Cat's Eye 1985

     This movie is divided into three separate stories and the same gray striped tabby cat is in each story.  At Quitters, Inc., experimental techniques are used to get people to stop smoking.  At the first session, the patient sees a cat jumping around in a separate room on a steel mesh floor with electric shocks.  If the patient doesn’t keep to the program and not smoke, the patient’s wife will be put in that room.  Her bare feet will get the electrical zap. With a second slip in smoking, the man’s daughter will be put into this room.  In The Ledge, a shady Atlantic City millionaire forces tennis pro Johnny Norris to walk a narrow ledge around the outside of his high-rise penthouse apartment.  For The General, the cat is in Wilmington, North Carolina and living with a young girl named Amanda.  A tiny, evil troll gremlin comes out of the baseboard at night and tries to take away her breath.  Her parents don't believe this is happening?

     The basic human fears of pain inflicted on loved ones, fear of heights and the tall tale about cats stealing the breath from sleeping children are the basis of these stories.  Special effects are added to bring up the fear level.  I was surprised that the loved one of the smoker is punished and not the smoker?  I would not walk around the building on the ledge!!  I've heard about cats and babies but not about trolls?  A lot of this seems funny now!!  3* (This movie is OK) 

94 min, Thriller directed by Lewis Teague with Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan, Robert Hays, Candy Clark, James Naughton, Tony Munafo, Court Miller, Russell Horton, Patricia Benson.

Note:  Imdb 6.3 out of 10, 69% critic 49% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3*, Amazon 4.5* out of 5* with 205 reviews, Metacritic 70 out of 100 with 12 critics.

Special Note:  Filmed in Atlantic City, New Jersey; New York City, New York; Wilmington, North Carolina.  Originally, there was a prologue that explained the cat’s motivations in each of the three stories.  It was cut because it was considered “too silly?”  The cat is almost run over by the red Plymouth Fury Christine from the film of 1983.  A St. Bernard like Cujo of the 1983 film chases the cat.  Amanda’s mother is reading the Stephen King book Pet Sematary.  Previously in 1984, Drew Barrymore was in the film Firestarter.  Stephen King wrote this script with her in mind for the role of Amanda.  She was 10 years old in this film and 9 years old in Firestarter.