THE UNCANNY Blu-ray Review – Three Tales of Cats Being Cats
Anthony Arrigo
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Starring Peter Cushing, Susan Penhaligon, Donald Pleasence, John Vernon
Directed by Denis Heroux
Distributed by Severin Films
On paper, director Denis Heroux’s The Uncanny (1977) sounds like a surefire ‘70s shocker – Peter Cushing is the wraparound glue holding together three tales of cats-gone-evil in a horror anthology shepherded by Amicus Productions’ co-founder Milton Subotsky. On film, it’s a bore that doesn’t even play by its own rules. Cushing, as writer Wilbur Gray, brings his potential publisher (Ray Milland) a tome containing three tales that posit cats are evil creatures – literally the devil in disguise – and their supernatural powers are hidden within small, cuddly bodies. Wilbur then goes on to tell his stories, absolutely none of which feature cats being inherently evil. The stories are also weakly directed and, more often than not, laughably bad. Aside from a good bit of that storied British horror atmosphere and the appearance of Cushing, who can get me to watch anything, this is a collection of short stories that should’ve gone unread.
In our first tale, set in 1912, a wealthy old woman (Joan Greenwood) rewrites her will, leaving a considerable fortune to her cats and not to her only surviving relative, her nephew, Michael (Simon Williams). Janet (Susan Penhaligon), her maid and Michael’s secret mistress, conspires with her beau to install an older version of the will, allowing Michael to secure that fortune. But prying hands are swiftly batted away by a horde of loyal cats.
Second up, we head to 1975 where Lucy (Katrina Holden), an orphaned girl, is sent to live with her aunt (Alexandra Stewart) and uncle (Donald Pilon) and their bratty little bitch of a daughter, Angela (Chloe Franks), who goes out of her way to not only make Lucy feel unwanted but to actively harass her. What Angela doesn’t know is Lucy has a few tricks up her black magic sleeve and soon Angela is the one feeling small and disposable.
Finally, Hollywood, 1936. Valentine De’ath (Donald Pleasence), esteemed actor, decides to dispatch his wife by swapping a fake knife prop for a real one on set, bolstering the career of a younger actress (Samantha Eggar), who – shocker – also happens to be his mistress. What he doesn’t expect is his soon-to-be late wife’s cat seeking revenge after the task is complete.
There is a scene in the first segment where a multitude of cats assault a woman, sailing through the air and slicing her up with their sharp claws and the sentence I just wrote is infinitely more exciting than the actual act. If the camera pulled back on its framing you’d undoubtedly see a P.A. standing off-screen, hurtling these cats at Susan Penhaligon with reckless abandon. The entire scene is not only poorly staged but it goes on for wayyy too long. Many shots are recycled, assuming (and hoping) viewers may be dumb enough not to recognize a shot seen mere seconds earlier.
Again, these cats aren’t even evil. In the first segment, the fearsome felines are out for revenge against a couple of scumbags. In the second, the cat is merely being a cat and cannot be faulted for following instinct. In the third – again – justified revenge. I think the real answer here is Wilbur is a desperate writer with a bad case of ailurophobia and he’s hoping to get this big book published so society can view cats as little beasts to be scorched from the earth and, frankly, I’m glad his plans were scuttled. The best parts of this film, aside from seeing Cushing be Cushing, come in the third segment when legends like Donald Pleasence and John Vernon are acting against each other. Otherwise, this is an 88-minute cat nap.
Severin presents The Uncanny in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with a 1080p image that is sourced from an inter-negative. The print shows plenty of visible damage, with frequent scratches that are especially evident on the right side of the frame. Colors lack rich saturation, offering up a wan image that doesn’t often approach true HD. Contrast, too, is middling and inconsistent. Film grain is heavy, a trait that adds to the ‘70s aesthetic but does no favors to clarity or fine detail.
Audio is presented via an English DTS-HD MA 2.0 track that is surprisingly clean, without hissing (except for the ubiquitous felines) or pops. The obvious ADR work is fairly shoddy, with poor choices made for matching actors to voices, and scoring is minimal throughout. Subtitles are available in English.
Special Features:
- BRAND NEW REMASTER OF THE FILM
- The Cat’s Victim – Interview with actress Susan Penhaligon
- Original Trailer
- REGION-FREE
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The Uncanny
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Special Features
Summary
I’m a sucker for Peter Cushing, horror anthologies, and cats – so this 1977 shocker seemed like a no-brainer. Unfortunately, it is because the stories are inane and unsatisfying. Outside of the ’70s production design and a few decent acting turns this is a toothless terror that has been declawed.
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