A Forgotten 80's Horror Gem

For those passionate horror buffs out there, if you're unaware of this particular flick, this will blow you away. Cat's Eye (I'm already getting excited), originally released in 1985, is a horror anthology directed by Lewis Teague and written by Stephen King (Fuck yeah). That's right, this movie is based on two Stephen King short stories and an original story that he wrote exclusively for this movie. Notably, the film features performances by Drew Barrymore (in her fetus phase, remember this is 1985 we're talking about) and James Woods.

The film is divided into three odd tales, which are related to each other by a single character, a cat. In the first two stories the cat is just an observer of the plot, in the third story he thrones the position as the main character.

(They're some light spoilers ahead, yet I'm certain whatever I say won't kill the thrills this film will give you)

First tale: Quitters Inc.

This story is about a smoker who wants to quit smoking and subscribes to a program that someone recommends called Quitters Inc. It turns out that the program offers a 100% success rate through its "persuasive" methods.

The methods basically consist of torturing his wife and daughter exponentially, the more relapses he has, the worse the punishment will be. In this story our beloved cat acts as a guinea pig for the first torture method, an electrified metal that shocks you everywhere you step on it. The man is watched incessantly, and eventually there is a relapse, and well, I think you can more or less imagine how this goes.

Second tale: The Ledge

In this story a man who's sleeping with a woman that's married to a big time gangster, is kidnapped by the latter, who's set on taking revenge on him and his wife. The mobster, being an inveterate gambler, makes a bet with the man. If he is able to do a full lap around the building by walking on the narrow exterior ledge, he will let him go and grant his wife a divorce and let him go without any consequences. If he refuses, he will call the police and they will accuse him of possession of drugs, which have already been planted in his car.

The man has no other choice but to accept. During his ordeal he is harassed by the mobster with a bugle and a fire hose, he's even attacked by pigeons. All leading to a shocking and impactful ending.

Of course, the cat is present throughout most of the story and makes his escape at the end to his next and final stop.

Third tale: General

Throughout the film we can see how the cat is summoned, I guess we can assume telepathically, by a little girl calling out to him for help. In this last story the cat reaches his final stop.

The cat is adopted by a girl who gives him the name of General, despite protests from her mother, who strongly believes the cat will hurt the girl's parakeet. And yes, the parakeet comes out as dead as my love life, but not because of the cat. Turns out a supernatural being that I think could be best described as a troll, lives on the wall of the girl's room, and its sole purpose is to steal the child's breath. This troll kills the parakeet, the mother discovers the corpse, the cat is obviously blamed and gets sent to be sacrificed in a shelter. However, the cat manages to escape and returns to the girl's house to protect her from the troll. To conclude this tale, which is definitely my favorite, and give a well constructed closure to the film as a whole, the cat and the troll will showdown to the death in an epic battle.

I highly recommend this film because, as always, Stephen King stories tend to exploit our most primitive fears, such as the fear of surveillance, heights, and the unknown.

The film is for an adult audience, and the occasional child who has already missed his bedtime.

It's a super cool and entertaining film. It is definitely not an Oscar winning film, but it has an undeniable ability to capture the viewer's attention all the way to the end. There are no slow moments given the format of the film (anthology). And I'm certain those who enjoy watching a classic horror flick will get a good kick out of this.

The special effects are according to its time (1985), so don't go expecting some Michael Bay - J.J. Abrams VFX style. Having said that, they're still quite good for the 80's and won't be much of a bother if you're aware of this and know what you're expecting.

In short, if you want to see something entertaining this weekend, Cat’s Eye is an excellent option for you.

Get yourself some popcorn, kick back, relax and enjoy some good ol' Stephen King and absorb all the nostalgia it has to offer.