Cat People (1942 / 1982)
CAT PEOPLEÂ (PG)
D: Jacques Tourneur
RKO (Val Lewton)
USA 🇺🇸 1942
73 mins
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Horror
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W: DeWitt Bowdeen
DP: Nicholas Musuraca
Ed: Mark Robson
Mus: Roy Webb
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Simone Simon (Irene Dubrovna
Reed), Kent Smith (Oliver Reed), Tom Conway (Dr. Louis Judd), Jane Randolph (Alice Moore)
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Unique twist on werewolf legend, starring
Simone Simon as a Serbian woman, living in America, who believes she can turn into a panther-like creature.
Considered a landmark horror movie, Cat People
has some notable scenes of genuine suspense and is the first monster movie to refrain from showing it's beast, creating a golden rule which others should (but don't always)
follow.
Truly impressive considering it was originally
released in the 1940's.
7/10
CAT PEOPLEÂ (18)
D: Paul Schrader
Universal (Charles Fries)
USA 🇺🇸 1982
118 mins
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Horror
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W: Alan Ormsby [based on the screenplay by DeWitt
Bowdeen]
DP: John Bailey
Ed: Jacqueline Cambas
Mus: Giorgio Moroder; David Bowie
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Nastassja Kinski (Irena Gallier), Malcolm McDowell (Paul
Gallier), John Heard (Oliver Yates), Annette O'Toole (Alice Perrin)
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Sexed up remake of the 1942 movie where the main female
character changes into a panther-like creature after sexual intercourse, and must kill in order to become human again.
The eroticism and incestuous scenes were needless in all
honesty, as was this remake in general. Though it is notable for David Bowie's theme song ("Putting Out Fire" - also used in Inglourious Basterds), Giorgio Moroder's electronic music score,
as well as Nastassja Kinski's leading performance, easily the best on show.
The original version is much better, but this will be
recommendable for those who don't wish to watch a black & white horror movie from the forties.
6/10
