CAT’S EYE (1985) – Episode 218 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

“Forget the cat, you hemorrhoid! Get the gun!” Yeah! Get your priorities straight! Join your faithful Grue-Crew – Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, Crystal Cleveland, and Jeff Mohr  – as they take in another portmanteau, especially for your Halloween viewing/listening pleasure, Stephen King’s Cat’s Eye (1985).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 218 – Cat’s Eye (1985)

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Synopsis: A stray cat attempting to find a little girl in trouble is the linking element of three tales of suspense and horror. 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. In “The Ledge”: the cat is picked up by a shady Atlantic City millionaire who forces his wife’s lover to participate in a terrifying bet. In “The General”: the cat arrives in Wilmington, North Carolina, where it is found by the young girl it has been sent to protect from an unbelievable threat.

 

• Director: Lewis Teague
• Writer: Stephen King (screenplay); 
  • (Based on stories by) Stephen King 
    • “Quitters Inc.,” Night Shift (1978)
    • “The Ledge,” Penthouse, July 1976; Night Shift (1978)
• Creatures created by: Carlo Rambaldi
• Selected Cast:
  • “Quitters Inc.”
    • James Woods as Dick Morrison
    • Alan King as Dr. Vinny Donatti 
    • Mary D’Arcy as Cindy Morrison
    • Drew Barrymore as Alicia Morrison
    • Tony Munafo as Junk
    • James Rebhorn as Drunk Businessman at Party
  • “The Ledge” 
    • Kenneth McMillan as Cressner
    • Robert Hays as Johnny Norris
    • Mike Starr as Ducky
    • Charles S. Dutton as Dom (as Charles Dutton)
    • Jesse Doran as Albert
    • Patricia Kalember as Marcia
    • Drew Barrymore as Girl on TV
  • “The General”
    • Candy Clark as Sally Ann
    • James Naughton as Hugh
    • Drew Barrymore as Amanda

If you’ve listened to even a few Decades of Horror 1980s episodes, you know that Bill is a very serious cat person, so it should come as no surprise that an anthology featuring a cat coming to the rescue is his choice for this episode. He liked Stephen King’s original short stories that makeup two of the three segments in Cat’s Eye, and as a mid-level Stephen King production, it holds up very well and he still enjoys it.

Crystal remembers loving Cat’s Eye as a kid and even looking up to Drew Barrymore. She remembers it being scarier through a kid’s eyes but in the end, it’s a feel-good movie with the cat finding his “forever home.” She agrees with Bill that the movie doesn’t seem dated at all and has held up very well. Jeff agrees with Crystal. To him, Cat’s Eye seems milder than he remembers, but he still enjoys it as an example of a well-shot movie with good storytelling and a great cast.

If you have a hankering to watch an anthology film, you won’t go wrong with Cat’s Eye. At the time of this writing, Cat’s Eye can be streamed from HBOmax, Tubi, and a host of PPV options. It is available on physical media as a Blu-ray from Warner Brothers.

For reviews of other Stephen King-based movies, check out these Decades of Horror podcasts:

• CARRIE (1976) — Episode 42 — Decades Of Horror 1970s
• SALEM’S LOT (1979) — Episode 69 — Decades Of Horror 1970s
• THE SHINING (1980) – Episode 125 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
• THE DEAD ZONE (1983) – Episode 153 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
• CHRISTINE (1983) – Episode 110 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
• CREEPSHOW (1982) — Episode 94 — Decades Of Horror 1980s
• CREEPSHOW (1982) – Episode 149 – Decades Of Horror 1980s
• CHILDREN OF THE CORN (1984) – Episode 187 – Decades of Horror 1980s
• MAXIMUM OVERDRIVE (1986) – Episode 140 – Decades Of Horror 1980s

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Crystal, will be Sleepaway Camp (1983). Yes, that one.

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