Stars:
Nastassia Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O’Toole, Ruby Dee,
Frankie Faison, and Ed Begely Jr.
Writer:
Alan Ormsby
Based
On A Story By: Dewitt Bodeen
Director:
Paul Schrader
Feature
length: 119 minutes
Extras:
Feature Length Audio Commentary By Paul Schrader, “Cat People: An Intimate
Portrait By Paul Schrader,” “On The Set With The Director Paul Schrader,”
“Special Makeup Effects By Tom Burman,” “Cat People Matte Paintings,”
Filmmaker Robert Wise On The Producer Of The Original Cat People, Val Lewton,”
Production Notes, Production Photographs, Theatrical Trailer
Languages:
English Stereo
Subtitles:
English Captions and French and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 20
Sound:
Stereo Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 1982/DVD Release: 2002
Theatrical
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Home
Video Distributor: Universal Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
Thousands
of years ago, primitive humans sacrificed their young to the leopards, which
they worshipped as gods. Eventually the spirit of the sacrificed merged with
that of the leopard and created a hybrid. Cats in human form living an
incestuous lifestyle with brother marrying sister to continue their lifecycle
because if one mates with a mortal human then that one will revert back to being
a leopard and then must kill and feast upon the flesh of a mortal man or woman
if that one wants to return to human form. Nastassia Kinski is a young woman on
the verge of discovering her own sexual nature when she is reunited with her
long estranged brother played by Malcolm McDowell. Refusing to believe in her
ritualistic and supernatural heritage, she spurns her brother for the love of
another setting forth a chain of tragic events that will alter her life forever.
Paul
Schrader’s 1982 film version of the 1942 original “Cat People” is more of
a retake on the concept than a remake of the film. The premise is weird, but
then again we the viewer have no problem suspending our disbelief to imagine the
undead walking among us or that a human being can turn into a wolf so why not a
cat? It is quite interesting to see Schrader’s “Cat People” 20 years after
it was originally released theatrically. The film is still disarming with its
mix of eroticism, taboo, and genuine terror. I think I like the movie better now
than I did back in the 1980s. I find it interesting to watch “Cat People”
and then see how much horror films and thrillers have changed in the last 20
years. I think the approach toward making a film like “Cat People” today
would probably be as different as the approach used for the 1942 original when
compared to the 1982 version. I doubt given the change in attitudes toward
sexuality in America and how it is presented that a film like “Cat People”
could ever be produced the way Paul Schrader presented his 1982 film. In America
it seems that you can show a lot of violence and get away with an “R”
rating, but show and suggest anything sexual even without nudity and I would
wager even Schrader’s “Cat People” as it appears today would get slapped
with an NC-17 rating by the MPAA.
This
is the second time Paul Schrader’s “Cat People” is being released to DVD-Video
in the United States. Image Entertainment distributed the original release on
Universal’s behalf with a letterboxed presentation and no extra features. This
new release features a new anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) transfer that is
pretty darn good looking considering this is not as huge a success of a
Universal horror film when compared to something like “An American Werewolf In
London.” The images are haunting to behold with a three-dimensional quality.
The English Stereo Soundtrack is very full and vibrant with an excellent use of
the sound effects coupled with Giorgio Moroder’s score and the hit David Bowie
song “Cat People.” English Captions for the hearing impaired and French and
Spanish Language Subtitles are also encoded on to the DVD as options. Director
Paul Schrader gives a very articulate and screen specific feature length audio
commentary track that is supported by a brand new videotaped interview with
Schrader as well as a filmed interview with Schrader from 1981 on the set of the
film.
The
interview with Tom Burman on the makeup effects is great because it reveals rare
and never before seen shots of the “Cat People” in mid transformation and
still photos from deleted scenes as well as an examination of the effects used
in the film. Robert Wise also participates in a brief interview regarding Val
Lewton and the nature of scaring the viewer by what is unseen, but suggested
rather than seen. An animated gallery of matte paintings and still photos are
included and feature the extended version of Bowie’s “Cat People,” which
is different from the version heard over the end credits and the version
included on the “Let’s Dance” album that was released in 1983. A
full-framed theatrical trailer and on screen production notes wrap up the extra
features on this new DVD edition. The menus are standard interactive still
frames that are easy to navigate.
“Cat
People” will debut on DVD-Video on Tuesday, August 27, 2002 from Universal
Home Entertainment and is definitely well worth a look.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.