Cat People (1982 film)

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Cat People
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Paul Schrader
Produced by	Jerry Bruckheimer
Written by	DeWitt Bodeen Alan Ormsby
Starring	Nastassja Kinski Malcolm McDowell John Heard
Music by	Giorgio Moroder David Bowie (theme song)
Cinematography	John Bailey
Editing by	Jacqueline Cambas
Distributed by	Universal Pictures RKO Pictures
Release date(s)	April 2, 1982
Running time	118 min.
Country
Language	English
Budget	$18 million
Gross revenue	Domestic $7,000,000 Foreign $14,000,000 Worldwide $21,000,000[1]
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Cat People is a 1982 horror film directed by Paul Schrader and starring Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, and John Heard. The film co-stars Annette O'Toole, Ruby Dee, and features small parts for Ed Begley, Jr. and John Larroquette. Jerry Bruckheimer served as executive producer, Alan Ormsby was the screenwriter, whose script was loosely based on the story by DeWitt Bodeen, the screenwriter for the acclaimed 1942 original.

Giorgio Moroder composed the film's score, including the theme song which features lyrics and vocals by David Bowie.

Taglines

An erotic fantasy about the animal in us all.
They are more than lovers...But they're about to become less than human.

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Nominations 4 Theme song 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Plot

Irena Gallier (Natassia Kinski), a waifish young woman, meets her older brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell), a minister, in New Orleans. It is the first time they have met since their animal trainer-parents died, and Irena was sent to a series of foster homes. Paul's Creole housekeeper Female (pronounced feh-MAH-leh) (Ruby Dee) helps Irena settle into her brother's home, but Paul himself disappears. Cut to a fleabag motel where a blasé prostitute finds an angry black panther instead of a client. After mauling the hooker, the cat is captured by the police...and by a team of zoologists: Oliver Yates (John Heard), Alice Perrin (Annette O'Toole), and Joe Creigh (Ed Begley Jr.).

The next day Irena finds herself in the zoo where these scientists work. Drawn to the newly-captured panther, she befriends Oliver and takes a job in the gift shop nearby. Shortly afterward, the panther's violence turns deadly and it escapes. Soon, Paul turns up. He tells of his family's werecat heritage. When a werecat has sex with a human, the werecat transforms into a panther, only by killing a human can the werecat regain human form. Only sex with a sibling prevents the transformation. The werecats are ancestrally incestuous. On the run from her dangerous brother, Irena takes refuge in a sexually-frustrated romance with Oliver...afraid of what might happen if she consummates their passion. Her brother is killed whilst in panther form. Irena is trapped. If she takes a human lover she will have to kill to regain human form. Eventually, Irena makes love with Oliver, she transforms into a panther and flees, sparing Oliver's life. She escapes, but is later trapped on a bridge by police. Shortly after Oliver arrives at the scene, Irena sees him and jumps off the bridge and escapes. Oliver realizes where she is headed and confronts Irena at a secluded lake house. Irena tells Oliver he didn't kill him because she loves him. Oliver realizes he can't be without her - he ties Irena's arms and legs to the posts of the bed and proceeds to make love to her knowing what she will become.

We then see Oliver at the zoo working. He and Alice are romantically involved now. He walks to a cage that contains a black panther. Oliver casually handfeeds the panther and it's obvious the panther is Irena.

(in the original 1942 film, Irena commits suicide by unlocking the panther cage). This film is a very sad tale on not fully requited and finally abandoned love.

[edit] Cast

• Natassia Kinski as Irena Gallier
• Malcolm McDowell as Paul Gallier
• John Heard as Oliver Yates
• Annette O'Toole as Alice Perrin
• Ruby Dee as Female
• Ed Begley Jr. as Joe Creigh
• Scott Paulin as Bill Searle
• Frankie Faison as Det. Brandt
• Lynn Lowry as Ruthie
• John Larroquette as Bronte Judson

[edit] Nominations

• Saturn Awards - Best Actress - Nastassja Kinski
• Golden Globe Awards
  • Best Original Motion Picture Score - Giorgio Moroder
  • Best Original Motion Picture Song - Giorgio Moroder (music) and David Bowie (lyrics)

[edit] Theme song

• The song "Putting Out Fire" is featured on Bowie's Let's Dance album.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Cat People at the Internet Movie Database
• Cat People at the TCM Movie Database
• Cat People at Allmovie
• Cat People at Rotten Tomatoes