Review of Cat's Eye (1997) by Sam W — 12 Apr 2007
"Cat's Eye" is a three-tale anthology film that's funny and frightening in equal parts. It features some of the best screen adapations of Stephen King stories (with a script penned by King himself), framed and linked by the wanderings of a stray cat.
The first story, "Quitters, Inc.", is one of my favorite King short stories. It's the tale of a quit-smoking program that won't allow you to fail to kick the habit once you've entered. I may be spoiling it just a little bit here, but picture what a program run by Old School "I've got an offer you can't refuse" Mafia goons might be light. That's what we have here, and the results are hilarious and scary!
The second story, "The Ledge" is also ganster related. It's a cautionary tale about not to have affairs with other men's wives... particuarly when those men are highpowered New Jersey gangsters and they live in a highrise penthouse. The trip that a man is forced to take around the ledge of a sky scraper gives rise to the movie's scariest sequences... and the "just desserts"ending to this story is damn cool. (I plays differently than I remember the short story being, but it's still good.).
Finally, there is the third sequence, which is really one that's been unfoldinng for the entire film; the framing device of the cat feeds into it, and here we gain insight into a secret supernatural battle that unfolds around us every day. It's a battle for the children of humanity, and it's one that housecats are on the front line of. It's a great little excursion into supernatural horror that works surprisingly well, given that up to this point, the film has been pretty realistic and grounded in reality.
"Cat's Eye" is a superior example of what can be done with the anthology format whe it comes to horror pictures. It's also worth checking out for Big Time Stephen King fans, as it is full of hilarious inside references and sight gags that they will enjoy picking up on. (Watch for "The Dead Zone", "Cujo" and "Christine" references...).
Cat's Eye.
Starring: James Woods, Alan King, Robert Hays, Kenneth MacMillin, Candy Clark, James Naughton, and Drew Barrymore.
Director: Lewis Teague.
This review of Cat's Eye (1997) was written by Sam W on 12 Apr 2007.
Cat's Eye has generally received mixed reviews.
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