Flashback Corner--Cat's Eye

“Just trying to keep you on your toes.”

In the 80’s there were several horror anthologies, like “Twilight Zone: The Movie”, “Creepshow”, Creepshow 2”, and “Nightmares”.  One that I remember enjoying though most of it was not very scary was “Cat’s Eye” written by Stephen King, based on two of his previously released short stories and one original written for the film that tie the other two together.

The first scene of the movie has guest appearances by Cujo, and Christine which lead the hero of the piece, a tabby cat, who is eventually named General on his journey to save Drew Barrymore, from…something.  The cat is picked up in the street by an employee of “Quitter’s Inc.” where James Woods character decides to go to try and stop smoking.  What he comes to find out is that the corporation is run by former Mafioso’s, who bring their tough guy mentality and brutality to helping their clients kick the habit.  It clearly is my favorite of the bunch now, mostly for Woods, who does a lot with his little amount of screen time.

The next story called “The Ledge” has Robert Hays (Airplane) as a washed up tennis pro who has hooked up with a crooked casino owner’s wife.  He’s kidnapped by the husband and is made a wager that he can’t refuse that has him walking along the ledge of a high rise apartment if he wants to live.  This story has a little bit of suspense, and a couple of humorous moments, but mostly it’s tame Stephen King.

The last story which was my favorite as a kid and has become my least favorite now has Drew Barrymore as a suburban kid who finds the cat that has been jumping from story to story and decides to keep it.  Much to the mother’s objections, the cat now called “General” is allowed to stay where he encounters a house troll intent on stealing Barrymore’s breath.  This last bit is not very good, the acting is bad, the dialogue is worse and even for 80’s effects the troll creature is pretty lame, aside from the decent work they do on his face, it comes off like a demented shaved ewok with a jester hat and a cartoon voice.  Plus his demise which you know is coming, so I don’t consider it a spoiler, is silly.  Over all “Cat’s Eye” left me with what started off as a promising set of tales by the master of horror but ended with a “meh”.  Oh well, not all flashback’s can be gems.

--Robert L. Castillo