The Cat (1992): The Crazy From Outer Space

ByFabian Bullitt

1992 • Lam Nai-Choi • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓

Known for high-intensity genre cinema such as The Seventh Curse and Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky, director Lam Nai-Choi adapted The Cat from a novel in the “Wisely” science-fiction series by Ni Kuang, a prolific author whose works fueled many Hong Kong genre films.

Produced during the early 1990s boom in Hong Kong fantasy-horror hybrids, when studios were aggressively experimenting with effects-driven spectacle, The Cat attempts to position itself as a larger-scale sci-fi production, incorporating early digital effects at a time when HK cinema was still primarily reliant on practical effects.

Overall, though, it’s a completely bonkers film about an extraterrestrial entity that inhabits the body of a black cat and is engaged in a long-running intergalactic conflict. At the heart of it all is Wisely, a writer who finds himself drawn to this crazy story and embraces the idea of an alien cat with little hesitation. It’s a ridiculous film that, at times, verges on the grotesque, with a tone that changes as abruptly as possible for an early ’90s Hong Kong film. Visually, it’s a wild ride through pulp sci-fi and supernatural horror, proving that no idea was too wild for the screen in this decade.

Technical Specs:

  • The Story: An alien cat, his human companion, and an old man must battle a deadly extraterrestrial creature terrorizing Hong Kong, with the help of a novelist named Wisely.
  • Actors: Waise Lee, Christine Ng, Gloria Yip, Philip Kwok, Shing Fui-On, Wong Yat-Fei, Lam Kau, Gordon Liu.
  • Director: Lam Nai-Choi
  • Year: 1992
  • Cinematographer: Mak Hoi-Man
  • Origin: Hong Kong Cinema
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
  • Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror
The-Cat-1992-stills-01
The-Cat-1992-stills-02
The-Cat-1992-stills-03
The-Cat-1992-stills-04
The-Cat-1992-stills-05
The-Cat-1992-stills-06
The-Cat-1992-stills-07
The-Cat-1992-stills-08
The-Cat-1992-stills-09
The-Cat-1992-stills-10
The-Cat-1992-stills-11
The-Cat-1992-stills-12
The-Cat-1992-stills-13
The-Cat-1992-stills-14
The-Cat-1992-stills-15
The-Cat-1992-stills-16
The-Cat-1992-stills-17
The-Cat-1992-stills-18
The-Cat-1992-stills-19
The-Cat-1992-stills-20
The-Cat-1992-stills-21
The-Cat-1992-stills-22
The-Cat-1992-stills-23
The-Cat-1992-stills-24
The-Cat-1992-stills-25
The-Cat-1992-stills-26
The-Cat-1992-stills-27
The-Cat-1992-stills-28
The-Cat-1992-stills-29
The-Cat-1992-stills-30
The-Cat-1992-stills-31
The-Cat-1992-stills-32
The-Cat-1992-stills-33
The-Cat-1992-stills-34
The-Cat-1992-stills-35
The-Cat-1992-stills-36
The-Cat-1992-stills-37
The-Cat-1992-stills-38
The-Cat-1992-stills-39
The-Cat-1992-stills-40
The-Cat-1992-stills-41
The-Cat-1992-stills-42
The-Cat-1992-stills-43
The-Cat-1992-stills-44
The-Cat-1992-stills-45
The-Cat-1992-stills-46
The-Cat-1992-stills-47
The-Cat-1992-stills-48
The-Cat-1992-stills-49
The-Cat-1992-stills-50
The-Cat-1992-stills-51
The-Cat-1992-stills-52
The-Cat-1992-stills-53
The-Cat-1992-stills-54
The-Cat-1992-stills-55

More Galleries