Cat People (1982)

April 2, 1982 (US) • Fantasy, Horror • 118m

Overview

After years of separation, Irena Gallier and her minister brother, Paul, reunite in New Orleans. When zoologists capture a wild panther, Irena is drawn to the cat – and zoo curator Oliver to her. Soon, Paul will have to reveal the family secret: that when sexually aroused, they revert into predatory jungle cats.

Director

Paul Schrader

Writers

Alan Ormsby, Paul Schrader, DeWitt Bodeen

Top Billed

Nastassja Kinski

Keywords

cat shotgun eroticism transformation remake attack lingerie held captive incest dissection morphing jungle cat erotic movie turned into animal supernatural horror animal transformation

Where to watch

Free / Included

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Buy

Top Billed Cast

Nastassja Kinski

Irena Gallier

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

Det. 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

John H. Fields

Massage Parlor Manager

Emery Hollier

Yeatman Brewer

Stephen Marshal

Moonie

Robert Pavlovich

Ted

Julie Denney

Carol

Arione De Winter

Indian Village Mother

Francine Segal

Church Woman

Don Hood

Train Station Agent

David Showacre

Man in Bar

Neva Gage

Cat-Like Woman

Marisa Folse

Indian Girl

Danelle Hand

Indian Girl

John C. Isbell

Police Officer

Roger E. Reid

Policeman

Charles Joseph Konya Jr.

Policeman

Marco St. John

Policeman

Brett Alexander

Cub Scout

Gregory Gatto

Cub Scout

Terc Martinez

Cub Scout

David Ross McCarty

Man in Airport

Harry Hauss

Helicopter Pilot

James Deeth

Helicopter Pilot

Ray Wise

Soap Opera Man

Jo Ann Dearing

Soap Opera Woman

Crew

Paul Schrader

Director

Alan Ormsby

Screenplay

Paul Schrader

Screenplay

Charles W. Fries

Producer

John Bailey

Director of Photography

Jacqueline Cambas

Editor

Jere Huggins

Editor

Ned Humphreys

Editor

Mary Goldberg

Casting

DeWitt Bodeen

Story

Jerry Bruckheimer

Executive Producer

Mark Dumas

Stunts

Beth Nufer

Stunts

Vince Deadrick Jr.

Stunts

Brad Bovee

Stunts

Bennie E. Dobbins

Stunts

Ron Oxley

Stunts

Madeleine Klein

Stunts

Mike Tillman

Stunts

Bud S. Smith

Second Unit Director

Stephen P. Dunn

Second Assistant Director

Tina Scott

Casting Assistant

David Bowie

Theme Song Performance

Edward Richardson

Art Direction

Bruce Weintraub

Set Decoration

Daniel Paredes

Costume Design

Janice D. Brandow

Hairstylist

Thomas R. Burman

Makeup Effects Designer

Michael Grillo

First Assistant Director

Larry Clark Bird

Set Designer

Lauren Cory

Set Designer

Erin M. Cummins

Set Designer

Peter Ivy

Construction Foreman

Daniel Loren May

Leadman

Jeannine Oppewall

Set Designer

Jeff Passanante

Carpenter

Nancy Patton

Set Designer

Vic Petrotta Jr.

Property Master

Clarence Lynn Price

Construction Coordinator

Charles L. Campbell

Supervising Sound Editor

Larry Carow

Sound Editor

Louis L. Edemann

Sound Editor

Richard C. Franklin

Sound Editor

Robert L. Hoyt

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Stanley H. Polinsky

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

John J. Stephens

Sound Re-Recording Mixer

Clyde Hart

Key Grip

Ronald W. McLeish

Gaffer

Dennis Rotta

Dolly Grip

John R. Shannon

Still Photographer

Joseph F. Valentine

Camera Operator

Richard Walden

First Assistant Camera

Steve Yaconelli

Camera Operator

Sandy Berke Jordan

Costume Supervisor

Robert Chase

Costume Supervisor

Hugo Peña

Set Costumer

Bud S. Smith

Supervising Film Editor

Todd Pavlin

Location Manager

Renee Perrin

Location Manager

Bob Badami

Music Editor

Sylvester Levay

Orchestrator

Arnold Goodwin

Title Designer

Luca Kouimelis

Script Supervisor

Walter Scott

Stunt Coordinator

Giorgio Moroder

Original Music Composer

Albert Whitlock

Visual Effects

Angeline Brown

Stunts

Ellis Burman Jr.

Creature Design

Bob Williams

Creature Design

Allen Hall

Creature Design

Robert Blalack

Visual Effects

Wilbur Stark

Executive Consultant

Tom Jacobson

Unit Production Manager

Bill Badalato

Unit Production Manager

Jack G. Taylor Jr.

Assistant Art Director

Ross Albert

Associate Editor

Craig Bassett

Assistant Editor

Jeffrey L. Kimball

Second Unit Director of Photography

Syd Dutton

Matte Painter

Joel Kirschner

Second Assistant Camera

Hugo Peña

Costume Supervisor

David Rubin

Casting Assistant

Sharon Benson

Extras Casting

Irene Terrell

Extras Casting

James E. Webb

Sound

Chris McLaughlin

Sound

David W. Gray

Sound Engineer

Jack Manning

Sound Effects

Ron Nagle

Sound Effects

Scott Mathews

Sound Effects

Norman B. Schwartz

Dialogue Editor

Hank Salerno

Dialogue Editor

Donah Bassett

Negative Cutter

H. John Ramos

Assistant Property Master

Mike Rutgard

Assistant Property Master

Tom Del Genio

Special Effects

Pat Domenico

Special Effects

Karl G. Miller

Special Effects

Ed Cooper

Best Boy Electric

Michael W. Blymyer

Electrician

Jeffrey W. Petersen

Electrician

Richard Kamins

Electrician

Michael Orefice

Electrician

Doug Cook

Best Boy Grip

Wes Tansey

Grip

Bill Venegas

Grip

Nick Navarro

Set Designer

Casey Hallenbeck

Swing

Lee Ezzes

Swing

Kirk D. Hansen

Painter

Bob Shaw

Painter

Jim Stuebe

Cableman

Steve Hellerstein

Transportation Captain

Russ Buckens

Transportation Captain

James Sircy

Propmaker

John Goss

Propmaker

Tim James

Propmaker

Ray Rarick

Propmaker

Jack Garsha

Color Timer

Paul Vombrack

Second Unit Director of Photography

Lito White

Camera Operator

William D. Barber

Assistant Camera

Ann Lukacs

Assistant Camera

Joan Merlo

Production Secretary

Fred Baron

Location Manager

Rick Landry

Local Casting

Jack Daniels

Transportation Captain

Ferdinando Scarfiotti

Production Design

Max Rosenberg

Executive Producer

Lance Anderson

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Bari Dreiband-Burman

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Edouard F. Henriques III

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Mike Menzel

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Leonard Engelman

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Tom Hoerber

Special Effects Makeup Artist

Reviews

Wuchak

⭐ 7/10

November 10, 2019

***Atmospheric, artistic, dramatic horror in New Orleans***

"Cat People" came out in 1982 and is a modern take on the classic 1942 film. 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’s character, while Annette O'Toole plays the third person in the romantic triangle.

The movie’s engrossing and has style & pizazz. For instance, the flashback scenes of the ancient panther tribe doing rituals in an orange desert are surreal and captivating; the accompanying atmospheric music by Giorgio Moroder adds to the mood nicely, along with David Bowie’s theme song. While both are decidedly 80’s, they fit the flick and are somehow timeless.

Both Kinski and McDowell are properly cat-like. McDowell, as usual, has a weird and diabolic air about him. John Heard is fine as the protagonist and redhead O'Toole is simply gorgeous. Speaking of which, Kinski is indeed quite attractive, as observed in the scene of her fishing with Heard in hot pants and wader boots, but O'Toole steals Kinski’s thunder a bit, particularly in the pool sequence.

This is a great flick for showcasing the New Orleans area and the Sothern Gothic ambiance thereof. Keep in mind that it’s definitely a horror flick and so can be pretty brutal at times. On a related note, if nudity offends you then you might want to skip it as many of the characters are shown totally nude or near nude.

The film runs just shy of 2 hours and was shot in the New Orleans area with some stuff done in the Los Angeles region (e.g. studio work and the panther tree sequence).

GRADE: B+/A-

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