Cats have slinked, stretched, purred, and pounced through movies for well more than a century, going back to the silent 1901 short The Sick Kitten. We can all agree: They make a film more interesting.

The Library celebrates these furry stars in its 2023 Off the Wall rooftop film series, Feline Throughline, featuring cats in non-starring but invariably scene-chewing roles. Leading off: 2001’s Josie and the Pussycats (PG-13, 98 min.), which finds Rachael Leigh Cook (lead singer and guitarist Josie), Tara Reid (drummer Melody), and Rosario Dawson (bassist Val) as members of a rising rock band caught in a scheme to control America’s youth.

Yes, it’s a musical comedy based on a comic book. But E! News saw more nuance on the 20th anniversary of the movie’s release in 2021, writing, “Over the last two decades, Josie and the Pussycats has become a generation-defining cult classic, simultaneously being ahead of its time with its take on consumerism and the state of pop music and yet a perfect encapsulation of the Y2K era, Carson Daly cameo included.”

In other words, it’s the cat’s pawjamas.

Featured Meow-vies

• Friday, July 14: Captain Marvel (2019, PG-13, 123 min.)
• Friday, Aug 11: The Mummy (1999, PG-13, 124 min.)
• Friday, Sept 8: Batman Returns (1992, PG-13, 126 min.)

Series Details »

Attending Off the Wall

• Films are shown on the fifth-floor Rooftop Terrace of the Central Library, 14 West 10^th St., KCMO.
• Bring your own seating, blankets, or folding chairs. (Chairs or other seating not provided.)
• Bring your own food, snacks, and non-alcoholic beverages. No glass containers, please.
• Doors open at 8 p.m. (The Central Library closes at 5 p.m. on Fridays, but reopens at 8 p.m. for Off the Wall events.)
• Screenings begin at dusk (approximately 8:45 p.m.)
• Parking: Enter the Library District parking garage via Baltimore Avenue**. Bring your parking ticket to the event for complimentary validation.
• Transit options: Take KC Streetcar to the Library stop at 9^th and Main streets or use Ride KC bus routes.
• In case of bad weather, the event may be canceled. Watch event pages or the Library’s social media feeds for updates.