Original Air Date: January 19, 2007
Starring: Jeffrey Combs, Elyse Levesque, Aron Tager
Directed by: Stuart Gordon
Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this show!
Synopsis: A clever retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s short story with more than a touch of black humor. This version is told from the perspective of the author himself, who takes on the role as the antagonist from the original story, but interweaving events and facts from Poe’s life throughout the narrative. Despite this unique approach, this version really does stay closer to the original story than any other screen adaptation ever attempted and it’s well worth seeing if you’re a fan of this classic horror master.
Cinema Cat: According to director Stuart Gordon (speaking on the DVD’s commentary track) seven cats were used during the making of this episode; some with two eyes and some with one eye. All of the cats perform beautifully to create Pluto, the feline focus of the story.
There are some really nice behind-the-scenes segments on the DVD as well, showing how different cats with different skills were used throughout the shoot. One cat was trained to sit, another to fight. Actor Jeffrey Combs, who plays Poe wonderfully in this show, commented on how reverential the set became when a cat was working there. Editor Marshall Harvey noted that he dreads putting together animal scenes because the animal trainers snapping their fingers and making noises (like the clickers used by cat wrangler Bonnie Judd on this production) drive him nuts! The DVD extras really afford a fascinating look into the way cats and their trainers work on a movie set.
Extreme Kitty Carnage Warning! We must preface this warning by pointing out that the people who worked on this teleplay insist that no cats were hurt during the making of this drama. Having said that, if you are a cat lover and cannot stand to see cats harmed, we strongly recommend you do NOT watch this one. The violence against the cat is very strong and even downright sickening. But this is not glorified violence like some modern movies . . . everything that happens to the cat is lifted directly from Poe’s original story. But it is recreated in very graphic ways, so viewers . . . consider yourself warned!
Final Mewsings: Violence against cats leads to no good.
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