Universal Pictures
Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
Directed by: Sam Raimi

Cat Out of the Bag Alert!  This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is a loan officer in a bank who is hoping for a promotion and heartlessly refuses to extend the loan for the elderly Mrs. Ganush (Lorna River).  This comes back to bite her big time when the woman turns out to be a gypsy and puts a hellish curse upon her.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Christine owns an adorable little tabby kitten which we see in several scenes.  When her boyfriend Clay (Justin Long) leaves her at the door he tells the kitty to take care of her.

The kitten is seen again as Christine is plagued by shadows, wind and evil forces in the home.  As the lights go out in the house she sees the kitten just as it is about to jump from the kitchen table.

Kitty Carnage Warning! At one point the psychic who is trying to help Christine advises her that an animal sacrifice could be necessary to appease the demon.  She insists she cannot do this and even as she’s looking through the information about sacrifice given to her the kitten mews and she pets it.

It’s then Christine is attacked by the demon and when she comes back downstairs her attitude has changed, unfortunately for the kitten.  The theatrical release shows her calling for the kitten, who is seen sitting in a basket as she approaches.  The shot cuts to outside and we hear the kitten scream.  Moments later the kitten’s dead body is dropped into a grave and covered with dirt.  The director’s cut does not show the kitten in the basket but shows Christine hacking at something just off screen and blood flying before cutting to the grave shot.

The sacrifice clearly doesn’t work and the kitten turns up again later when the demon enters the body of one of the members of the seance Christine is attending.  The possessed man literally throws up the kitten which falls to the floor.

Kitty Cameo: The other cat in this movie is a black cat named Hexaba owned by Clay’s parents.  The cat hisses at Christine, obviously sensing the evil that is around her.

Final Mewsings: Kitten sacrifices don’t appease even the most evil of entities.

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