Watch Me When I Kill (Synapse Films Blu-ray Review)

Is Watch Me When I Kill Trash or Treasure?

Blu-ray Distributed By: Synapse Films / October 29, 2019

Antonio Bido (Bloodstained Shadow) directs this Italian shocker! Mara (Paola Tedesco), a beautiful young nightclub dancer, witnesses a brutal murder and soon finds herself stalked by an animalistic gloved killer! While enlisting the help of her boyfriend Lukas (Corrado Pani) to track down and stop the maniac, the mystery surrounding the killings is slowly uncovered. As more bodies are found and secrets are uncovered, the truth behind the masked slasher is much more horrifying than anyone could imagine! A stylish and well-plotted mystery/thriller, Watch Me When I Kill (aka Il gatto dagli occhi di giada) is a graphic and suspenseful Italian giallo reminiscent of both Mario Bava and Dario Argento.

Jimbo’s Take (3.5 / 5)

Watch Me When I Kill or Watch Me When I Frig?

I don’t consider myself an expert on Italian giallo’s, but I’ve watched enough in the last couple of years to know that Watch Me When I Kill (aka Il gatto dagli occhi di giada) serves as a kind of anti-giallo. It’s not as violent as more popular titles, the killer wears latex gloves instead of the trademark black leather ones, the only nudity comes from an elderly man, and the killer’s motivations aren’t driven by some repressed psycho-sexual trauma.

And for these reasons Watch Me When I Kill probably gets a bit of a bad rap. The movie meanders a bit and it’s not as exploitative, graphic, or action packed as, for example, early Dario Argento giallos. So it’s easy for me to understand why collective opinions would be generally unfavorable.

Still, after finishing Watch Me When I Kill I realized that the script and mystery is pretty well constructed. It’s the kind of murder-mystery that would be enjoyable on a second viewing to see how the filmmakers give you all of the clues. And the clues are all there, right in front of you. You may not know how the pieces fit together, but the filmmakers don’t succumb to lazy cheats. Nor do they lean on graphic violence to shock the audience. It’s pretty tame for the genre. No one has their mouth ripped apart by a clarinet (Argento’s Sleepless) or gets repeatedly stabbed in the vagina (A Giallo in Venice).

However, if that’s your thing or you’re looking for a more sensationalized and sexualized ‘traditional’ giallo, you may find yourself with a good many others that don’t like this movie. If you happen to be in that camp, may I encourage a re-visit? After all, I feel Watch Me When I Kill improves on it’s second screening.

The Tech Stuff (4 / 5)

New 4K transfer of the original negative, with color correction performed by Synapse Films
DTS-HD MA English and Italian 2.0 Mono Soundtracks

That’s what Synapse Films boasts and for good reason. The transfer looks really good! If you head over to DVD Beaver, they’ve compiled a very detailed side-by-side of the old DVD, 88 Films Blu-ray, and Synapse Films transfer. For my money, I definitely prefer the Synapse Films transfer.

I didn’t notice anything wayward or distracting with the audio tracks. Granted nothing stood out either, but that’s a good thing. Honestly I found myself forgetting about the audio and just slipped into the movie. Doesn’t that deserve high praise?

Extras (2.5 / 5)

At first glance it look like Synapse Films’ blu-ray is packed with extras. But when you dig in you realize that there’s really only a commentary with film historian Nathanial Thompson, and an interview with film academic Mikel Koven. Even though these are both filled with decent history, a lack of participation from cast and crew leaves me wanting more.

There are three short films from Director Antonio Bido, but that feels like mostly disc filler. Especially for the buyer looking for more extras directly focused on the main title.

Still, it’s better to have than not. And the inclusion of the Bonus CD is also very welcome for those who enjoy collecting and listening to movie soundtracks. You can watch the movie with the isolated score too. But honestly, who does that?

Original Theatrical Trailer, T.V. Spot and Radio Spots
Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author, Nathaniel Thompson
UK Interview with Academic Mikel Koven on Watch Me When I Kill
Three short films from director Antonio Bido: Danza Macabra, Mendelssohn Im Judischen Museum, Berlin and Marche Funebre D’une Marionette
English Subtitles (Italian Mono) and English SDH Subtitles (English Mono)
Reversible Cover Art
BONUS CD SOUNDTRACK (PACKED ONLY IN THE BLU-RAY RELEASE) of the amazing film score by prog-rockers Trans-Europa Express!

Trash or Treasure? Overall Recommendation

I really dig Watch Me When I Kill because I like a well crafted murder mystery. I know some of my Trashmen counterparts (looking at Travis North) like the more excessive giallo. So this one’s not for everyone, but I think it may be more accessible to general audiences than most.

Overall, Synapse Films has produced another strong catalog piece among their collection. And that’s good since they can only milk their Suspiria 4K blu-ray for so long. So pick this title up, support Synapse Films, and watch something other than Netflix or Disney+ for a change.