Am I Crazy? (Question About the Ending)
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Cat's Eye
NYKensington — 16 years ago(February 19, 2010 02:45 PM)
The first time I saw this film was shortly after it was released on videotape after its theatrical run.
I vividly recall the film ending with the cat actually stealing her breath, so imagine my surprise when I caught it on cable recently and saw the benign ending that everyone else remembers.
I have no evidence to back-up my memory of the breath-stealing ending, and there's no evidence of it on the "alternate versions" link here or at Wikipedia.
Nonetheless, my memory is vivid.
Did anyone else ever see a version of the film that ended with the cat stealing the little girl's breath? It wouldn't have been hard to edit the footage to make it look that way. Is it possible that this version was tested and ended up on some videotapes?
Or am I just crazy? -
Skye_Reynolds — 16 years ago(February 21, 2010 07:19 PM)
You're not crazy. It's just that the human memory can often be unreliable. Think of all of the famous misquotations in Hollywood. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." "Luke, I am your father." "If you build it, they will come." None of those lines are spoken verbatim. Anthony Hopkins tells Jodie Foster "Good evening, Clarice" and our memory registers it as "Hello, Clarice." The memory plays its tricks like that. Back in the day, John Wayne was angry with Gary Cooper because of a scene in High Noon where Cooper stomped on his sheriff's badge. That scene never took place.
Faulty memory affects everyone from time to time. -
Naughty-God — 15 years ago(April 05, 2010 11:24 PM)
I'm not sure what you mean by editing out what you remember as the cast stealing her breath as opposed to this "benign ending".
I've seen "Cat's Eye" on regular television, as well as on Starz cable channel and in both versions Drew is asleep when the cat approaches her bed and walks on top of her appearing to steal her breath, but she quickly notices him and instead kisses him with affection.
(`i).)^ -
NYKensington — 15 years ago(April 22, 2010 03:16 PM)
Well, the version I remember had the cat approach her and suck out her breath, and then there was a freeze-frame, so it would have been essentially the same footage, except that (a) they added a visual effect to suggest Drew's soul being sucked out of her mouth, and (b) they froze the footage before Drew reacted to the cat stealing her breath.
That's what I meant by referring to how the scene could have been edited.
But nobody else remember this or saw it, so I'm prepared to believe that I'm simply misremembering. -
Littlebitsofgaming — 13 years ago(June 28, 2012 03:31 PM)
Well, the version I remember had the cat approach her and suck out her breath, and then there was a freeze-frame, so it would have been essentially the same footage, except that (a) they added a visual effect to suggest Drew's soul being sucked out of her mouth, and (b) they froze the footage before Drew reacted to the cat stealing her breath.
I know this is 2 years old, but still
Strange as my brother mentioned this just the other day.
Now the only version I have seen/remember is the one commonly known with the cat doing nothing. I have no recollection of the cat stealing breath at all.
However my brother swears he saw the ending with the cat stealing her breath and then freeze frame.
He brought this up as we were doing a movie anthology marathon the other day over a few beers and watched this film.
I suggested he was a little drunk and is getting mixed up with the Tales from The Darkside movie which has a cat that jumps on people when they are asleep and suffocates them. Yet he has never seen TftD.
We both mentioned this film (not the ending) to a friend who is also a fan of the anthology films and he remembers the cat stealing the breath ending, and described it the exact same way with the freeze frame. He had seen TftD and is sure he is not getting them mixed up.
I came on here to look up the alternate versions to see if there is any mention of this endingand there is not.
I've checked other places too including Stephen King's official page and wikinothing.
As I say, the only ending I recall is the "proper" one. But there are a few people that seem to remember a different endingbut they can't all remember the same different ending the same way "wrongly"can they?
But even if that ending did exist at some pointwould it make sense plot wise?
Still I am starting to almost believe that yes, the cat stealing the breath ending did exist in some cut of the filmsomewhere.
"And so, God came forth and proclaimed widescreen is the best"
Sony 16:9 -
universaldennis — 13 years ago(June 28, 2012 04:04 PM)
Thank you!!!
I swear that this is the ending I remember. I'm half-tempted to seek out some old VHS copies to see if any of them synch up with my recollection.
As for the sense of it, having a cat that can steal breath makes no less sense than having a troll who steals breath.
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Littlebitsofgaming — 13 years ago(June 28, 2012 05:51 PM)
As for the sense of it, having a cat that can steal breath makes no less sense than having a troll who steals breath.
I don't mean "realistic" sense (the story features a Troll), I mean sense as in within the plot of the story being told.
This cat travels across America to help this girl as it heard her cries for helpso I'm not talking "realism".
I just fail to understand why it came all that distance just to take her breath. Were there no people to steal breath from where it originally was?
But saying that. If the cat stealing breath end does indeed exist. Makes for a great twist as you think the reason the cat is fighting the troll is to protect the girl. When it's actually fighting the troll so it can have the girl's breath all to itself.
Never did trust cats myself, sneeky little things they are.
In fact, I prefer this ending (despite not seeing/remembering it). I hope it does exist and comes to surface some day.
Mind you a simple effect shot and freeze frame could be done by anyone now easily enough.
"And so, God came forth and proclaimed widescreen is the best"
Sony 16:9 -
timelikeinfinity — 15 years ago(May 14, 2010 06:34 AM)
Hey I believe you. I remember smoke coming out of Drew's mouth into the cat at the end of the movie when I first saw it - but I was so young.
I also remember Superman blowing up the Fortress of Solitude at the end of Superman II when I saw it on VHS in the mid-1980s, complete with ambulances, - something which didn't show up again until the Richard Donner cut on DVD in the 2000s. I know I saw it - but I just can't back it up. -
NYKensington — 15 years ago(May 14, 2010 11:21 AM)
Woah! Somebody else remembers! Maybe I'm not crazy after all, unless you're just winding me up!
As for Superman II, I don't remember seeing the Fortress of Solitude blowing up, but I do remember the extended ending that ABC in America showed, which featured Lex Luthor, Zod, Ursa and Non getting arrested by police, who drive up to the fortress with flashing lights (which you might be misremembering as belonging to an ambulance).
This wasn't the official "Richard Donner cut," just an extended version of the theatrical release. There are more details about it at Superman II's Wikipedia page, if you're interested. -
timelikeinfinity — 15 years ago(May 19, 2010 03:32 AM)
Hey cool! And no, I'm definately not winding you up.
With Superman II it might have been that the they were getting arrested, but I still remember Superman blowing up the fortress - I remember it mainly because as a kid I remember wondering why he didn't have lasers coming out of his eyes - it was just done clearly. What I mean is, normally Supie has the red beams coming out of his eyes, but (if my memory serves me) he used some sort of invisible beam to blow it up - which (but I can't be sure) is also how it went down in the new Richard Donner version. I'm a bit confused about what I saw, because as I said I was only very young, but I know I saw a version where he blew up the Fortress of Solitude long before the Richard Donner cut was ever conceived. -
darth_sinister — 14 years ago(March 14, 2012 03:40 PM)
The destruction of the Fortress in "Superman II" was only shown on the ABC broadcasts in the mid 80's and in an international television version, also shown in the 80's. It was never included in any theatrical release of the film and was included in "The Richard Donner Cut" since that was part of the planned ending. There is no version of "Cat's Eye" where the General steals her breath. That version would be listed as an alternate version of the film.
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crazykharvey — 14 years ago(September 24, 2011 06:48 PM)
It was the scene with the troll stealing her breath where you see the smoke coming out of her mouth. I watched it last night. It ended with the cat putting his face up to Drew's mouth as if he is going to "steal her breath" but instead he licks her chin.
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dwoods84121 — 13 years ago(April 10, 2012 10:27 PM)
I just watched this movie for the 1st time since it was new, and was expecting to see the same thing! Maybe it was a idifferent movie and we're just confusing them? Cause I know I watched a movie where the car steals a sleeping girls breathe.
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outofideas555 — 13 years ago(June 07, 2012 07:27 AM)
And you not confusing this movie with Tales from the Darkside the movie right? In that there was an evil cat that would lay on your face and suffocate you in your sleep
Get all the trust beat outta you. And you know what the beep world is ~Al Swearengen