Schrader's rather misogynistic film is confused in its intentions.
Cat People (1982)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:36
Fresh:23
Rotten:13
Average Rating:6.1/10
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: After Irena (Nastassia Kinski), a young woman with a mysterious past, is reunited with her brother Paul (Malcom MacDowell), a series of bizarre events is set into motion. When Irena discovers that... After Irena (Nastassia Kinski), a young woman with a mysterious past, is reunited with her brother Paul (Malcom MacDowell), a series of bizarre events is set into motion. When Irena discovers that her sexuality is intimately linked with that of her brother's--as well as with a strange human-feline metamorphosis they secretly share--the moment is both frightening and alluring. A remake of the 1942 supernatural horror film of the same name, Paul Schrader's version of CAT PEOPLE is more graphic, more eroticized, and more detailed in content. Shot in New Orleans, an eerie stillness permeates the film, coupled with naturally delivered dialogue that moves the story along. Ruby Dee provides extra mysterious insinuations as Female, the sibling's live-in servant in their French-style mansion, and John Heard is perfectly cast as Oliver, the animal biologist and love interest of Irena. [More]
Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Ed Begley
Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Ed Begley, Annette O'Toole, Scott Paulin, Frankie R. Faison, John Larroquette
Director: Paul Schrader
Director: Paul Schrader
Composer: Giorgio Moroder
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Reviews for Cat People
Paul Schrader's hammering, art-porno remake of Jacques Tourneur's deft little thriller.
The result has a certain cinematic beauty, and Kinski, in particular, plays her role with an appropriate cat-like presence. Yet alongside the 1942 version (produced by Val Lewton, directed by Jaques Tourneur) it is clear which one is the winner.
The emotional arousal of the original is replaced with sexual arousal and what we have is an erotic gorefest that should not have been made.
When it's not going for outlandish smut, Cat People is a shambling bore.
You just can’t understand what it’s supposed to be about or why the hell anyone felt the need to devote time and money to creating it.
Most guys like it for the full frontal nudity and the kinky "tie me up" sex scene, but it is an interesting film to watch for other reasons.
Ludicrous or not, Cat People is gorgeous to behold, due mostly to cinematographer John Bailey's marvelous detailed rendering of New Orleans in autumn.
The seductively exotic surface of this mythically underpinned fantasy might be offset for some by much graphic gore, but if you can buy the romantic metaphors for the primitivisms of sexual obsession, the film delivers down the line.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 86% 86% | A Christmas Tale |
| 60% 60% | Paper Heart |
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