# A Streetcat named Bob - poke my eyes out **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 3, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521 "2016-11-03T11:09:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/1 "2016-11-03T11:09:50Z")
Let me say up front, a) Though indeed a rant, this is about cinema and it is far, far too lame for a pitting b) I haven’t seen it, not seen a review of it, never even heard of it until I saw a trailer but… I don’t recall disliking a film quite so much in advance with no rational reason for doing so. Was it the tagline? “sometimes it takes nine lives to save one” Was it the impending avalanche of schmaltz? Was it the fact that it seems to be a buddy movie with a cat? An animal that will gnaw at your dead body before you are cold. (there is a reason you don’t see beggars with a shivering cat on the end of a string) Is it just that I reckon I’ve already seen this film of redemption 50 times before? I don’t know, like I say I haven’t seen it and have no reason to hold it in such contempt but I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say this will be the worst film in the history of cinema and all involved should be shot. Lest anyone think I’m a cold, heartless and devoid of empathy, I promise I’m not. I sniffled at “E.T.” “UP” “Toy Story 3” "AI"etc. I got a lump in my throat at the end of 12 Monkeys, I sunk into a deep depression at the end of Schindlers List and Tyrannosaur, I am a human but…this film?..I just don’t know. Has any one seen it? Have I sold it to anyone? ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/2 "2016-11-03T12:15:40Z")
Based on your recommendation, I checked out the trailer. “Homeless cat gives recovering addict new lease on life,” sounds like Oprah Book Club material right there. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/3 "2016-11-03T12:34:00Z")
My daughter has the kid’s version of the book (with drug references expunged). It is rather sweet to the point of being cloying, but I’m enough of a cat person not to mind too much. And it’s a true-ish story. She wants to see the movie so we’ll probably go at some point. For me the main interest is that Bob plays himself. How’s Bob as a cat actor? ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/4 "2016-11-03T12:40:24Z")
Other than the lead actor bearing an uncanny resemblance to an ex of mine, what’s not to like? ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/5 "2016-11-03T17:07:50Z")
I’m with **Novelty Bobble** here. I didn’t know about the film – have been aware only, for the past few years, of a book much in vogue – titled _A Street Cat Named Bob_. My reaction just to seeing the book and its cover, was – substituting “book” for “film” – identical to the OP’s as quoted below. > [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I don’t recall disliking a film quite so much in advance with no rational reason for doing so. I just felt it to guarantee for me – to nausea-inducing point – to-the-max goo and glurge of a “the wretched of the Earth are the salt of the Earth” flavour. I like to consider myself – as does the OP – not altogether a stony-hearted bastard – I can feel in some agreement with the “the wretched…” sentiment quoted above; except that those who purvey it, tend to do so with an over-the-top self-righteous zealotry from which I instinctively flinch. And I like cats, although not to worship-point; but just seeing the cover of the book, caused me to feel certain that before I’d read a dozen pages of it I would be wishing on its animal hero, a very cruel and horrible death. Better, therefore, that I give the book – and the film, now that I know of its existence – a very wide berth. It’s just that – as, I suspect, with the OP – I have minimal tolerance for large amounts of goo / glurge / schmaltz / hyper-sugary sentimentality: such stuff inclines me to an antipathy to the cause (excellent though that might be) in which it is being deployed. Just “the way one is made”, I suspect: I wish a sincere “enjoy it” to those who’ll delight in, and have their hearts warmed by, the exploits of Bob the street cat and his humans; only let me stay as far away from the book, and the film, as I find humanly possible. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/6 "2016-11-03T21:25:57Z")
I read the title of the OP as a Streetcar Names Bob and was expecting people to be hating on a shitty remake. Now I was to see some one make a Streetcar Named Bob. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/7 "2016-11-03T21:38:29Z")
This reminds me of how embarrassed I was when I _finally_ “got” what Stella meant when she asked Blanche “Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?” It’s pretty tortured to name a streetcar “Desire” just for that line, though. Is or was that really a streetcar line in New Orleans? Or at least a street? We’re talking about what? Oh. Nevermind. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/8 "2016-11-03T21:47:11Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > It’s pretty tortured to name a streetcar “Desire” just for that line, though. Is or was that really a streetcar line in New Orleans? Or at least a street? Yes, it was a real name. The Desire Line was the streetcar that ran on Desire Street (one block over from Piety Street, which tells you a lot about New Orleans). Ironically, the Desire Line (which had been in operation for over twenty-five years) was shut down a few months after the play premiered and was replaced by a bus route. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/9 "2016-11-03T23:08:20Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I read the title of the OP as a Streetcar Names Bob and was expecting people to be hating on a shitty remake. Now I was to see some one make a Streetcar Named Bob. I thought it had something to do with _The Simpsons_, maybe a follow-up to their “A Streetcar Named Marge” episode (Marge stars as Blanche in a community-theater musical adaptation of the play), only with Sideshow Bob at the center. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2016, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/10 "2016-11-03T23:33:51Z")
Be careful about pissing off New Orleans, again. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/11 "2016-11-04T00:40:11Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Yes, it was a real name. The Desire Line was the streetcar that ran on Desire Street (one block over from Piety Street, which tells you a lot about New Orleans). > > Ironically, the Desire Line (which had been in operation for over twenty-five years) was shut down a few months after the play premiered and was replaced by a bus route. Wow. Thanks. Very interesting. Now all I need is for someone to explain to me why the plantation is called “Belle” Reve instead of “Beau” Reve, and I’ll have every question of my adolescence answered. Every answerable one, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/12 "2016-11-04T00:57:15Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I read the title of the OP as a Streetcar Names Bob and was expecting people to be hating on a shitty remake. Now I was to see some one make a Streetcar Named Bob. This, except I thought that it was a shitty sequel. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/13 "2016-11-04T01:15:33Z")
I feel that I’d rather read fiction about streetcars than “street cats”, any day of the week. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2016, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/14 "2016-11-04T01:50:29Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > I feel that I’d rather read fiction about streetcars than “street cats”, any day of the week. Knowing nothing other than that it’s about an animal, I predict he dies at the end. Animals almost always die at the end. When I was a kid, before I’d read an animal book, I’d corner someone who’d already read it, and make them swear the animal didn’t die at the end. If it had won a Newberry, I’d require two people to swear to it. I am not going to watch that “many lives of the dog” movie, because not only is he going to die a number of times, but I suspect at the end, he’s going to die for the LAST time. He’s some kind of police or search and rescue dog in one life, so you know that death will be awful. ---
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/15 "2016-11-05T17:43:51Z")
Bob IRL is still alive and well as of yesterday – [https://mobile.twitter.com/StreetCatBob/status/794592557590155265](https://mobile.twitter.com/StreetCatBob/status/794592557590155265) – so prooooobably the movie ends with him alive and well, as well. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/16 "2016-11-05T17:51:58Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I read the title of the OP as a Streetcar Names Bob As did I. That was very confusing. Plus the tagline “sometimes it takes nine lives to save one” makes it sound like it’s related to **Saving Private Ryan**. You don’t see many WWII movies featuring cats. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2016, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/17 "2016-11-05T18:28:42Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > I don’t recall disliking a film quite so much in advance. > I say this will be the worst film in the history of cinema. So…how did you feel about _Snakes on a Plane_ ? ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/18 "2016-11-08T04:33:46Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > So…how did you feel about _Snakes on a Plane_ ? Was it Roger Ebert who said he felt safe in saying that _Battlefield Earth_, released in 2000, was the worst film of the millennium? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/19 "2016-11-08T04:40:58Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > Was it Roger Ebert who said he felt safe in saying that _Battlefield Earth_, released in 2000, was the worst film of the millennium? While he doesn’t say that in his [official review](http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/battlefield-earth-2000), I do suggest everyone read his offical review. Top notch Ebert hate. > [@](#): > > Some movies run off the rails. This one is like the train crash in “The Fugitive.” I watched it in mounting gloom, realizing I was witnessing something historic, a film that for decades to come will be the punch line of jokes about bad movies. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2016, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521/20 "2016-11-08T10:02:08Z")
The film is at [75% on Rottentomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/a_street_cat_named_bob). I’m planning on seeing it tomorrow. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-streetcat-named-bob-poke-my-eyes-out/770521.md?page=2)