Cat People (1982)

Paul Schrader, the director of American Gigolo, brought a similar kind of sexual chic to this explicit horror movie. A remake of the beautiful, haunting 1942 Cat People, this version takes off from the same idea: that a woman (Nastassja Kinski), a member of a race of feline humans, will revert to her animalistic self when she has sex. Arriving to meet her brother (Malcolm McDowell) in New Orleans, she finds herself disturbed by his sexual presence. A zoo curator (John Heard) becomes fascinated by her, but he will discover that her kittenish ways are just the tip of the claw. Schrader dresses the story up in a stylish, glossy production, keyed on Kinski's green-eyed, thick-lipped beauty; it's hard to think of another actress in 1982 who could so immediately suggest a cat walking on two legs. Luckily Kinski had a European attitude toward her body, because this film has plenty of poster-art nudity. There's also lots of gore and some wacky flashbacks to the ancient tribe of cat people, who hold rituals in an orange desert while Giorgio Moroder's music plays. Cat People doesn't really make all this come together, but it's always interesting to look at, and the dreadful mood lingers. --Robert Horton Amazon.com

Cat People [HD DVD]

DID NOT WORK WITH FRIENDS VCR BUT OWNER GENEROUSLY GAVE A REFUND FOR MY MISTAKE. THANK YOU November 25, 2008

Bewitching

Kinski and Heard are starstruck lovers burdened by the fact that she will turn into a ferocious beast. The set design, the cast, the moody atmospheric score all combine to make a artistic statement. Some of the visuals are cheaply disturbing, when Malcolm changes from man to beast leaving slime everywhere and Kinski naked for no apparent reason. But overall the film captures the feline essence of a femme fatale and a man obsessed. November 2, 2008

How does this compare to the 1998 DVD release of this same film?

I love the film and I have the 98 version of it, however I am wondering what the 2002 dvd release includes. Is it different than the 98 version. The 98 dvd release is hard to hear, I have to turn my tv way up when watching it. Does the 2002 release have better sound quality? October 24, 2008

Cat People Rocks!

This was quite an interesting movie, especially with wildcats and people who become them, which in this case were Nastassja Kinski(Irena) and Malcolm McDowell(Paul) along with the fact that CAT PEOPLE had a lot of violence and nudity, especially since Natassja Kinski did quite a bit of nude scenes with full frontal nudity showing Nastassja Kinski's boobs, coochie, and tushy in the scenes where Irena(Nastasjja Kinski)roams around naked for no apparent reason in the middle of the night eating animals and then when Irena finally becomes devirginized by her boyfriend Oliver(John Heard)in a steamy sex scene just before she transforms into a panther after Irena takes Oliver by surprise by deciding to seduce Oliver all of the sudden when Irena's girlfriend Alice(Annette O'Tootle) tries to warn Oliver that she's part wildcat predator out for blood eating people just like Irena's brother(Paul) is.

Therefore, Irena(Nastajja Kinski) decides to entice Oliver(John Heard) by making love to him all of the sudden in order to divert suspicion about her being part panther after shying away from being touched by Oliver and shying away from intimacy with him so many times earlier in the movie.

Therefore, this horror flick kind of reminded me of DRESSED TO KILL in a way, since DRESSED TO KILL was a violent errotic kind of movie too, since DRESSED TO KILL was a terror film with a lot of killing, sex, and nudity, especially with full frontal nudity like CAT PEOPLE had.

The one thing about this movie "Cat People" that I don't understand is why would Paul(Malcom McDowell) try to get Irena(Nastasjja Kinski) into bed if Irena was Paul's long lost sister and knew that he was Irena's long lost brother all along. August 13, 2008

Light entertainment for grownups

This starts with a variant on the werewolf mythos: this time it's kitty, not doggy. A few things make the early parts of this movie work. Malcolm McDowell became known early on in A Clockwork Orange and Caligula , and reprises his role as sadistic psychopath. Nastassja (nee Nastassia) Kinski did what she did best back in the early 1980s, which was look good in a clothing-, or at least bra-optional kind of way. She also reminds us of that simpler time when a B cup was a gift from heaven and a joy to behold (or hold). I can't wait for that fashion to come around again.

Logic eludes us, for example at the end when Irena decides - well, I won't spoil it for you, but the words and the foreseeable result of her final decision just don't line up. Also, earlier on, she makes some eye-blink transition from sweet young thing (doesn't eat meat) to carnivorous vamp. I think that a 1950s trace of "fallen woman" morality somehow leaked into this flick. No matter. If the R-movie people in your house want something to watch that won't get in the way of good conversation, give it a shot. For what it is, it's pretty good - and that includes the surprising theme song by David Bowie during the closing credits.

-- wiredweird August 12, 2008

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