Three tales all connected with a feral cat who's tough and plucky are what makes up Cat's Eye. The cat has a mission, to get to young Drew Barrymore and save her from an evil troll who hides in her wall.
The first story involves James Woods and Alan King with Woods trying to quit smoking and King the head of a therapy group that has some really draconian methods to quit smoking. The cat is used as an object lesson and is tortured. As a cat lover I didn't care for it.
But the cat escapes and is next seen in Atlantic City where gangster Kenneth McMillan is going to use some torture himself on tennis bum Robert Hays who's been seeing McMillan's wife on the side. This is not a story for acraphobics of which I'm one.
But the last tale makes up for the other two as this plucky cat arrives in Wilmington, North Carolina and is taken in by Drew Barrymore's family. Too bad the cat could not speak lest he could have warned Drew's parents about what lies ahead for their child.
As a cat lover I love cat heroes so this inbalanced movie saved the best by far for last.
Cat's Eye
1985
Action / Comedy / Horror / Thriller
Plot summary
Three horror-thriller tales revolve around a mysterious stray cat which is attempting to find a little girl in trouble. In "Quitters, Inc.": the cat is picked up by a shady New York City "doctor" who uses experimental techniques to get people to quit smoking. His latest client is a man named Morrison, who learns he'll suffer some terrible consequences if he tries to cheat. In "The Ledge": the cat is picked up by Cressner, a shady Atlantic City millionaire who forces tennis pro Norris (his wife's lover),to walk a narrow ledge around his high-rise penthouse apartment. In "The General": the cat arrives in Wilmington, North Carolina, where it is found by Amanda, the young girl it has been sent to protect. What she needs protection from is a tiny, evil troll who lives behind the skirting board in her bedroom.
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Feral cat tales
Above-average horror anthology with a trio of strong tales
Yet another horror anthology, this time composed of three stories all linked together by a cat. Similar to THE UNCANNY, you might think, and you'd be right; Milton Subotsky's name even finds itself in the closing credits (after purchasing rights to loads of Stephen King short stories). But the thing that differentiates CAT'S EYE from other typical American horror anthologies (I mean the likes of CREEPSHOW 2 and TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE) is that for once, all of the stories are above average. Usually there's a couple of good ones, or one excellent, and the others being below average, but not in this case. The stories are taken from Stephen King shorts (apart from the last segment, which I can't really remember reading),and there are even a couple of gags for those in the know; a 1958 Plymouth Fury drives past in one scene, while another characters sees THE DEAD ZONE on television and asks "who writes this crap?".
The feel of the first story, with a terrified man trapped in a nightmare, desperate for a cigarette but unable to smoke for fear of harming his wife, is excellent, and James Woods is perfect in the role. Like all the best anthology segments, there's a twist in the tale and the episode really can't be bettered.
The second story is almost as good, and the journey around the ledge makes for some very taut and terrifying moments that will truly make your palms sweat (and it's even more effective if you're scared of heights like I am). Just check out the pigeon moment! Once again there's a twist ending and the segment is very enjoyable, especially the scene where the men wager on the cat's ability to cross a busy road.
The cat also features heavily in the final segment, coming off worst again before battling the nasty troll creature. This story is the least original of the three but it's entertaining enough, and even though I'm not much of an animal lover (who am I kidding?) the cat is very cute. Okay, that's it, I've ashamed myself now so I'll make my exit quickly and quietly...
Stephen King does the Twilight Zone
These are three tales of horror from Stephen King following a stray cat's journey to help a mysterious girl. In NYC, Dick Morrison (James Woods) wants to quit smoking and goes to Dr. Vinny Donatti (Alan King) who uses outrageous methods. In Atlantic City, wealthy hard-gambling Mr. Cressner (Kenneth McMillan) has a dastardly wager for tennis pro Johnny Norris (Robert Hays) who's having an affair with his wife. In Wilmington, North Carolina, the cat walks into the house of Amanda (Drew Barrymore),her mother Sally Ann (Candy Clark) and father Hugh (James Naughton). Amanda wants to keep the cat but her mother doesn't. Her father says a cat would suck out her breath during the night but it's the tiny evil troll coming out of the baseboards that she should watch out for.
This has a bit of Twilight Zone feel. The first story has an interesting premise but like a lot of TZ stories, the premise basically lays out most of the story which always has a twist at the end. The middle story is even less compelling. Normally, I'm a sucker for the fear of heights but the fake facade is shot poorly. Also McMillan is playing it like a clown which makes it less tense and less scary. It feels like a fake cartoon villain. The movie keeps making dumb jokes and fake scares. In the last story, Drew is too annoying begging for the cat. Overall, connecting the stories using the cat seems very manufactured especially since the cat travels down the east coast to do it.