Cats

Movie Information

The Hendersonville Film Society will show Cats at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, in the Smoky Mountain Theater at Lake Pointe Landing Retirement Community, 333 Thompson St., Hendersonville. (From Asheville, take I-26 to U.S. 64 West, turn right at the third light onto Thompson Street. Follow to the Lake Point Landing entrance and park in the lot on the left.)
Score:
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Genre: Musical Theater
Director: David Mallet (Cirque de Soleil: Delerium)
Starring: Elaine Paige, John Mills, Ken Page, Michael Gruber, John Partridge
Rated: NR

I’m OK with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, and I really do like his Phantom of the Opera—and that’s about it for me with Lord Webber. So my pleasure in Cats (1998) is what you’d call limited. This isn’t so much a film in its own right as a reasonably intelligent filming of the stage show by David Mallet, who specializes in doing that sort of thing. He’s very good at it, too, assuming it’s the sort of thing you like. My own take is that these make nice souvenirs for fans of the shows, but they’re neither the show itself, nor are they film adaptations.

The good to be gotten out of this incarnation of Cats will depend entirely on your fondness for the stage show. As noted, my own take on the material—not to mention the Kiss-concert look of the cats (more creepy than not)—precludes unconfined joy from this corner. However, if you do like the show, this is probably the best way to see it, seeing as how it’s no longer being performed on Broadway.

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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12 thoughts on “Cats

  1. Sean Williams

    As noted, my own take on the material—not to mention the Kiss-concert look of the cats (more creepy than not)—precludes unconfined joy from this corner.

    Mr. Hanke, I’m debating whether to tell you about yiffing, but I’ll probably leave you with what little remains of your innocence….

  2. Sean Williams

    Don’t say I didn’t warn you, you crusty voyeur.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Furry_fandom

    In my youth, I’m pretty sure this kind of…this would have landed your name in an F.B.I. file cabinet.

    I don’t care how liberal we are. Marriage is between a human and a human!

  3. Ken Hanke

    Don’t say I didn’t warn you, you crusty voyeur.

    Oh, I knew what furries were, I just didn’t know there was a specific term for their conjugal frolics.

    I don’t care how liberal we are. Marriage is between a human and a human!

    As I’ve said for years, I’m not bothered much by gender, but I do insist on remaining within my species.

  4. Sean Williams

    Oh, I knew what furries were

    Man, you’re further gone than I ever would have imagined. Is there a significant Anthro community in the Carolinas?

    I just didn’t know there was a specific term for their conjugal frolics.

    So now you know. And knowing is half the battle!

  5. Ken Hanke

    Is there a significant Anthro community in the Carolinas?

    Now, that I don’t know, though there’s one person of whom I am extremely suspicious. But seeing as how I don’t believe this person could get a date in Portsmouth on a pay night, I don’t envision much in the way of a community.

  6. Ken Hanke

    This all brings new meanings to names such as “Rum Tum Tugger.”

    OK, that’s plain disturbing…but I bet you can get a website going on that concept.

  7. Justin Souther

    I bet you can get a website going on that concept.

    I bet there already is one.

  8. Ken Hanke

    I bet there already is one.

    Is this going to be one of those things where you go searching and I end up with a link?

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