Cat's Eye
1985  PG-13  HORROR  1h 34min
CAST— Drew Barrymore, James Woods, Alan King, Kenneth McMillan, Robert Hays, Candy Clark
MUSIC— Alan Silvestri  DIRECTOR— Lewis Teague  BASED ON— Quitters, Inc. (story), The Ledge (story), by Stephen King

     Cheesy yet entertaining triptych of Stephen King tales, the first two based on short stories, the last written exclusively for the screen. The film follows a stray cat along the East Coast. First stop: NYC. In Quitters, Inc., James Woods plays a heavy smoker who seeks treatment for his addiction from the eponymous agency. To say the agency gets results is an understatement; they skip the trendy stuff and get right down to hardcore psychological torture. If the client gives in, even for a puff, heavy consequences will occur, the victims being, not the clients, but their loved ones. Results? You bet. Speaking of betting, an Atlantic City high roller lives to wager. That's also how he kills. The Ledge features the cat making his way to the gambler, who's just had his wife's boyfriend (Robert Hays) kidnapped. But the gambler has a more interesting plan than gangster violence. He bets that Hays can't successfully traverse the entire length of his high rise hotel's narrow ledge. If Hays succeeds, winner takes all, including the wife. If he looses his balance, well... The gambler just wants to keep Hays on his toes. Finally, General tells of the cat making his way to Wilmington, NC and being adopted by a young Drew Barrymore. The cat, now dubbed General, may have found the perfect home, if not for the nasty troll that lives in the walls and steals the little girl's breath. Even though General is generally blamed for the troll's dirty deeds, he knows in his furry little heart that he must protect his newfound people. Though the first two stories delve into psychological horror (with plenty of black comedy undertones) the third (and best) is pure creature feature fun. So whether you came for the corny King or the ferocious feline, this guilty pleasure proves fun (especially for cat lovers). AKA Stephen King's Cat's Eye.
OUR RATING— ***