The Black Cat (Il gatto nero)

- Wait for me here, I'll be right back. - Okay.

George.

George, where are you?

Come out.

You can't hide in there any longer.

I know you are the murderer.

I know you did it.

George.

George?

I'll kill you.

Cut.

Okay print this one.

Next set up.

- You okay, honey? - Just fine.

I'm through for the day, right?

- Yeah, you can go. - Okay.

I saw Marc in the corner over there.

So don't keep him waiting, the way you do to me all the time.

Thanks Carl, I won't.

Bye.

- So long you guys, see you tomorrow.

Is Nora around, Nora?

Here I am.

Let's walk this next shot through

once or twice, just technically right.

Yeah Carl, I could use it.

This is the staircase shot, huh?

No that's coming up.

This is just your entrance.

A slow walk past the camera, okay?

Got it.

- Okay camera. - Quiet on the set.

Speed.

The Black Cat 1A, take one.

Action.

- The very first shot this morning,

I was really getting into it, and he jumps up screams for makeup.

There wasn't enough ketchup on my face.

Can you believe that jerk?

- Having a spot of trouble with your director, huh?

- That man is no director, he's a butcher.

All he wants is blood, blood, and more blood,

And now and then a gut.

- He happens to be one of the top grossing directors in the business.

Gross is right.

- You actors always complain about your directors, it's like breathing.

- Not true, I love working with you, for example.

- I think the fact that we're married has something to do with what you're saying.

- Not only married but to each other, identify.

George Burns, 1943.

- You're infuriating. You know damn well it was Gracie Allen.

- Feminist. - Pig.

- Did you see who got in that car down there?

That's Marc Ravenna.

I did a film with him last year.

He's a fantastic director.

- You say that about every director dumb enough to cast you.

How's the work coming, darling?

- Fine, Dan and I have almost finished the storyline.

Great, I'm dying to read it.

Nobody reads it till I have a producer.

Oh you're so superstitious.

It's still no.

Who are you going to show it to?

My agent is working on it.

He's got some nibbles already.

The big problem with producers is

getting them excited with each new picture.

- Well, that's not your end of the business anyway.

Just concentrate on saying things

in a way no one's ever thought of before.

- Jesus honey it's... it's a jungle out there.

If you don't blow your own horn every time,

you end up directing, I don't know, game shows.

Look darling, you know as well as I do.

If I make one single flop I'm out on my can.

- I don't think there's much likelihood of that.

More than one critic has called you a genius.

Yeah, and more than one producer

has called me king of the spaghetti thrillers, wonderful.

Well, maybe that's enough business chit-chat for one day.

I'm bushed, I think we can both use some shut eye.

- I know I could, today was really rough.

Well, say good night Gracie.

' Sara?

Sara, we're home.

Strange, maybe she's out.

Come on, with the baby to take care of?

She must be in the kitchen, the light's on.

I'll go see.

Sorry Ma'am, I didn't hear you.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.

How's my baby?

He's fine, he's through eating.

I'll take him, Sara.

There.

Did he sleep well?

Like an angel.

How was work today, Ma'am?

- More of the same, this director's a fool.

- There aren't many as good as your husband.

Oh by the way.

“ YES?

Well, I have a cousin who's a big fan,

a super fan actually of your husband.

And well, he'd really like to meet him.

Sure Sara, no problem.

You can tell him to come over, what's his name?

- William, he's seen every picture of Mr. Ravenna's at least 10 times.

All right.

I think my husband would be delighted to meet him.

- Hi. - How'd it go?

It went okay.

There were no problems.

Baby, why don't you come to bed now, it's getting late.

- I'm just putting the finishing touches on the storyline I worked out.

It goes to Marc's agent day after tomorrow.

- There better be a nice juicy part in it for me.

- There's only one female role, very tough, very strong.

But I guess Marc's set on having Anne do it.

- As usual, you just don't push hard enough for me.

- Marc is the director, he does the casting.

I'm just a writer, I have no say in it.

- Oh, so I have your permission to...

put it to him?

Sleep little darling.

Sleep and dream while you can.

There's little time left now until the end of all things.

Death is drawing near, very near.

To our next movie.

To you and the movie.

To us and the movie.

Now tell us, no more secrets.

Of course we can talk about it now.

Dan, would you do the honors?

Well just for openers,

today the agent found us a producer.

Really, who is it?

None other than the great Leonard Levin.

- I thought Leonard Levin was dead. - Dead?

He made so much money in his days of glory.

In the '60s Nora, before you were born.

Thank you, darling.

Max, the agent, heard he was shopping

for a project that would put him back on top.

And so-

- It's not 100% sure yet, we still have to meet him.

- But, he loved our story. - True.

- They used to call him the producer with the golden touch.

Well, if he produces it,

that puts you right up there with the big boys.

- Isn't that right? - You bet.

And all thanks to...

Levana.

Who's Levana?

She's the main character in our story,

and the key to our future.

Oh I get it, the big secret.

- Now tell us, we won't breathe a word.

All right.

- Dan, you mind? - Okay.

We got the idea for the movie from a book by Baudelaire.

The poet of the damned?

- The book's called "Suspiria de Profundis,"

and it's about Levana.

The third mother.

La Mater Lacrimarum.

Sounds like a flower.

It's Latin, mother of tears.

The title rings a bell.

Didn't someone already make this movie?

As a matter of fact, yes.

It was a big hit when it came out,

reviews, box office, everything.

Dario Argento directed it.

"Suspiria."

And I must admit it was very very good.

So why make it again?

We're not, we're not.

There's enough material in "Suspiria de Profundis"

for 10 movies, 20, and our story is called-

De Profundis.

Don't tell me, it's Latin again?

Right, out of the depths.

The goddesses of pain are three.

The first two we don't care about, they've been clone.

But the third goddess is Levana,

the terrible mother.

She is the evil character in our film.

The drama is repeated inexorably every 24 hours.

As she takes her rest, the elemental forces of evil

gather within her, to bring her to the point of wakefulness.

She moves, she stirs, she seems to feel

the rush of life along her keel.

She senses, she gropes, first with her mind

and her instinct, then with her eyes.

Then she reaches out her hand.

- Then at last she arises from the ice of her bed

to walk the world of men as a living shadow.

She rules a vast kingdom