Dario Argento’s film Inferno came out in 1980, and was essentially panned by critics, rejected by the American studio who helped finance it, and watched fans ignore it as it was not the “Suspiria 2” they were looking for. Over the years the film has grown in esteem (Inferno is my favorite of Argento’s fare personally), but at the time Argento moved on from the concept of the “3 Mothers” and back in the realm of the giallo, and only infrequently back into the supernatural (Phenomena). He would, of course, finish his trilogy in the 2000’s with Mother of Tears, but for many decades fans would assume it would never happen.

In that time Argento protege, and director of one of the greatest films ever made (Starcrash), would step up to the plate and direct his own variation on the Mother of Tears concept. Originally brought to him by Daria Nicolodi herself, before leaving the project, Cozzi’s film which would become known as “The Black Cat” (based on a series of Poe films the American producers had lined up) or “Demons 6” follows Anne an actress, whose director husband is making a film about “Levana”, the Mother of Tears in a film that is supposed to be based off Thomas De Quincey’s Suspiria De Profundis much in the way Argento’s was. Of course, as soon as he begins working on the film, and she accepts the part, Levana begins to intrude upon their life, and reality and fantasy begin to blur in weird and wild ways. We also get a bit of that amazing Starcrash interstellar vibe here.

I’ve wanted to see “The Black Cat” since I read about it in a Video Search of Miami or Black Heart Media catalog in the 90’s, but never got around to it until now. I never thought it would substitute for an Argento sequel (but at the time I didn’t think Argento would make a sequel I would hate, so look where we are at now). Over the years, however, Cozzi has become a director I simply go to for a wild, fun time, and he provides that here in spades. The Black Cat, is a gory, gooey, splattery mess of a film. Aside from the over the top gore, it has an odd esoteric vibe that definitely at time channels the otherworldly weirdness of Argento’s films. It is solidly directed, and never has a boring moment.

Severin Films presents The Black Cat in a splendid 1080p AVC encoded transfer that looks fantastic. Detail is solid, colors are stable, and pop when they need to go full Argento. Audio is done in an English HD mono track and sounds crisp, clear, with no issues. Extras include an interview with Cozzi and Co-Star Caroline Munro. This is some serious wild horror, perfect for the week before Halloween, and much worth the wait. Thanks Severin for finally getting this one before fans eyes. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.