Cat People (1982)

A young woman's sexual awakening brings horror when she discovers her urges transform her into a monstrous black leopard.

Director:

Paul Schrader

Writers:

DeWitt Bodeen (story), Alan Ormsby (screenplay)

Stars:

Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nastassja Kinski	...	Irena Gallier (as Nastassia Kinski)
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	...	Detective Brandt
Ron Diamond	...	Detective Ron Diamond
Lynn Lowry	...	Ruthie
John Larroquette	...	Bronte Judson
Tessa Richarde	...	Billie
Patricia Perkins	...	Taxi Driver
Berry Berenson	...	Sandra
Fausto Barajas	...	Otis

Storyline

The Cat People originated way back in time, when humans sacrificed their women to leopards, who mated with them. Cat People look similar to humans, but must mate with other Cat People before they transform into panthers. Irene Gallier was raised by adoptive parents and meets her older brother Paul for the first time since childhood. We follow brother and sister - who seem to be the only ones of their kind left.

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Plot Keywords:

female removes her clothes | sexuality | panther | human sacrifice | female pubic hair | 

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Taglines:

An erotic fantasy for the animal in us all.

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Irena Dubrovna Reed character played by Nastassja Kinski in this movie is the same character name played by Simone Simon in the original Cat People (1942). Simon was French whereas Kinski is German.

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Goofs

In the leopard autopsy, where a drugged live animal is used, the paws of the supposedly dead beast can be seen twitching.

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Quotes

Female: Fe-ma-le. Fe-ma-le. Like tamale! F-E-M-A-L-E.

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Alternate Versions

Syndicated TV version also features brief shots of the animatronic leopards that were ultimately cut from the theatrical release.

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Connections

Referenced in The Guardian Interview with Paul Schrader (1993)

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Soundtracks

What's New Pussycat?
(uncredited)
Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David
Sung by Ed Begley Jr.

User Reviews

Great erotic thriller

"Cat People" is one of those movies that, by all rights, shouldn't be shown on network TV. That's not a comment on quality; it's one of the best erotic thrillers ever made (next to "The Hunger"). But when you have a movie where, for the last half hour, the female lead is mostly undressed ... how can you *show* the last half of the movie?

Very simply stated, they *don't* show it. I tried to watch Cat People on USA or some other network one night, and the last half hour had been cut down to about five minutes and made absolutely no sense. Worse, I was watching it with someone who had never seen it before, and when it was over, she was thoroughly confused and unimpressed.

So, number one: See this movie, if you haven't already! And number two, when you do ... rent or buy the video, or catch a revival on one of the premium cable channels.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cat People

Filming Locations:

1031 N Claiborne Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,617,636, 4 April 1982

Gross USA:

$7,000,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$7,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Pictures, Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 93 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1