| Cat in the Brain | |
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Italian theatrical poster |
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| Directed by | Lucio Fulci |
| Produced by | Antonio Lucidi Luigi Nannerini |
| Written by | Lucio Fulci John Fitzsimmons Giovanni Simonelli Antonio Tentori |
| Starring | Lucio Fulci Brett Halsey David L. Thompson Jeoffrey Kennedy Malisa Longo Ria De Simon Sacha Darwin |
| Music by | Fabio Frizzi |
| Cinematography | Alessandro Grossi |
| Editing by | Vincenzo Tomassi |
| Distributed by | Grindhouse Releasing |
| Release date(s) | August 8, 1990 (Italy) March 31, 2009 (DVD/Grindhouse Releasing) |
| Running time | 93 minutes (US uncut, uncensored "directors cut") |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian (English dub) |
| Budget | $100,000 (USD) |
Cat in the Brain (aka Un Gatto nel cervello, Nightmare Concert, I volti del terrore) is a 1990 Italian horror-slasher film written and directed by Italian horror filmmaker Lucio Fulci.
Cat in the Brain has been compared to the horror film equivalent of Federico Fellini's 8½, using cynical, grand guignol humour.[1] Juxtaposing gory horror clips from several of his own past horror films which he either directed and/or produced, Lucio Fulci shot a wrap-around segment featuring his own plot and used Vincenzo Tomassi's film editing (as well as his own voice over) to create the storyline - a personal insight into the effects of horror filmmaking on the psyche.[2][3]
Cat in the Brain is a tongue-in-cheek horror "meta" film, examining a filmmakers own self-reflexive filmmaking as well as the larger social and psychological effects of movie violence.[2] According to one reviewer, "You have chainsaws, severed limbs hacked off by different types of weapons, hammer smashed faces (I think that is a Cannibal Corpse tune), decapitations, melting heads in microwaves, lots of female battery, nazis, strangulation, and more." In other words, a typical Italian "giallo" horror film with all its exploitative elements sprinkled in like Parmesan cheese on top of a bloody spaghetti of found footage.[4]
An uncut, uncensored version of the film was released in North America for the first time on DVD in 2009.[5][6][7]
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Haunted by his own bloody horror film visions and with news of real life murders happening in Rome, splatter film director Lucio Fulci (playing himself) seeks the advice of a psychiatrist.[2][3]
The film was composed almost entirely in post-production, assembled from clips from Lucio Fulci's past horror films. The wrap-around segments featuring Lucio Fulci were largely shot in and around Rome's famous Cinecittà Studios, home of master Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini.[8]
Partial list of films that were sourced:
The original film was first released in Italy on August 8, 1990. The uncut, uncensored director's cut of the film was released in North America for the first time on DVD on March 31, 2009 by Grindhouse Releasing on the Ryko/Warner Brothers label.[5][6][7] The release features never-before-seen interviews with director Lucio Fulci and star, Brett Halsey, as well as numerous other extras and bonus material. Liner notes have been contributed by the filmmaker's daughter, Antonella Fulci, as well as acclaimed horror novelist David J. Schow, and American horror film director Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever).[5][6][7]
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