The Black Cat, loosely based on the Edgar Allen Poe classic of the same name, is the story of one man's descent into madness, a case of unchecked schizophrenia fueled by alcoholism that ultimately results in murder. Robert Frost plays mentally unbalanced writer Lou, whose wife Diana (Robyn Baker) gets him a black cat to celebrate their first anniversary. At first Lou is delighted with the new addition to his menagerie (he also has a monkey, a toucan, a racoon and a parakeet), and gives more attention to the moggy than to his wife (who cries herself to sleep in bed), but as he spirals out of control, Lou comes to believe that the cat is evil, gouging out its eye, hanging it with a flex, and electrocuting it. Eventually, Lou's violence is turned towards Diana...
With spirited central performances from Frost and Baker, a snappy pace, and some surprisingly gnarly violence (the axe in the head scene is extremely bloody for the time), this is a very entertaining '60s take on an oft-told tale. Hailing from the era of the twangy guitar, the film is replete with energetic rock and roll musical numbers that some might find off-putting but which I found only added to the wild nature of the movie (I liked how the band wear eye-patches during one song, mimicking the one-eyed cat). I do have to wonder how much animal cruelty was involved in the making of the film-the poor puss looks genuinely distressed at times-but if you can handle the questionable cat handling, this is definitely worth a go.
6.5 out of 10, rounded up to 7 for the memorable scene in which Lou chats to a nightclub floozy, accusing her of being a witch: Frost is utterly convincing as a scarily unhinged individual with only the faintest grasp on reality.
