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Cat People

  • 19821982
  • RR
  • 1h 58m
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
21K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,623
791
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
Official Home Video Trailer
Play trailer2:17
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Fantasy
  • Horror
  • Thriller
A young woman's sexual awakening brings horror when she discovers her urges transform her into a monstrous black leopard.A young woman's sexual awakening brings horror when she discovers her urges transform her into a monstrous black leopard.A young woman's sexual awakening brings horror when she discovers her urges transform her into a monstrous black leopard.
IMDb RATING
6.2/10
21K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,623
791
  • Director
    • Paul Schrader
  • Writers
    • DeWitt Bodeen(story)
    • Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
    • Paul Schrader(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Nastassja Kinski
    • Malcolm McDowell
    • John Heard
Top credits
  • Director
    • Paul Schrader
  • Writers
    • DeWitt Bodeen(story)
    • Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
    • Paul Schrader(uncredited)
  • Stars
    • Nastassja Kinski
    • Malcolm McDowell
    • John Heard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 147User reviews
    • 140Critic reviews
    • 61Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 nominations

    Videos2

    Cat People
    Trailer 2:17
    Cat People
    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 25
    Video 29:00
    Sneak Previews Season 4 Episode 25

    Photos102

    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    "Cat People" Nastassja Kinski 1982 Universal
    "Cat People" Nastassja Kinski 1982 Universal
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)
    Nastassja Kinski in Cat People (1982)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Nastassja Kinski
    Nastassja Kinski
    • Irena Gallieras Irena Gallier
    Malcolm McDowell
    Malcolm McDowell
    • Paul Gallieras Paul Gallier
    John Heard
    John Heard
    • Oliver Yatesas Oliver Yates
    Annette O'Toole
    Annette O'Toole
    • Alice Perrinas Alice Perrin
    Ruby Dee
    Ruby Dee
    • Femaleas Female
    Ed Begley Jr.
    Ed Begley Jr.
    • Joe Creighas Joe Creigh
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Bill Searleas Bill Searle
    Frankie Faison
    Frankie Faison
    • Detective Brandtas Detective Brandt
    Ron Diamond
    • Detective Ron Diamondas Detective Ron Diamond
    Lynn Lowry
    Lynn Lowry
    • Ruthieas Ruthie
    John Larroquette
    John Larroquette
    • Bronte Judsonas Bronte Judson
    Tessa Richarde
    • Billieas Billie
    Patricia Perkins
    • Taxi Driveras Taxi Driver
    Berry Berenson
    Berry Berenson
    • Sandraas Sandra
    Fausto Barajas
    • Otisas Otis
    John H. Fields
    John H. Fields
    • Massage Parlor Manageras Massage Parlor Manager
    Emery Hollier
    • Yeatman Breweras Yeatman Brewer
    Stephen Marshal
    • Moonieas Moonie
    • Director
      • Paul Schrader
    • Writers
      • DeWitt Bodeen(story)
      • Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
      • Paul Schrader(uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Paul Schrader and lead actress Nastassja Kinski had an affair during the production of this movie. Schrader fell in love and planned to propose marriage to Kinski at the wrap party, but she didn't show up and cut off all communication with him. After three months Schrader finally tracked Kinski down in Paris, where she bluntly told him, "Paul, I always fuck my directors. And with you it was difficult".
    • Goofs
      During the leopard autopsy scene, when Oliver is moving the "dead" cat from the wheeled cart to the autopsy table, he lets the cat's head bump down a little hard onto the metal table. Off camera you can hear someone say, "Easy!" as an admonishment to be more careful with the cat. This is most apparent in the DVD version, and is undetectable in the 2017 release of the Collector's Edition Blu-Ray.
    • Quotes

      Irena Gallier: I'm not like you.

      Paul Gallier: Well, that's the lie that will kill your lover. At least let me spare you that - horror.

    • Alternate versions
      Syndicated TV version has a couple additional scenes AND an altered ending. The alternate ending occurs when Oliver corners the panther that was Irena on the bridge. In the theatrical version the Irena panther jumps off the bridge and escapes. The panther kills a friend of Oliver's to become human again and hides out in Oliver's shack. Oliver finds Irena there and they both agree to make love one last time (knowing that she'll become a panther again). The last scene in the movie has Oliver petting and feeding the Irena panther in a cage at the zoo. In the syndicated TV version it ends at the bridge when Oliver shoot's the Irena panther with a knock out dart and then cuts to the scene when he feeds and pets the Irena panther at the zoo. This eliminated the need to edit down the steamy last lovemaking scene. Another additional scene in the syndicated version has Irena accidently scaring a bird in a cage to death just by her presence.
    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: Victor Victoria/Silent Rage/Cat People/I Ought to Be In Pictures (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Putting Out the Fire (Theme from Cat People)
      Music Written by Giorgio Moroder

      Lyrics Written and Performed by David Bowie

      Arranged by Anthony Marinelli (uncredited)

    User reviews147

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    on its own terms it's 'moody', creepy, and also campy
    What made Paul Schrader tackle this production I'm not sure. In a year when John Carpenter was doing his rendition of the short story, not even entirely so much the film, of The Thing, Schrader and his screenwriter decided to go back to the source of one of those stories no one really reads but pretends they have when in reality it's the original film everyone remembers. But this is an opposite case of Carpenters: where the original The Thing was, arguably, not really the masterpiece everyone remembers (albeit influential), the remake truly was. Jacques Tourner and Val Lewton crafted one of those quintessential horror films that scares precisely because how little we see of the actual panther on camera, while Schrader's film, actually, isn't a masterpiece of horror, not quite close at all really. And it's not even because Schrader decided to show the cat on screen, many times over (maybe it's a leopard, they look similar but it's closer to panther to me).

    No, it's a different film due to permissiveness of the time period (it's the 80s vs the 40s, so this time we get plenty of nudity, "bad" language, and the Giorgio Moroder musical accompaniment which has dated pretty terribly), and with its subject matter being far more based on the romantic than in the original film. It's a strange effort this Cat People, where incest even comes into question (or rather it's right out in the open, at least between the two parties), the look and feel of New Orleans and the Bayou becomes another character, and the characterizations become enhanced by the mere presence of Malcolm McDowell's inimitable face and Nastassja Kinski's irrepressible sexual charisma on camera. Not to say she can't act, since she can hold her own very well even when she's seemingly doing not much except walking naked through a field at night or, um, walking naked in a room or, you know, not naked in a swimming pool.

    How much is actually taken from the original Tourner film or the short story I really can't say for certain. The pool scene is the only one I can recall specifically lifted from the original (and, not too sorry to say, 42 for the win on that one). But comparisons can get too petty in this instance, perhaps, since Schrader's goal is to analyze the characters in this setting, what sex and desire and the psychology of a were-cat does to a person, or to people who realize what they're capable of, as opposed to just simple horror. Schrader's direction has some genuine moments of thrill, or just plain artistic satisfaction, like a not-so simple composition of a tracking shot of one of the hookers walking along on a street at night at her foot level. I'm even reminded of De Palma, whom Schrader worked with once before.

    But at the same time, for all of the versatility of the actors, and the occasional moments of surreal imagination, there's also much camp as well (Ed Begley's character's fate for example) and a few really cheesy parts or just scenes that don't work or, perhaps, are too saddled with a need to push the button of sex on film. It's a hot number that works well, more or less, and would take a deeper analysis to dissect than I can give it right now. It's respectable, at the least.
    helpful•25
    12
    • Quinoa1984
    • Jul 7, 2009

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 2, 1982 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Katzenmenschen
    • Filming locations
      • Audubon Zoo - 6500 Magazine Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
    • Production companies
      • RKO Pictures
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $18,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $7,000,000
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,617,636
      • Apr 4, 1982
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,000,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 58 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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