Am I Crazy? (Question About the Ending)
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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 -
Dave1136 — 13 years ago(July 22, 2012 03:49 AM)
Hi NYKensington,
This was one of my favorite Stephen King's movie! I want to add, if I may, what I know about it. I saw this in the movie house in 1985 and many times on TV and as a matter of fact just saw it on ENCORE. I know just about every line but I still get a kick out of it.
The scene about the cat stealing the little girl's breath never happened. The cat merely jumped on the little girl and the cat moved within inches of her face. Everyone in the theater let out a small scream not knowing what will happen next. The cat merely licked her face, she woke up and said "HI" and the screen went to the credits.
Believe me your not crazy! What happened in your mind (and this happens to many people, in fact it happened to me when I know a certain line was spoken or a scene in a film and when I saw it again it never occurred) transferred to the creature stealing the little girl's breath and that was so vivid it transferred it to the last scene with the cat in your mind. I don't mean to be a psychiatrist but believe me that's what really happened.
Another fact is that you wrote such a beautiful article on this subject that you just might have convinced other people that this event really happened in your minds eye.
So please don't feel bad. It's a very common event. The human mind is so mysterious and wonderful that the scientists today still can't figure it out.
Take care!
Dave -
Littlebitsofgaming — 13 years ago(July 31, 2012 03:43 AM)
But how do you explain other people remembering the same scene done the
exact
same way?
As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts I spoke to two people I know about it and they both remember the scene the same way people have described it on hereand they did not read this thread at all.
If one person was claiming this, I would agree with you. But it's not just one person, it's several. Again, see my previous post.
Plus, you are talking of the original screening. Not what is being talked of here. As previously mentioned someone thinks a TV/VHS edit could have been made with a simple effect and freeze frame shot. It's possible as TV edits are made all the time and there are many, many different versions of the same film(s).
"And so, God came forth and proclaimed widescreen is the best"
Sony 16:9 -
Dave1136 — 13 years ago(July 31, 2012 05:31 AM)
Hi J McClane, and yes, I did read your previous post. Isn't this an intriguing subject? Sure seems to be!
OK, Lets start by taking this from another angle: Three short stories revolves around a cat that sees a little girl in trouble that needs help. She says "only you can find it" (we find out later that it's a little troll that's menacing her). Now Stephen King is a great horror writer and he doesn't go into the twist ending you suggest. What you see with Mr. King is usually what you get. He may intensify the ending but doesn't fool the audience. That's just his style.
This your quote "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?" and it's that that makes perfect sense of this whole discussion.
There are 2 items you say that are very possible in your best argument on this subject. First is the freeze frame shot but who do you think would do this? Stephen King? He never has done this in all his previous films. I know some DVDs have two possible endings but this film was produced in 1985 which I believe that practice was not really participated in that much. Your best argument of course is different people remembering the cat stealing the little girl's breath. OK, this is my counterpoint opposing that theory- People all over the world have claimed to be abducted by aliens. They describe exactly the physical nature of the people, what tests were done and all this have been documented and they all claim they never seen anybodies results or testimony of their experience. Also people in different parts of the country claim they saw flying saucers without anyone else's knowledge of what they reported. With all these cases 98% of the time it was proven that something else was the cause. So, I guess you do have a legitimate case (2% is unexplained) but even unexplained doesn't prove it happened. It just mean a reasonable explanation has not been found.