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.
- Director
- Writers
- DeWitt Bodeen(story)
- Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
- Paul Schrader(uncredited)
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- DeWitt Bodeen(story)
- Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
- Paul Schrader(uncredited)
- Stars
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Videos2
- Director
- Writers
- DeWitt Bodeen(story)
- Alan Ormsby(screenplay)
- Paul Schrader(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
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. —Colin Tinto <cst@imdb.com>
- Taglines
- An erotic fantasy about the animal in us all.
- Genres
- Certificate
- R
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaDirector 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".
- GoofsDuring 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 versionsSyndicated 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.
- SoundtracksPutting Out the Fire (Theme from Cat People)
Music Written by Giorgio Moroder
Lyrics Written and Performed by David Bowie
Arranged by Anthony Marinelli (uncredited)
Top review
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.
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.
helpful•5223
- DaCritic-2
- Jan 20, 2000
Details
Box office
- 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
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