DVD Review: Masters of Horror - Black Cat (2007)

To offset the bad DVD movies this year is the Masters of Horror series. How they were born, how they were injected into the market is of no concern to me. What does concern me, is why they are so damned good when Hollywood is pushing out poor high budget, high profile movies.

The Black Cat uses aspects of writer Edgar Allan Poe’s life and places the writer in a state of groundhog-day psychosis, re-living the sickness of his wife and cousin, Virginia. Unable to pay for the basics of life or for her treatment of tuberculosis, Poe must somehow find money amidst a constant struggle against the bottle.

For such a short film, this movie is jam packed with special effects and storyline. Jeffrey Coombs, known for his antics in Re-animator, takes up the role of Poe and I must admit, does a very good job. He plays the normalcy of a psychotic very well, as illustrated in his many roles, two of the most notable being Re-animator and The Frighteners. When thinking of actors to play such characters, Coombs comes up on top.

Although set in Philladelphia in the mid 1800's, the movie never lacked dramatisation of character or set and there was no shortage of realism. I can’t accept or deny how well Poe was portrayed by Coombs, but the important ingredient is that it was done well.

In retrospect, the most annoying thing about this movie, like all the Masters of Horror, was trying to obtain it.

The Black Cat is aptly named about a cat called Pluto??? which manifests itself in Poe’s psyche as the object of his delusion where all bad things are derived. One of the more outstanding scenes is where Poe buries his wife in the wall and the police later hear screaming from behind the wall. Instead of finding the wife crying behind the brick and mortar, they find a dead body and the black cat mewling. It was a very good scene, and one that will resonate for days to come. I’ve always said that it is that same resonation that is the hallmark of any good movie, not necessarily a horror.

Coombs had trouble with a black cat in Re-animator, one of my favourite movies, so alongside his ability to offset psychosis with normalcy, it was apt that Coombs was cast in the main role. He is a very interesting actor and one that I hold in high regard.

The Black Cat, like many of the Masters of Horror episodes, was very well done, well scripted and well shot. Certain trends are emerging through the series, including a solid cast, and the back to basics formula the directors have used. They don’t ‘feel’ to have been filmed as recently as this century, and being independent of big budget misses, Masters of Horror remains refreshing, well-balanced and above all, entertaining and well worth the money.

Unfortunately for me, it’s back to the video shop, hovering around the shelves, looking for the next Masters of Horror series. I don’t understand why they are not as popular as their content dictates in Australia, and hope that soon, the powers that be will release more of these episodes, much more regularly, and with more quantity. It’ll save me from complaining about their availability!