Yet another horror anthology, this time composed of three stories all linked together by a cat. Similar to THE UNCANNY, you might think, and you'd be right; Milton Subotsky's name even finds itself in the closing credits (after purchasing rights to loads of Stephen King short stories). But the thing that differentiates CAT'S EYE from other typical American horror anthologies (I mean the likes of CREEPSHOW 2 and TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE) is that for once, all of the stories are above average. Usually there's a couple of good ones, or one excellent, and the others being below average, but not in this case. The stories are taken from Stephen King shorts (apart from the last segment, which I can't really remember reading), and there are even a couple of gags for those in the know; a 1958 Plymouth Fury drives past in one scene, while another characters sees THE DEAD ZONE on television and asks "who writes this crap?".
The feel of the first story, with a terrified man trapped in a nightmare, desperate for a cigarette but unable to smoke for fear of harming his wife, is excellent, and James Woods is perfect in the role. Like all the best anthology segments, there's a twist in the tale and the episode really can't be bettered.
The second story is almost as good, and the journey around the ledge makes for some very taut and terrifying moments that will truly make your palms sweat (and it's even more effective if you're scared of heights like I am). Just check out the pigeon moment! Once again there's a twist ending and the segment is very enjoyable, especially the scene where the men wager on the cat's ability to cross a busy road.
The cat also features heavily in the final segment, coming off worst again before battling the nasty troll creature. This story is the least original of the three but it's entertaining enough, and even though I'm not much of an animal lover (who am I kidding?) the cat is very cute. Okay, that's it, I've ashamed myself now so I'll make my exit quickly and quietly...
The feel of the first story, with a terrified man trapped in a nightmare, desperate for a cigarette but unable to smoke for fear of harming his wife, is excellent, and James Woods is perfect in the role. Like all the best anthology segments, there's a twist in the tale and the episode really can't be bettered.
The second story is almost as good, and the journey around the ledge makes for some very taut and terrifying moments that will truly make your palms sweat (and it's even more effective if you're scared of heights like I am). Just check out the pigeon moment! Once again there's a twist ending and the segment is very enjoyable, especially the scene where the men wager on the cat's ability to cross a busy road.
The cat also features heavily in the final segment, coming off worst again before battling the nasty troll creature. This story is the least original of the three but it's entertaining enough, and even though I'm not much of an animal lover (who am I kidding?) the cat is very cute. Okay, that's it, I've ashamed myself now so I'll make my exit quickly and quietly...