Strays (1991): Horror TV Movie About Feral Cats and Small-Town Terror
Strays (1991) is a horror TV movie about a small-town family terrorized by a pack of feral cats, starring Oscar-nominee Kathleen Quinlan and Emmy-winner Timothy Busfield.
Strays
Director: John McPherson
Country: USA
I am decidedly not a cat person. The things that most people somehow find endearing about them are the very things that infuriate me: their “curiosity” when it comes to seeing how much damage they can cause by maliciously knocking things over, their habit of digging claws into your lap even when completely unprovoked, and their complete obstinance about logical exchanges of energy (I give you food and shelter, you adore me unconditionally). As a result, I have oriented my life to have as little interaction with the little beasts as possible.
The idea of dealing with not just one but dozens of these monsters is a horror scenario for me, so when I sat down to watch Strays, a 1991 TV movie that premiered on the USA Network, I prepared for the worst.
However, I was not expecting the level of ridiculousness that director John McPherson, who had previously served as D.P. for the infamous “This Time It’s Personal” Jaws: The Revenge (1987) and former teen idol-turned-screenwriter Shaun Cassidy (his first produced script) had in store.
Opening Scenes: POV Cinematography and the Cat Lady
Things open semi-promisingly, with some enjoyable, energetic P.O.V. camerawork creeping low to the ground. In this manner, we are introduced to Central Casting Cat Lady (Eve Brenner), doddering around her small shack, crooning to her “babies.”
As she is doling out the dinnertime treats, we see her turn toward the camera in shock and horror as something attacks her in the cellar.
After an abrupt fade to black, we are introduced to a Perfect Family Unit driving into the small (Pop. 387) New England town of Garth.
Small-Town Life Turns Deadly: Feral Cats on the Loose
It seems that bubbly yuppie couple Lindsey (Kathleen Quinlan) and Paul (Timothy Busfield) Jarrett have had enough of the big bad city and are looking for a quiet place to settle down and raise their adorable daughter, Tessa (played by twins Heather and Jessica Lilly).
As fate would have it, Lindsey’s sister Claire (Claudia Christian) is a realtor and has found the perfect place for them to start the next chapter of their lives.
Fittingly enough, Paul is also handling Claire’s divorce, which is wrought from an affair that she justifies with, “What was I supposed to do? He was never home!” Communication is not Claire’s strong suit.
After Lindsey falls in love with the new place, we are treated to a montage of the family settling in, painting walls, moving furniture, and smiling as Paul’s beloved dog, Bennie, explores the grounds.
However, we also start seeing things through our floating camera viewpoint again and hearing insistent mewling under the soundtrack. Whatever attacked the older lady is still out and about.
As we learn, without their keeper around to fill the food trays, the cadre of kitties is now roaming the countryside looking for chow, and they are not particular about who they munch.
Things get off to a rocky start when a telephone repairman attempts to address some technical issues in the basement and is knocked to the ground by a cat jumping on his chest. This attack renders him helpless to defend himself, and he DIES FROM A BUNCH OF CATS CLIMBING ON HIM. I am not sure if these animals are supposed to be radioactive or something, but clearly, they are some kind of lethal weapon and are not taking any prisoners.
Family Conflict and the Black Cat Villain
Even though Paul is allergic to cats, Lindsey and Tessa decide to adopt one, understandably creating friction within the idyllic family unit.
When the beloved Bennie turns up mauled within an inch of his life, it does not help matters. However, it does allow Cassidy to introduce the homespun wisdom of local veterinarian Dr. Lyle Sokol (William Boyett), who clues us into little-known facts such as feral cats being more dangerous than mountain lions. (Um… really?)
Dr. Sokol takes Bennie away to mend, and Paul heads into the city to handle his current caseload, which leaves Lindsey and Tessa home alone to face off against the mastermind behind the whole band of roaming litter spitters: a big black cat who is a dead ringer for the resurrected “Church” from Mary Harron’s 1989 adaptation of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, complete with matted fur and an unpleasant personality.
Shaun Cassidy’s Horror Screenplay Debut
That is the basic setup; as far as high-concept scenarios go, it is not the worst in the world. The hitch is that McPherson and his creative team have no idea how to build tension and resort to simply pointing the camera at a bunch of cats gazing blithely at something off-screen, intercut with shots of his human cast reacting with increasing histrionics to the feline threat.
It would be generous to say that there was a decent movie somewhere in here, and our two likable leads in the form of Emmy-winner Busfield (thirtysomething) and Oscar-nominee Quinlan (Apollo 13) attempt to sell the hokum as best they can.
The Lilly twins whine and cry appropriately, while Christian is the most befuddling character in the bunch. This man-chasing wounded bird takes up excessive screen time considering her inconsequence to the story.
Cassidiy’s screenplay never explains what happened to our cat lady in the first place. Was the cat just really riled up that day and decided to take her out? (Now that I think about it, that totally tracks with known jerkwad cat behavior.)
The story keeps rolling along with so much energy that we never really have time to think about why things are happening the way they are. The whole thing may be just too silly to worry about. Either way, it works.
Most Memorable Scenes
The protracted scene where Lindsey and Tessa are holed up at the house, fighting for their lives is hysterical in every sense of the word. Watching Quinlan shove a pillow into an air duct that keeps getting pushed back out is hilarious.
There is also a genuinely freaky scene where Lindsey enters Tessa’s room and finds her crib literally overflowing with cats. (What a four-year-old is still doing in a crib is another question, but we will leave that be.)
Also, McPherson literally pours on the atmosphere by setting the climax in a raging thunderstorm, having laid it on thick throughout that cats hate water. Dr. Sokol even has an entire water pistol monologue devoted to the subject!
Shaun Cassidy’s Early Career and Rise in Cult Horror TV
The most exciting aspect of the production is the presence of Cassidy, son of Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family, co-starring his half-brother David) and Jack Cassidy (The Comeback), who had become a Teen Beat superstar thanks to his hit pop single “Da Do Ron Ron” in 1977 and his three seasons as Joe Hardy in The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries opposite Parker Stevenson.
While Strays does not mark the most auspicious screenwriting debut, it was a start. Before long, Cassidy created TV pilots for such critical and commercial successes such as Roar (starring a then-unknown Heath Ledger), Invasion, Ruby and the Rockits, New Amsterdam, and Players. However, it was during his appearance on Broadway with the hit musical drama Blood Brothers that his affinity for horror was confirmed when he penned the pilot for American Gothic.
With executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tabert on board, the cult TV show premiered in 1995, starring Gary Cole (Office Space) as sinister sheriff Lucas Buck, who rules over the small town of Trinity, South Carolina, backed by apparent supernatural powers, and using murder and rape as power tactics over the locals. The only person he fears is his biological son, Caleb Temple, played by a young Lucas Black (Sling Blade, Furious 7), and the war of wills between the two provides the drama. While the show only ran for 22 episodes and was canceled after a single season, it was universally acclaimed. It gave supervising producer Cassidy the taste of creative freedom he had been seeking.
Legacy of Strays (1991): Cult Horror TV Movie Status
While it is unlikely Strays will ever be viewed in the same critical light, it is still delightful to imagine the former teen superstar sitting at home alone one night, looking for a means to express himself artistically as an adult, and deciding that a story revolving around a feral pack of cats was the answer.
Read more >> If you loved the suspense and chaos of Strays, check out our full collection of horror movies starring cats.
Where to Watch Strays (1991)
Due to its age and TV‑movie status, Strays (1991) isn’t widely available on major streaming subscription services at the moment.
However, you can purchase or rent the film on Amazon Prime Video or get a Blu-ray issued by Shout! Factory.
Strays (1991) Movie Trailer
About the author
AARON CHRISTENSEN (aka “Dr. AC”) is a Chicago-based actor, writer, personal trainer, and self-defense instructor. He has viewed and reviewed over 4,000 (and counting) fright flick titles for his popular blog, podcast, and YouTube Channel, HORROR 101 with Dr. AC.
Aaron is the editor of the critically acclaimed guidebooks HORROR 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies and HIDDEN HORROR: A Celebration of 101 Underrated and Overlooked Fright Flicks (winner of the 2013 Rondo Hatton Award). He is also a founding member of WildClaw Theatre, Chicago’s only horror-centric theater.
In addition to serving on the writing staff of HorrorHound magazine from 2009-2015, he has contributed to Rue Morgue, Fangoria, Evilspeak, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and Vanessa Morgan’s compendiums, When Animals Attack, Strange Blood, Evil Seeds, and Meow!
Other movie reviews by Aaron Christensen:
Or check out his latest writings in the book Meow! Cats in Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy Movies.
