Cat Dancers (2007/Docurama DVD)
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Main Program: C+
The story
of anyone handling wild animals and performing with them is always interesting,
but some tales can be twisted and Harris Fishman’s Cat Dancers (2007) tells of a husband and wife team who became more
and added a third male star who they all became well more intimately involved
with than many would expect. Ron Holiday
is interviewed about his life and times, starting with his early days in the
performance business. He eventually
became involved with the woman who would be his wife Joy and they would do
animal shows.
Eventually
a success, they are joined by Chuck Lizza, who becomes sexually involved with
both! Then they seem all happy together
until (SPOILER ALERT) Chuck and then
Joy are mauled to death by animals they train and work with. This is all told as happenstance and the
editing of the 75 minutes tells us that the whole life is eventually a tragedy. However, this path of the events is amazingly
predictable and I dare say suspicious, something the makers never seem to
notice. I have to wonder if there is
more to this story and the deaths than we are being told, but that would be
another story.
As it
stands, this is a creepy, odd work that has its moments. However, it is either a complete story or the
start of something even more shocking.
See it if this is your kind of reality TV.
The 1.33
X 1 full frame image is a mix of old and new film and video footage that plays
out just fine for what it is, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 is stereo at
best. Extras include text on the makers
and a bunch of interviews with industry insiders.
- Nicholas Sheffo
