Just when you thought Cats couldn't get any more disturbing, the Blu-ray audio description track arrives to prove you wrong. The now-infamous film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's strange, sometimes beloved musical first became the subject of audiences' nightmares after the first trailer debuted last summer. Things only got worse when Cats finally slunk into theaters in December, where it struggled at the box office almost immediately. Sporting a 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, Cats' reputation didn't improve even after Universal attempted to re-release it with better special effects.
What could be the most baffling part of Cats is its cast list, which is truly impressive. It features the likes of Judi Dench, Ian McKellan, Idris Elba, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, James Cordon, and Jennifer Hudson. It did not star Hugh Jackman, though he was offered a part. Cats follows the Jellicles, a group of cats who spend one night deciding which of them will be granted a new life in the Heaviside Layer. As a film with multiple Razzie nominations to its name, Cats will likely always be remembered as a strange fever dream, a concept that's further supported by its home release.
As noted by Carter McKendry on Twitter, the Cats Blu-ray features a "descriptive video service." track, which essentially narrates everything that is happening onscreen for those who need it. For a typical film, this might be a perfectly fine track, but this is Cats. An accompanying video features the track during a particularly horrifying moment where human-like cockroaches walk into the screen. Only in Cats could there be something like "tiny womanly cockroaches in high heels." See and hear it for yourself down below:
The conversation around Cats has only picked up following its home release, a fact that is largely because of Seth Rogen's stoned live-tweet of the film. The idea of a "Butthole Cut" soon became a hot topic following a VFX artist claiming people were hired to edit out any... sensitive areas that appeared on the cats' bodies. Universal refused to comment on the matter, but that hasn't stopped people from demanding its release.
Making matters worse were claims that working on the visual effects for Cats could be likened to slavery. Needless to say, Cats has been a trying experience for all involved. Watching the film as it is is already a strange thing, but the audio description track really isn't doing it any favors. If anything, it's supplying more entertainment for those looking for some insanity. Though, that could even be seen as a positive, so maybe it's a good thing?
Source: Carter McKendry/Twitter