In 1975, no one knew who Stephen King was. A decade later, he had established himself as the premier horror writer of the modern generation.
His words moved to the big screen for epic films “Carrie,” “Cujo,” and “The Shining,” just to name a few, and “Cat’s Eye” dropped in 1985.
The anthology consisted of three [sic]tails, each short film loosely connected by the shenanigans of a stray cat. “Quitters, Inc.” and “The Ledge” were based off short stories from King’s 1978 collection “Night Shift,” and “General” was crafted solely for the movie.
“Cat’s Eye” featured a pair of big stars early in their careers, and a host of character actors that add perfect flair and depth for each story. Lewis Teague would be the director for all three.
My parents owned the laserdisc and the cover, which featured memorable imagery from the third (and objectively best) story, has remained burned into my memory for forty years. While not as popular as other King flicks, “Cat’s Eye” remains a cult favorite, particularly with us Generation Xers who can vividly recall the monster from “General” and how terrifying it was.
Quitters, Inc/The Ledge
The first story, “Quitters, Inc.” stars James Woods as Dick Morrison, a chronic smoker who goes to extremes to quit his filthy habit.
“The Ledge” features Robert Hays as Johnny Norris, who lands in a horrifying situation. A bet for his life, traversing the narrow edge of a high rise at the orders of a crime boss, played by amazing character actor Kenneth McMillan, that he has wronged.
The mid-80s saw the resurgence of “The Twilight Zone,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and “Tales from the Crypt,” anthologies that are not so much scary as they are unnerving.
“Quitters, Inc.” and “The Ledge” fall into the category of creepy in lieu of straight horror. Both stories are enjoyable and include moments of suspense and levity. There’s the consistent eerie nature that comes courtesy of that time.
General
Ask anyone who first watched “Cat’s Eye” as a kid what they remember, and the answer will always be the same.
The third and final segments in the movie stars ten-year-old Drew Barrymore as Amanda, a young girl suffering from typical nightmares of a child; there’s a monster in her room at night. Whilst the titular cat makes cameos in the first two stories, he co-stars with Drew on this one.
The stray cat arrives at the house, and of course Amanda wants to keep him. Her parents (Candy Clark and James Naughton) acquiesce, and she names the cat General.
We soon learn that Amanda’s nightmares are legit; a tiny troll has taken up residence in the walls of her room. The troll emerges at night with lethal intentions, and it’s left to General to save the day.
“General” is the clear-cut best of the three shorts, and its because of the troll. Crafted with practical effects, the monster emerges from a mystical hole in the wall and, to a kid, is one of the scariest things ever depicted on film, and why its memorable decades after its appearance.
Its fun to see Drew Barrymore as a kid, and hard to believe she would star in “Scream” just ten years later.
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“Cat’s Eye” is an above average movie, but it’s a fun C+. If you’ve never seen it, it’s worth checking out. If you’re like me, the 90-minute stroll down nostalgia lane is a solid good time.
