CATHY'S CURSE (1976)
2-Disc 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray
Label: Severin Films
Region Code: Region-FreeRating:
Duration: 91 Minutes (Director's Cut), 82 Minutes (Alternate U.S. Release Cut)
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono, DTS-HD MA 2.0 French Dual-Mono with Optional English Subtitles
Video: HDR10 2160p UHD Widescreen (1.85:1), 1080p HD WIdescreen (1.85:1)
Director: Eddy Matalon
Cast: Alan Scarfe, Beverly Murray, Randi Allen
Director Eddy Matalon's wackadoo possession flick Cathy's Curse (1976) opens in the year 1947 with a father Robert Gimble and his young daughter Laura (Linda Koot) involved in a horrific car crash wherein they are burned alive inside the car. Thirty years later Laura's now grown brother George (Alan Scarfe, Double Impact) returns to their childhood home alongside his mentally unstable wife, Vivian (Beverly Murray, East End Hustle), who has just been released from the hospital, and their sweet daughter Cathy (Randi Allen). Upon their arrival they are greeted by kindly caretakers Paul (Roy Witham, The Agency) and Mary (Dorothy Davis, Shivers), who welcome George and his family back to his childhood home.
Trouble begins when the vengeful spirit of dead aunt’s vengeful spirit of auntie Laura possesses young Cathy after the child picks up a creepy old rag doll that once belonged to Laura. The possession of the child unleashes a nightmare of foul-mouthed kiddie possession, resulting in the family calling a spirit medium by way of Agatha (Mary Morter, The Little Girl Who Lives Down The Lane), but her intervention doesn't do a lick of good. A low-budget slice of bonkers 70s supernatural terror this flick is a bit light on coherent plot but absolutely through-the-roof with nonsensical creepy happenings and eerie glowing green-eyed supernatural shenanigans that includes tarantulas, snakes, a dead dog, live maggots, the alcoholic groundskeeper Paul puking his guts out, telekinetic mischief, and Cathy driving her already unstable mother right off the deep-end, plus we get some a spiritual medium spookshow, with the medium having visions of the fiery crash that killed poor Laura, and little Cathy with a burned-up face that looks like blistered meatloaf. The low-budget special effects are pretty hokey, as is the pounding piano score, but when all that is combined with the heightened melodramatic acting it makes for a heck of a spookshow/shit-show in the best sort of way imaginable, with a WTF-is-happening finale that is the perfect punctuation of this crappy 70's drive-in possession tale that attempts something along the lines of a mash-up of The Bad Seed, Carrie, The Omen and The Exorcist, but on a shoestring budget and failing spectacularly, but also awesomely.
Severin offer up both the longer longer Director's Cut (90:44) plus the shorter alternate U.S. Release Cut (81:49) in 4K UHD. The Director's Cut makes a bit more sense with more exposition and introductory scenes, but both versions are batshit insane, and personally I prefer the shorter cut, I like that it doesn't make a lot of sense, that's the sort of nonsense 70's weirdness I dig. I do not need it to make sense, I need it to wash over me like a half remembered nightmare that doesn't make sense, logic is for wusses, and I ain't no wuss. Did I mention this was a Canuxploitation flick? That almost explains everything!
Reversible Wrap
Audio/Video: Both the Director's Cut and US Theatrical Release versions of Cathy's Curse (1976) make their worldwide 4K UHD debut from Severin Films in 2160p UHD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen with HDR color-grading, newly scanned in 4K from the recently discovered negatives. This is a nice improvement over the previous Blu-ray, the source is in terrific shape, film grain is well managed with some very pleasing fine detail and textures in the close-ups. Contrast and depth are greatly improved, the HDR-infused color-grading brings new life to the 70's colors, with Cathy;s glowing green-eyes looking more vibrant than ever, and black levels are deeper with superior shadow detail.
Audio comes by way of English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono, and French DTS-HD MA 2.0 Dual-Mono with optional English subtitles. Both tracks are clean and well-balanced, dialogue sounds fine, there are no issues with untoward hoss or distortion, and the Didier Vasseur (Blackout) score, which is something special, sounds terrific.
Severin carry-over all the disc extras from their 2017 Blu-ray/DVD release, we get the Audio Commentary By Fangoria Contributor Brian Collins And Filmmaker Simon Barrett for the U.S. Cut Only; the 20-min Tricks And Treats – Interview With Director Eddy Matalon; the 13-min Cathy & Mum – Interview With Actress Randi Allen And Costume Designer Joyce Allen; the 4-min Introduction To Cinematic Void/American Cinematheque Screening By Brian Collins; plus the Theatrical Trailers. The one new addition to this release is Cathy's Daddy – Alan Scarfe Remembers Cathy's Curse.
The 2-disc 4K UHD/BD set arrives in a dual-hubbed keepcase with a Reversible Wrap with a b-side featuring the Italian illustrated movie poster, and the discs inside both have color-splashed illustrations. Also tucked away inside is a Illustrated Booklet By Simon Barrett And Brian Collins, offering a noir-styled skree from Barrett about double-dipping that I thought was quite amusing while Collins writes about his discovery and love for this wacky possession flick.
I would be remiss not to mention that you can order it with a Limited Edition Light-Up LED Slipcase which I was not sent for the purpose of this review, but I was so enamored with it that I ordered it from Severin - it's only $12 + applicable tax and shipping direct from the Severin Webstore - get it! https://severinfilms.com/products/cathys-curse-limited-edition-led-light-up-slipcase-blu-ray-4k-uhd
Special Features:
Disc 1: 4K UHD (Feature + Special Features)
- Audio Commentary By Fangoria Contributor Brian Collins And Filmmaker Simon Barrett (U.S. Cut Only)
- Theatrical Trailers
Disc 2: Blu-ray (Feature + Special Features)
- Audio Commentary By Fangoria Contributor Brian Collins And Filmmaker Simon Barrett (U.S. Cut Only)
- Tricks And Treats – Interview With Director Eddy Matalon (20:16)
- NEW! Cathy's Daddy – Alan Scarfe Remembers Cathy's Curse
- Cathy & Mum – Interview With Actress Randi Allen And Costume Designer Joyce Allen (12:42)
- Introduction To Cinematic Void/American Cinematheque Screening By Brian Collins (4:29)
- Theatrical Trailers
- Booklet By Simon Barrett And Brian Collins
- Reversible Wrap
- Audio Commentary By Fangoria Contributor Brian Collins And Filmmaker Simon Barrett (U.S. Cut Only)
- Theatrical Trailers
Disc 2: Blu-ray (Feature + Special Features)
- Audio Commentary By Fangoria Contributor Brian Collins And Filmmaker Simon Barrett (U.S. Cut Only)
- Tricks And Treats – Interview With Director Eddy Matalon (20:16)
- NEW! Cathy's Daddy – Alan Scarfe Remembers Cathy's Curse
- Cathy & Mum – Interview With Actress Randi Allen And Costume Designer Joyce Allen (12:42)
- Introduction To Cinematic Void/American Cinematheque Screening By Brian Collins (4:29)
- Theatrical Trailers
- Booklet By Simon Barrett And Brian Collins
- Reversible Wrap
It's Cathy's Curse (1976) on 4K Ultra HD - that's it, we are living in a golden-age of cult-cinema on physical media my friends, a fucking golden-age, the proof is right here!
But it!
#ad
