She’s Allergic to Cats

Mike Pinkney (himself) is a wannabe filmmaker living in a rat-infested apartment in Hollywood. By day he works at a dog grooming salon run by a groomer who is a bit too into his job. By night he works on his craft, developing an idea for an all-cat remake of Carrie. He meets Cora (Sonja Kinski) Mickey Rourke’s daughter’s assistant and the two hit it off. They go on a first date that seems to be building momentum. But little does he know that she’s allergic to cats. Between the rats and the cats, Mike’s world is spiraling out of control. 

“I live in Hollywood. I moved here to make movies. But instead I groom dogs.”

She’s Allergic to Cats is a lo-fi, out of its gourd, tragicomedy. Written and directed by Michael Reich, this film is semi-autobiographical, self-funded and Reich’s feature film debut. Reich has directed several short films as well as music videos for bands such as My Chemical Romance, The Shins and Ryan Adams. According to the official press release, the film was “shot in 4K on Red Cameras and run through DVD players, MiniDV, and VHS tapes” giving it a unique, lo-fi visual style.

Audiences who love weird and wacky films will want to check this one out. You really have to have a bit of patience with this one and just go with the flow. Pinkney is a perfect fit for playing the oddball hero. The scenes with Kinski (daughter of Nastassja Kinski) add a horror movie element to the film. She’s quite mesmerizing in her portrayal of Cora. I was hypnotized by that one extended shot of Kinski holding an old DVD copy of Congo (1995). I love that this film, which is awful but a pivotal film of my youth, gets its own small storyline.

She’s Allergic to Cats originally premiered in 2016. It is now available on VOD from Amazon Prime and iTunes.