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The Uncanny - The Uncanny(Blu Ray) [Severin - 2019]

Originally released in 1977, The Uncanny is a portmanteau in the style of the Amicus classics Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror. In addition to those similarities the film was co-produced by Amicus supremo Milton Subotsky in conjunction with The Rank Organisation and Astral Films (Canada).  The film was directed by Claude Héroux and starred an excellent ensemble cast including horror stalwarts Peter Cushing and Donald Pleasance alongside Ray Milland. For those who love their classic 1970s and 80s horror it is also worth noting that the cinematography comes courtesy of The Wicker Man’s Harry Waxman, and the screenplay was written by Michel Parry who would go on to write the underground classic Xtro.

As already mentioned, The Uncanny is a late entry in the golden age of the classic portmanteau film, this one dealing expressly with tales of our feline friends. Peter Cushing stars as jumpy writer Wilbur Gray, who is pitching his latest book about cats to his publisher, Frank Richards, played by Ray Milland. In order to persuade Richards to publish his book Gray tells him three cautionary tales of terror involving cats.

In the first, the aptly named Miss Malkin (Jean Greenwood) has written her nephew out of her will, choosing to leave everything but a hot meal to her cats. Upon discovering this information her maid (Susan Penhaligon) steals a copy of the will from Miss Malkin’s lawyer and at the behest of Miss Malkin’s nephew Michael she attempts to break into Miss Malkin’s safe and steal her copy of the will, fortunately Miss Malkin’s cats have other plans. This first story is often cited as the favourite tale in this compilation, it certainly features strong performances from both Greenwood and Penhaligon in the lead roles.

The second story takes place in Quebec 1975. Lucy’s parents have been killed in a plane crash and she arrives at the home of her aunt with whom she is to live. Lucy’s most prized possessions are her cat Wellington and her Mother’s books of witchcraft, and after she is bullied by her obnoxious bratty cousin, the two things she loves most are taken away from her. Wellington returns to Lucy, who uses magic to gain revenge over her jealous, spoilt brat of a cousin.

Our third and final take is that of Valentine De’ath (Donald Pleasance) whose wife is killed on the set of the film they are making, in what initially appears to be an accident. It later turns out that De’ath switched the prop pendulum blade for a real one in order that he may replace his wife with a younger version (Samantha Eggar). That evening De’ath and his new lover are awoken by his wife’s cat who has given birth to kittens. After taking the kittens away, De’ath alludes to the fact he intends to drown them. Cut to the next day and what begins is a struggle for survival between De’ath and his wife’s cat as they each resolve to do away with the one another. This third story is probably the weakest of the three, feeling just a little silly and camp at times, but nevertheless it remains an interesting piece.

Overall, Severin’s print is clean, crisp and bright, and while it retains some print damage and grain, this works in the film’s favour. I feel it wouldn’t benefit from an unnaturally pristine print. The film itself fine performances from Cushing, Penhaligon, Greenwood and Eggars, whilst Pleasance gets to camp it up in a role that feels more like something the great Vincent Price would have revelled in. The Uncanny lacks the impact of the classic portmanteaus from Amicus’s golden age, even with Subotsky onboard, but nevertheless it remains an enjoyable romp. Bonus material on this disc is limited however the interview with Penhaligon is both interesting and informative as she recounts stories of her time working on not just this film but several other genre titles as well as providing a particularly lovely story about the legendary Peter Cushing. Generally, this disc is well worth a look for fans of the film or anyone who enjoys the portmanteau style films of Hammer and Amicus.

Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5Rating: 4 out of 5

Darren Charles
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