Weird, eerie as anything you’ve seen!
Film Synopsis
The Black Cat (1934) centers on a honeymooning couple whose journey through Hungary leads them to the isolated home of an enigmatic architect, where they become caught between a renowned psychiatrist and the former military commander he holds responsible for destroying his life during the First World War. As long-buried betrayals, psychological torment, and occult practices intensify their decades-old conflict, the couple find themselves trapped in an increasingly perilous struggle. This horror film blends Gothic mystery, psychological horror, and wartime trauma as revenge, obsession, and the lingering scars of war shape one of Universal’s most distinctive classics.
Critical Perspective
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Without taking anything from Poe’s narrative but the title and the eponymous black cat as an immortal witch, Ulmer creates his own contemporary story out of such Poe themes as reincarnation, perversity and retribution. It’s a movie about surfaces, about the polish and gleam of obsession, the sublime shadows of death, and the seductive beauty of evil.
Dr. Steve Haberman, The Black Cat audio commentary (Scream Factory, 2019)
The Black Cat Blu-ray & DVD editions
See which disc extras are included across selected editions.
| Disc Extras | Scream Factory BD-A/US 2019 | Umbrella BD-ALL/AU/OOP 2026 | Umbrella BD-ALL/AU/OOP 2022 | Eureka BD-B/UK/OOP 2020 | Universal DVD-R-0/US 2012 | Universal DVD-1/US/OOP 2005 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Audio Commentary by Gregory William Mank | ||||||
| Audio Commentary by Dr. Steve Haberman | ||||||
| Cats in Horror - Video Essay by Lee Gambin | ||||||
| Dreams Within a Dream: The Classic Cinema of Edgar Allan Poe - Narrated by Doug Bradley | ||||||
| A Good Game: Karloff & Lugosi at Universal, Part One - “The Black Cat” | ||||||
| “The Black Cat” Contest - Vintage Footage | ||||||
| Stills Gallery [Eureka] | ||||||
| Stills Gallery [Scream Factory] | ||||||
| Mystery in the Air: “The Black Cat” - With Actor Peter Lorre |
Edition and Packaging Notes
- Scream Factory’s Blu-ray is included in the “Universal Horror Collection, Volume 1” box set with The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936) and Black Friday (1940). It contains a 12-page booklet.
- Umbrella’s Blu-ray contains no extras. It is included in the “Universal Horror: Monsters & Curiosities” box set. It contains a 100-page booklet and ten art cards.
- Umbrella’s “Retro Horror Double Feature, Vol. 4” Blu-ray contains no extras. It also includes Island of Lost Souls (1932).
- Eureka’s Blu-ray is included in the “Three Universal Pictures” box set with Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932) and The Raven (1935). It contains a 48-page booklet with writing by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas (“Bela Lugosi and the Masque of the Mad Doctor”), Jon Towlson (“Full of Fiendish and Diabolical Doings: Making and Censoring ‘The Black Cat’ (1934) and ‘The Raven’ (1935)”) and Tim Lucas (“Re-Arranging ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’”). Reissued 2021/04/12 with 20-page booklet with writing by Tim Lucas (“Re-Arranging ‘Murders in the Rue Morgue’”).
- Universal’s “Vault Series” DVD-R contains no extras.
- Universal’s DVD contains no extras. It is included in “The Bela Lugosi Collection” box set with Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936) and Black Friday (1940). It is also available in the “Boris Karloff & Bela Lugosi: 4-Movie Horror Collection” box set with The Raven (1935), The Invisible Ray (1936) and Black Friday (1940).
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Collector’s guide
Compare presentation quality and explore notable disc extras across selected editions.
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Cats in Horror (12:47) -
Dreams Within a Dream: The Classic Cinema of Edgar Allan Poe (56:02) -
A Good Game: Karloff & Lugosi at Universal, Part One - “The Black Cat” (23:35) -
Mystery in the Air: “The Black Cat” (Radio Episode, 1947, 26:02)
| Editions | |
|---|---|
| Extras | Audio Commentary by Gregory William Mank Scream Factory BD |
| Audio Commentary by Dr. Steve Haberman Scream Factory BD | |
| Cats in Horror - Video Essay by Lee Gambin Eureka BD | |
| Dreams Within a Dream: The Classic Cinema of Edgar Allan Poe - Narrated by Doug Bradley Scream Factory BD | |
| A Good Game: Karloff & Lugosi at Universal, Part One - “The Black Cat” Scream Factory BD | |
| “The Black Cat” Contest - Vintage Footage Scream Factory BD | |
| Stills Gallery [Eureka] Eureka BD | |
| Stills Gallery [Scream Factory] Scream Factory BD | |
| Mystery in the Air: “The Black Cat” - With Actor Peter Lorre Eureka BD |
Notes
- Eureka’s video file is preceded with 2:30 of black screen.