Rating: 
Summary: Cat People
Review: Have you ever wondered how it might feel to make love to a black leopard? In "Cat People," one more or less finds out. "Cat People" is one more in a series of updated horror films that have had a renaissance in the contemporary cinema. Although it boasts Malcolm McDowell and Nastassia Kinski in the starring roles, "Cat People" (a remake of the 1942 film of the same name) fails to add any original material to the horror genre. The film suffers from a case of split personality and ends up with two half-baked versions of what it wants to be. The storyline is basically hackneyed: an unknown tribe of fanatical animal worshipers-large cats in this case-becomes extinct, except for one brother and sister separated at birth who finally meet some time in their mid-20s. Brother thinks the only way to save their dead race is by an incestuous relationship, and when his sister refuses, he goes on a rampage. Having numerous one-night-stands, he mauls his victims after transforming into a black leopard. The plot does not twist very much and it is easy to keep one step ahead. But the director, Paul Schrader (author of "Taxi Driver" and "Blue Collar"), cares more about style than function and lets the film meander. In order to let the film fully develop, Schrader shapes it around the basic principles of a cat and lets it adapt accordingly. The scenes naturally creep by, the score glides across the action effortlessly and the chase scenes flex and retract with a grasping rhythm. With the synthesizer work of Giorgio Moroder ("Midnight Express"), an almost fluid feeling of anticipated fear is laced through each scene and very comfortably compliments the real stars of the film: the camera and the visual effects. Black and red are the two colors the camera is fond of, which intensify as soon as they are noticed. When Annette O'Toole goes for an after-hours swim at the Y and the lights mysteriously go out, the cat seems to pace alongside the pool even though it is pitch black. And when the blood flows onto the floor of the zoo, the cat claws its way around Kinski's legs. Kinski, though , is treated royally by the cinematographer. In the scenes where she removes her clothes, the outside light does not just shine off her nude body, it glistens. Her large eyes are the key to her character, letting her slip from a look of innocence to a savage scowl in minutes. McDowell's make-up does emphasize his catlike facial structure, but in doing so reveals his age (near 40), which begs quite a bit of credibility for a supposed 26-year-old. The success of McDowell has always relied on his ability to be both charming and sinister, which is kept intact, though he comes across looking tired. The large, black leopard winds up stealing most of the scenes and makes the cat that Snoopy antagonizes seem like Garfield. As in any horror film, the animal is as frightening a creature as one ever wants to meet, with a subterranean growl that is positively horrid. And as a horror film staple, the film is filled with the obligatory graphic violence as well as the time-lapse transformation from human to beast. The final frame, where the head of a black leopard fills the screen, conveys what all horror films about animals hope to do: leave one feeling about that particular animal in an entirely different manner. In "Cat People," however, it does not quite know how it wants to leave you feeling.
Rating: 
Summary: Sultry, Stylish, and Darkly Erotic
Review: Cat People is one of my favorite horror movies. No, it's not perfect. The script is uneven in parts and it is debatable whether the cheesy dream sequence at the beginning should have been included. But the film creates an atmosphere which draws you in. The casting is brilliant: Natassja Kinski is perfect as Irena, and Malcolm McDowell is perfectly creepy as her brother. The setting of New Orleans, that most sensuous of American cities, is also just right. The film is scary and suspenseful, and has a great soundtrack. Special effects are not used gratuitously, but only when necessary to tell the story. But what really makes this film special is the successful juxtaposition of horror with the erotic. No other American film I can think of does this as well. This is largely due to the presence of Ms. Kinski, who radiates a sexuality which is almost hypnotic. Needless to say, I'm a fan of this film and highly recommend it, despite its flaws.
Rating: 
Summary: Question about DVD
Review: Just a general question to other buyers of this DVD -- my copy does't seem to have a working title screen. The disc plays the FBI warning, followed by a black screen. You can play the movie by pressing play, but you cannot use the menu options like on other discs. Anyone else have this problem, is it part of the press run...or do I just have a mildly defective copy?
Rating:
Summary: Sex, Violence, and an Emerging Cult Favorite
Review: In general terms, the basic premise of both original 1942 CAT PEOPLE and the 1982 Paul Schrader remake are the same: an exotic European beauty is given to transforming into a black panther when sexually aroused. But Schrader unravels this fantasy concept in some very Freudian directions, setting his version in against the decadent charm of New Orleans, introducing a theme of incest, and ramping up the original with a lot of nudity, a lot of sex, and some of the most graphic violence around. The result is an American blood-and-gore horror film with a hypnotic European sensibility that equates both sexual frustration and orgasm with violent death. The story line concerns two orphaned siblings (Natasha Kinski and Malcom McDowell) who are reunited in New Orleans as adults-but they are, unbeknownst to the sister, the descendents of a mutant race who can only mate with their own kind without transforming into ravening beasts who must then kill to regain their human form. When sister Natasha rejects her brother's advances and then falls in love with a hunky zoo director all hell breaks loose. In some respects the film is extremely, extremely frustrating, often sliding over the edge from a sexually provocative shocker into moments of annoying silliness-but on the whole it works extremely well as a both a sexual fantasy and the penultimate statement in gratuitous sex and violence. Kinski is ideally cast as the sexy but virginal Irena; you can literally see the "cat" side of her nature emerge more and more as the film progresses. McDowell is equally interesting as her mad brother, and John Heard, Annette O'Toole, and particularly Ruby Dee offer excellent performances in the supporting cast. The New Orleans backdrop is extremely effective, and (speaking as one who has been there) the darker side of the city is perfectly captured; the Moroder score-which includes some sultry vocals by David Bowie-is also extremely good. A great many people will loathe CAT PEOPLE, and the reasons will be diverse. The film is extremely bloody, often to a can-you-stand-to-look-at-the-screen degree; there is tremendous nudity and considerably sexual activity; and the combination of sex and violence into a sadomasochistic eroticism is quite disturbing. Beyond this, more critically inclined viewers may find themselves annoyed by the script's occasional silliness and the fact that it does not always go as far over the top as it leads you to expect, and the film's very literal depiction of fantasy elements will certainly not to be every taste. But if you have a hunger to walk on the wild side, CAT PEOPLE (which is rapidly gaining status as a cult film) will suit your need as guilty pleasure. A personal favorite.
Rating: 
Summary: Atmospheric, artistic and compelling horror!
Review: I'm not a big horror fan, I find most slasher flicks particularly uninteresting and devoid of artistic merit, but sometimes horror is done right (e.g. "Night of the Living Dead"). "Cat People" is such a film. It came out in 1982 and is a modern take of the 1942 version. There's something about this flick that makes it very engrossing. It has style and pizzazz. For instance, the flashback scenes of the ancient panther tribe doing rituals in an orange desert are surreal and captivating; the accompanying atmospheric music adds to the mood nicely. 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 and Annette O'Toole plays the third person in the romantic triangle. The casting is great. Both Kinski and McDowell are properly cat-like. McDowell has a fittingly wierd and diabolic air about him. John Heard is fine and O'Toole is simply gorgeous. If nudity offends you then you might want to skip this flick as many of the characters are shown totally nude or near nude. Kinski is indeed quite attractive (be on the lookout for the scene of her fishing with Heard in hot pants and wader boots) but I'm a bit perplexed by Heard's decision to drop O'Toole for Kinski. Check it out and see if you share my confusion. Keep in mind that this is without a doubt a horror flick and it can be pretty brutal at times. As a horror film, it definitely rates "5 stars;" but it will only be enjoyed by mature viewers with a touch of class, if you know what I mean (in other words, if you got excited over "Freddy V.S. Jason" you might want to skip this one).
Rating:
Summary: That dude from Austin Powers is sweet in this
Review: There's all kinds of people (women) walking around totally naked in this movie. I give it my full support there. But as an added frosting on the cake, the dude who plays Austin Powers' commander or whatever is all crazy and jumps around like a cat. Or maybe it's not the guy from Austin Powers - I don't know. But it is cool when they jump up on things like cats.
Rating:
Summary: Cat People
Review: Have you ever wondered how it might feel to make love to a black leopard? In "Cat People," one more or less finds out. "Cat People" is one more in a series of updated horror films that have had a renaissance in the contemporary cinema. Although it boasts Malcolm McDowell and Nastassia Kinski in the starring roles, "Cat People" (a remake of the 1942 film of the same name) fails to add any original material to the horror genre. The film suffers from a case of split personality and ends up with two half-baked versions of what it wants to be. The storyline is basically hackneyed: an unknown tribe of fanatical animal worshipers-large cats in this case-becomes extinct, except for one brother and sister separated at birth who finally meet some time in their mid-20s. Brother thinks the only way to save their dead race is by an incestuous relationship, and when his sister refuses, he goes on a rampage. Having numerous one-night-stands, he mauls his victims after transforming into a black leopard. The plot does not twist very much and it is easy to keep one step ahead. But the director, Paul Schrader (author of "Taxi Driver" and "Blue Collar"), cares more about style than function and lets the film meander. In order to let the film fully develop, Schrader shapes it around the basic principles of a cat and lets it adapt accordingly. The scenes naturally creep by, the score glides across the action effortlessly and the chase scenes flex and retract with a grasping rhythm. With the synthesizer work of Giorgio Moroder ("Midnight Express"), an almost fluid feeling of anticipated fear is laced through each scene and very comfortably compliments the real stars of the film: the camera and the visual effects. Black and red are the two colors the camera is fond of, which intensify as soon as they are noticed. When Annette O'Toole goes for an after-hours swim at the Y and the lights mysteriously go out, the cat seems to pace alongside the pool even though it is pitch black. And when the blood flows onto the floor of the zoo, the cat claws its way around Kinski's legs. Kinski, though , is treated royally by the cinematographer. In the scenes where she removes her clothes, the outside light does not just shine off her nude body, it glistens. Her large eyes are the key to her character, letting her slip from a look of innocence to a savage scowl in minutes. McDowell's make-up does emphasize his catlike facial structure, but in doing so reveals his age (near 40), which begs quite a bit of credibility for a supposed 26-year-old. The success of McDowell has always relied on his ability to be both charming and sinister, which is kept intact, though he comes across looking tired. The large, black leopard winds up stealing most of the scenes and makes the cat that Snoopy antagonizes seem like Garfield. As in any horror film, the animal is as frightening a creature as one ever wants to meet, with a subterranean growl that is positively horrid. And as a horror film staple, the film is filled with the obligatory graphic violence as well as the time-lapse transformation from human to beast. The final frame, where the head of a black leopard fills the screen, conveys what all horror films about animals hope to do: leave one feeling about that particular animal in an entirely different manner. In "Cat People," however, it does not quite know how it wants to leave you feeling.
Rating:
Summary: if it weren't for the exquisite Natassia Kinski...
Review: ...I would've given this zero stars. It felt like a bad 1970s made-for-TV movie: clumsy pacing, cheesy keyboards on the soundtrack, tacky "matte" color photography, high-school-drama-class production standards during the absurd prehistoric Africa scenes... (...) There's a little sex and some bared breasts I suppose, but far from "Basic Instinct" quality. This little pussycat doesn't roar, it just kinda sorta meows.
Rating:
Summary: Hungry like the panther
Review: "Cat People" is a dark erotic horror movie made in the early 80s; before horror meant hack and slash blood and guts (not that I am complaining). It centers on Irena (Nastassja Kinski), a young virgin who arives in New Orleans to meet her long lost brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell). One night after an awkward advance toward Irena, Paul goes missing. Meanwhile, the zoo catches a wild panther that mysteriously turns up in the city. Irena goes to the zoo, and immeadiatly feels drawn to the panther. The curator, Oliver (John Heard), falls for Irena and arranges for her to get a job. After the panther kills a zoo employee, it escapes, and then Paul comes back. Eventually this leads Irena to learn that she and Paul are the last of cat people, ancient people that can become an animal only after they have had sex, and can only transform back after they have ate a human. It is sort of a variation on the werewolf myth. Irena must decide if she wants to be a part of the human world, or the animal one. This is a very smart horror movie in a time when they were rapidly becoming mindless. Kinski is a beautiful woman, and she handles herself with grace and sleekness that puts you very much in the mind of a feline. The whole movie depends on her, and you buy her many emotions as genuine through the whole movie. McDowell dose what he dose best, play the heavy; a little more depth from him would have been nice, but I don't hold it against him. John Heard plays hurt and confused well, and it is nice to see him in a role where he isn't a slime ball. The supporting cast is filled out with excellent actors; Ruby Dee and Ed Begley Jr. do just fine in their limited roles. There is also a young and sexy Annette O'Toole, with a twist on the promiscuous female type in horror movies. The brillant director behind the vastly underrated "Cat People" is Paul Schrader, who wrote "Taxi Driver". In a way, Irena reminds me a little bit of Travis Bickle; alone, alianated, and prone to senseless violence. The only part that really didn't feel right in the movie was the flash backs to Ancient Times in the desert. That piece looked too fake, but it is so brief that you can ignore it. New Orleans is beautifly photographed, especially the French Quarter, with all it's hints of secrets and mystery. This is really a well made erotic thriller that mature audiences will like a lot.
Rating:
Summary: The movie's a bit dated, but still is exotic & haunting
Review: Cat People does a darn good job of combining sexual intensity with dark horror. Such a combination may not be your cup of tea, but if it is, you might really like this movie. It does feel just slightly dated, but it's still pretty darn cool & still mostly works.
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