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Watch Me When I Kill aka "Il gatto dagli occhi di giada" aka "The Cat's Victims" [Blu-ray]
(Antonio Bido, 1977)
Review by Gary Tooze
Production: Theatrical: Elis Cinematografica Video: 88 Films / Synapse Films
Disc: Region: 'B' / FREE (as verified by the Oppo Blu-ray player) Runtime: 1:35:39.692 / 1:35:41.068 Disc Size: 36,864,035,471 bytes / 44,226,124,948 bytes Feature Size: 29,818,705,920 bytes / 30,838,776,768 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.99 Mbps / 34.81 Mbps Chapters: 12 / 13 Case: Transparent Blu-ray case with alt- cover slipcase (see below) / Black Blu-ray Case Release date: October 23rd, 2017 / October 29th, 2019
Video (both): Aspect ratio: 1.85:1 Resolution: 1080p / 23.976 fps Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Audio: LPCM Audio English 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit LPCM Audio Italian 2304 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2304 kbps / 24-bit
DTS-HD Master Audio English 2028 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 2028
kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
DTS-HD Master Audio Undetermined 1357 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz /
1357 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps /
24-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps / DN -31dB
Subtitles (both): English, none
Extras: • Danza Macabra (14:14) and Mendelsson in Judischen Museum, Berlin (12:28), 2 Short Films by Director Antonio Bido• Interview with Academic, Mikel Coven (10:54) • Restoration Comparison (4:44) 8-pages of liner notes with essay and images
•
US
Opening title sequence (07:36)
Bitrates:
Description: Antonio Bido, the man who won understandable cult acclaim with his stylish stalker-thriller BLOODSTAINED SHADOW (1978), helmed one of the defining giallo shockers in 1977's nightmarish WATCH ME WHEN I KILL. For fans of yellow-peril, golden age, Italian black-gloved killer mayhem, it does not get any better than this suspenseful murder-mystery which follows an animalistic, knife-happy maniac as he cuts and drowns his victims to prohibit a historic secret emerging. Exactly why the dead bodies are piling up confuses the authorities - but the reasoning behind this sudden slash 'em up activity proves both jarring and jaggedly horrible. And look out for an appearance from legendary Italian genre veteran Paolo Malco (THE HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY/ THE NEW YORK RIPPER) and a sizzling soundtrack from art prog-rockers Trans-Europe Express! Even seasoned giallo buffs are sure to embrace the many thrills and chills of WATCH ME WHEN I KILL, remastered in 4k by the Euro-gore embracing enthusiasts at 88 Films!
The Film: The film's final act is said by director Antonio Bido to be a much more personal part of the film based more heavily upon an earlier and more dramatic version of the script. Bido's greater degree of engagement is visible from the beginning as he moves the action from Rome to Padua and sets about turning the city into a strange provincial hinterland full of eerily empty streets, sinister old people's homes and cackling mad men. Bido's increased care and attention is also visible in the final murder scene's stylish use of music and more aggressive and creative approaches to editing. Had the entirety of the film been made with as much care as the final act then Watch Me When I Kill would, undeniably, have been a good deal more interesting. Excerpt from VideoVista located HERE
Good Italian giallo clearly in the mold of Argento's
Deep Red, this concerns nightclub dancer Mara (Tedesco) who
witnesses a murder on her way home from work. After the killer's attempt
on her life for 'what she may know', Mara is drawn into a mysterious web
of secrets, intrigue and more murders. Excerpt fromTerrorTrap located HERE
Image : NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc. Watch Me When I Kill gets a new transfer to Blu-ray from 88 Films, cited as "New 4K Transfer from the original negative". It is dual-layered territory with a max'ed out bitrate. It offers both the English and Italian language-versions - seamless (exact same transfer.) The 1080P supports excellent grain textures and minor depth in the 1.85:1 frame. It is unusually green. Interiors sometimes have a sickly hue. It's quite clean with only a few speckles and the bright colors and layered contrast are consistent. There is decent detail in the film's many close-ups - skin-grain and make-up are visible.
Eric has sent us some comparison captures with the cropped, flat German PAL DVD. (Thanks Eric!) The Blu-ray is a huge improvement.
A new, dual-layered Blu-ray disc of "Watch Me When I Kill" comes to us thanks to the folks at Synapse. This is a "new 4K transfer of the original negative, with color correction performed by Synapse Films" and boy, is it ever a beauty. Gone is the somewhat cold and steely blue/green color timing that was present on the also 4-K restored 88 films. Now, with the Synapse transfer, we see a much more varied and warmer tone throughout the picture, without losing the blues when they are called for. My only gripe (and it is a tiny one) is that certain moments can look a tad (and I mean a tad) over exposed. See the exact frame match of the scalpel and notice that the light's reflection now with less detail on the blade itself. Much like the already stellar 88 film's Blu-ray disc, we have some similar stats, notably a maxed-out bitrate and large file size for the roughly hour and thirty-five minute film.
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION
Audio :Both English and Italian tracks on the Blu-ray of Watch Me When I Kill offer uncompressed liner PCM transfers. The DUB'ing mismatches are at the usual level of Italian cinema - something we accept about the genre. The effects can be loud and expressive with some piercing screams. The score is by 'Trans Europa Express' (the group - not the Kraftwerk album) is described by DEEjay.de HERE as: "The film's score was created by a supergroup specifically formed for this project and consisted of Adriano Monteduro (vocals and guitar, known for his 1974 record in which he was accompanied by prog band Reale Accademia Di Musica), Glauco Borelli (bass, already in Alberomotore), the well-known composer Mauro Lusini and Gianfranco Coletta who, besides being one of the pioneers of Italian psychedelia with Chetro and Co., was also a founding member of the Banco del Mutuo Soccorso." It is very Giallo-esque with subtle guitar and violent rock flourishes. The two audio transfers are different with the Italian being deeper and the English more passive. There are optional English subtitles and my Oppo has identified it as being a region 'B'-locked.
Not much to choose
between 88 Film's linear PCM 2.0 mono (English and Italian.) This new
Blu-ray from Synapse at least has a pretty robust 24 bit DTS-HD Master
audio track, emphasizing the 'Trans Europa Express' supergroup's score
(which is also available as a separate CD included in this package, as
well as an isolated track!) There are two optional English subtitles
(one for the Italian translation, and one for the English dub - see
above samples). This is a Region 'Free'
Blu-ray.
Extras : There are some excellent supplements - 88 Films includes 2 short films by director Antonio Bido; the atmospheric Danza Macabra runs 14-minutes about a pianist and Mendelsson in Judischen Museum, Berlin is 12-minutes about the process of composing. There is also an 11-minute interview with Mikel Coven who details what he likes about Watch Me When I Kill. Lastly is a revealing, split-screen, 5-minute restoration comparison. The package has an alt-cover slipcase and 8-pages of liner notes with essay and images.
Aside from the impeccable a/v transfer, Synapse have included a number of great extras for this new Blu-ray release. There is an optional audio commentary by Film Historian and Author, Nathaniel Thompson which I look forward to diving into in the near future. An isolated music-only track is always a great addition, and this example is no different, with the aforementioned supergroup (formed for this picture) 'Trans Europa Express' providing the score. While 88 Films also offered up two short films by director Antonio Bido, Synapse includes a third, the Marche Funebre D'une Marionette. "In Defence of Watch Me When I Kill", directed by Dr. Calum Waddell, also appears on the Synapse Blu-ray, as do the theatrical, television and radio trailers. The US Opening title sequence is also here as an option, running about 7.5-minutes.
88 Films - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Synapse Films - Region FREE' - Blu-ray
BOTTOM LINE:
It is hard to deny the qualities of "Watch Me When I Kill". Whether you're a fan of the giallo genre or not, the film is full of beautifully composed shots (and yes, POV stalking/killing sequences by a gloved killer), a rocking soundtrack, and some inventive plot devices. Synapse's new 4k transfer makes the film seem new again. Kudos to the team that restored this gem of a giallo, and to Synapse for choosing to include the bonus CD soundtrack. Gary Tooze November 8th, 2017 Colin Zavitz November 12th, 2019
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About the Reviewer: Hello, fellow Beavers! I have been interested in film since I viewed a Chaplin festival on PBS when I was around 9 years old. I credit DVD with expanding my horizons to fill an almost ravenous desire to seek out new film experiences. I currently own approximately 9500 DVDs and have reviewed over 5000 myself. I appreciate my discussion Listserv for furthering my film education and inspiring me to continue running DVDBeaver. Plus a healthy thanks to those who donate and use our Amazon links.
Although I never wanted to become one of those guys who
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find HD is swiftly pushing me in that direction. 60-Inch Class (59.58” Diagonal) 1080p Pioneer KURO Plasma Flat Panel HDTV PDP6020-FD
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