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RKO Pictures
Universal Pictures
Not part of a collection.
They are something more than lovers who are about to become something less than human.
After years of separation, Irena Gallier and her minister brother, Paul, reunite in New Orleans. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irena is drawn to the cat – and zoo curator Oliver to her. Soon, Paul will have to reveal the family secret: that when sexually aroused, they revert into predatory jungle cats.
Wuchak
Nov 10, 2019 · via TMDB
***Atmospheric, artistic, dramatic horror in New Orleans*** "Cat People" came out in 1982 and is a modern take on the classic 1942 film. Nastassja Kinski and Malcolm McDowell are siblings cursed to become were-panthers if sexually aroused. The only way they can become human again is to kill a fellow human. The idea is absurd and fantastical, but "Cat People" takes the subject absolutely seriously. John Heard plays a zoo manager who falls in love with Kinski’s character, while Annette O'Toole plays the third person in the romantic triangle. The movie’s engrossing and has style & pizazz. For instance, the flashback scenes of the ancient panther tribe doing rituals in an orange desert are surreal and captivating; the accompanying atmospheric music by Giorgio Moroder adds to the mood nicely, along with David Bowie’s theme song. While both are decidedly 80’s, they fit the flick and are somehow timeless. Both Kinski and McDowell are properly cat-like. McDowell, as usual, has a weird and diabolic air about him. John Heard is fine as the protagonist and redhead O'Toole is simply gorgeous. Speaking of which, Kinski is indeed quite attractive, as observed in the scene of her fishing with Heard in hot pants and wader boots, but O'Toole steals Kinski’s thunder a bit, particularly in the pool sequence. This is a great flick for showcasing the New Orleans area and the Sothern Gothic ambiance thereof. Keep in mind that it’s definitely a horror flick and so can be pretty brutal at times. On a related note, if nudity offends you then you might want to skip it as many of the characters are shown totally nude or near nude. The film runs just shy of 2 hours and was shot in the New Orleans area with some stuff done in the Los Angeles region (e.g. studio work and the panther tree sequence). GRADE: B+/A-
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Nastassja Kinski
Irena Gallier
Malcolm McDowell
Paul Gallier
John Heard
Oliver Yates
Annette O'Toole
Alice Perrin
Ruby Dee
Female
Ed Begley Jr.
Joe Creigh
Scott Paulin
Bill Searle
Frankie Faison
Det. Brandt
Lynn Lowry
Ruthie
John Larroquette
Bronte Judson
Tessa Richarde
Billie
Robert Pavlovich
Ted
Don Hood
Train Station Agent
Roger E. Reid
Policeman
Marco St. John
Policeman
Ray Wise
Soap Opera Man
Ferdinando Scarfiotti
Production Design
Jeannine Oppewall
Set Designer
John Bailey
Director of Photography
Jeffrey L. Kimball
Second Unit Director of Photography
Brad Bovee
Stunts
Vince Deadrick Jr.
Stunts
Paul Schrader
Director
Michael Grillo
First Assistant Director
Jerry Bruckheimer
Executive Producer
Tom Jacobson
Unit Production Manager
Sylvester Levay
Orchestrator
Giorgio Moroder
Original Music Composer
Charles L. Campbell
Supervising Sound Editor
David Bowie
Theme Song Performance
Paul Schrader
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Apr 2, 1982
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Bicara Cinta
2020
The Pied Pipers of Harlow
1965
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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