Bev (Kathy Allen) comes to a small town to identify the body of her sister. She soon learns from a local reporter her sister was killed by some seedy underworld types while trying to escape a life of prostitution. These unsavory characters get their kicks by luring unsuspecting women, getting them hooked on drugs and forcing them to turn tricks. Bev then zips up her form-fitting black suit, dons a black wig, and sets out for revenge.
Like the similarly titled Night of 1000 Cats, The Night of the Cat features a villain who has an acute fear of cats. (It also unfortunately contains some seemingly unfaked scenes of cat abuse, just like that movie.) We learn this information very early on, and it’s stated so obviously and over the top that you just know he’s going to wind up being killed and/or defeated by a bunch of frisky felines… Right?
WRONG! After all that build-up with the villain hating cats, there is absolutely no cat-related payoff at the end of the movie. Instead, Bev just punches and kicks him until he (SPOILER) falls off a balcony and dies. WHAT A RIP-OFF! Why the fuck did they call this The Night of the Cat if the cat never gets his night? Say what you will about Night of 1000 Cats, but at least the villain got his cat-centric just desserts in that one.
It’s a shame too because the opening scenes have a kick to them. The scenes where Bev reminisces about her sister, practices Kung Fu, and plots her revenge work. Unfortunately, there’s just way too much extraneous stuff that gets in the way. The scenes with the mobsters running their organization particularly eat up a lot of screen time. (Although I didn’t mind it when they cut to the villain’s gentleman’s club where we get to see some gratuitous topless dancing.)
It also takes an inordinate amount of time for heroine to finally go out for revenge. Even when she finally gets her act together, the action is underwhelming. I know they were working on a low budget, but the fights are slipshod (even the big fight with the fat henchmen is a bust) and the car chase scene goes on way too long. The film does have some good ideas, namely “The Clinic” where girls are held and doped up, but the execution is shoddy.
Still, I have a soft spot in my heart for ‘70s regional low budget drive-in fare like this. For all its frustrations, the movie at the very least is an OK vehicle for Kathy Allen. Her performance is winning enough to keep you invested in her quest for vengeance. Too bad this was her one and only starring role. With a better movie at her disposal, she might’ve had a career as a drive-in queen.
No comments:
Post a Comment