze (Germany), Le chat a neuf queues (France), De Nihalede Kat (Denmark), De Kat de Negen Staarten (Holland), Kilencfarku Macska (Hungary), O gato das sete vidas (Portugal), El gato de las nueve colas (Spain)
CREDITS
Production
Company: Seda Spettacoli/Mondial Films (Rome)/Terra Filmkunst (Munich)/Labrador
Films (France)
Director: Dario Argento
Producer: Salvatore Argento
Story: Dario Argento, Luigi Collo, Dardano Sacchetti
Script: Dario Argento
Cinematography: Enrico Menczer
Editor: Franco Fraticelli
Art Director: Carlo Leva
Music: Ennio Morricone
Music Director: Bruno Nicolai
Assistant Director: Roberto Pariante
Titles and Optical Effects: Luciano
Make-Up Artists: Giuseppe Ferranti
and Piero Meccaci
CAST
Cast: Karl Malden (Franco Arno, nicknamed 'Cookie'), James Franciscus (Carlo Giodarno), Catherine Spaak (Anna Terzi), Cinzia de Carolis (Lori), Carlo Alighiero (Doctor Calabresi), Vittorio Congia (Righetto, the photographer), Pier Paolo Capponi (Superintendent Spimi), Corrando Olmi (Morsella), Tino Carraro (Professor Terzi), Aldo Reggiani (Doctor Casoni), Horst Frank (Doctor Braun),Emilio Marchesini (Doctor Mombelli), Tom Felleghy/Tomasso Felleghi (Doctor Essen), Rada Rassimov (Bianca Merusi), Werner Pochath (Manuel)
VIDEO
Canada:
Cinema Home Theater - 112m, full screen.
France: SVP, Cinema Conseil.
Greece: AV (Audio Visual) Enterprises.
Hungary: Mokep - approx. 107m, letterboxed.
Italy: Creazioni - as Il Gatto A Nove Code, 107m; Mondadori as Il
Gatto A Nove Code, 111
minutes, uncut, Cat No. MVEC03043; Club Del Video.
Portugal: Filmitalus.
Spain: Manga Video S.L - 111m, letterboxed at 2.35:1, Spanish language.
Japan: Columbia - 112m, letterboxed.
UK: Warner Home Video - 107m 25s, full screen, pan and scan. Re-released by
Warners as part of their insulting 'Terror Vision' sell-thru label, uncut version
with a BBFC '18' certificate, incorrect sleeve photos.
USA: Bingo Video - cut to less than 90 minutes, poor quality; Cinema
Video Theater; Timeless Video Inc, 112 minutes, rated PG.
NOTE
- Click
here
to order the U.S NTSC Widescreen
video.
LASERDISC
Japan: Sony - 112m, letterboxed 2.35:1; Columbia - 112m, letterboxed 2.35:1; Toshiba - 112m, letterboxed 2.35:1.
DVD
* r2
France: TF1 Video - uncut version as Le Chat a Neuf
Queues, letterboxed 2.35:1, French and Italian mono soundtracks, later with
French subtitles, original trailer, Dario Argento interview, stories regarding
the movie, posters, screensaver, weblinks.
*
r0
USA:
Anchor Bay - Uncut 2.35:1 Widescreen Presentation enhanced for 16x9 TV's. English:
Dolby Surround 2.0, Italian: Dolby Surround 2.0, French: Dolby Surround 2.0,
Interviews with Director Dario Argento, Writer Dardano Sacchetti, and Music
Composer Ennio Morricone. Radio Interviews with Stars James Franciscus and Karl
Malden, Theatrical Trailers, TV Spots, Radio Spots, Talent Bios, Poster and
Still Gallery.
NOTE
- Click
here
to order this DVD.
*
r2
Japan:
Culture Publications - 111m 51s, 2.00:1 (approx) aspect ratio as Il gatto a
nove code. Dolby Digital Stereo 2.0, Italian language, Japanese subtitles (Optional),
Cat No. CPVD-1114.
NOTE
- A
mediocre transfer with mild print damage and scratches.
Sound is taken directly from an optical track, sound has high level noise, pops
and hisses.
Overall the sound is poor considering it's a DVD release.
*
r0
Australia: Control Productions - 112 minutes, 1.33:1 Pan & Scan, Dolby Digital
Stereo,
English Language, Actors Filmography, Picture Gallery, Seperate Full Screen
Credits.
NOTE
- Here
is some infomation I recieved:
Checking on my DVD player the disc had a running time of 111 mins 37 secs.
In Australia a DVD at this price ($10 AU) is around 1/3 of the average price
($30), so this is considered a 'budget' release.
Only a select few on-line shops are selling it:
http://www.chaosmusic.com/shop/product.asp?productID=736903
http://www.ezydvd.com.au/item.zml/219808/id=maCjW:DkMfs
ChaosMusic (to my knowledge), also own the company that produce the DVD - "Control
Productions", although they don't mention this anywhere on their website.
http://www.chaosgroup.org
has
info about the ChaosMusic shops in Melbourne and Sydney owning "Control Productions".
Thanks to Tim Alexander for the infomation.
*
r0
USA:
DIAMOND - Cut 89m, full screen 1.33:1 ratio, Dolby Mono, Photo Gallery, Biographies,
Trivia.
NOTE
- This
version from DIAMOND is a budget release.
The film is presented in a horribly cropped version in the 1.33:1 full-screen
ratio.
Colours are over saturated resulting in colour bleeding and severe grain.
The Dolby Mono soundtrack sounds terrible with dialogue muffled and sometimes
difficult to hear.
The DVD is also cut by over 20mins, even though the cover states that it is
the uncut 112 minute version.
*
r2
UK:
Platinum Media Distribution - 107m, English Language.
NOTE
- Click
here
to order this DVD.
SOUNDTRACK
Italy:
General Music single with two themes; Point Records CD with eleven tracks; ViVi
CD - 'Time For Suspense: Ennio Morricone' soundtrack compilation; DAGORED Records
with eleven tracks plus three bonus tracks, added edit and eight page booklet.
Excellent presentation and vastly
improved sound quality.
USA: CD An Ennio Morricone/Dario Argento Trilogy - a fifteen track compilation
of music from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Cat O'Nine Tails and Four
Flies on Grey Velvet, plus a five minute interview with Dario Argento conducted
by Claudio Fuiano.
drg MOVIES #32911
NOTE
- Click
here to see the written translation
of the interview by Claudio Fuiano.
Click here
to order this soundtrack CD from the U.S.A.
Or click here
to order this CD from the U.K.
