Blu-ray Review: Cat People (Collector’s Edition)

Blu-ray Reviews, Reviews

Paul Schrader’s Cat People made feline action sizzle on the big screen. The film transformed Nastassia Kinski from the art house discovery of Tess into a soft voiced scream queen. Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur’s Cat People was always regarded as a classic horror film that scared with subtle moments back in 1942. The audience was left guessing if the heroine really transformed into a big cat. When Paul Schrader remade Cat People in 1982, there was little subtle about it. There’s no guessing if people turn into cats and what inspires them to revert to their wild form. Schrader did have the advantage of working in an R-rated atmosphere instead of fearing the code. He could make a movie that exposed people who turned into wild animals during intimate moments. Cat People: Collector’s Edition brings the vivid feline action to the home screen.

Right away this movie lets you know that this is not your grandpa’s Cat People. It opens with an African ceremony that features a woman being seduced by a black panther. The action dissolves to Kinksi arriving at the New Orleans airport. She’s picked up by her brother, Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange). He has a house full of religious objects and a beloved housekeeper (Ruby Dee). He’s not a great host since he vanishes and leaves Kinksi on her own. Somewhere else in the city, a hooker arrives in a cheap motel room only to get mauled by a black panther. Folks from the local zoo arrive to capture the panther. It’s a fierce battle between man and beast. There’s a lot of confusion about how a black panther ended up in a cheap motel. Being left alone, Kinski roams the city sight seeing and hunting for her brother. She ends up at the zoo where she feels a connection with the panther that’s now on display. Also feeling a connection is a zoo keeper (John Heard). He offers her a job in the gift shop.

The black panther isn’t too happy being stuck in a cage. He ends up taking out his rage on the tasty Ed Begley Jr. Shortly after this nastiness, the panther vanishes and McDowell reappears. He has plans for his sister. Also having plans for his sister is the zoo keeper. She is rather taken back by all this romantic tension since she fears that losing her virginity might change her. Can she deny her desires?

Cat People remains one of Schrader’s sleekest efforts. The writer of Taxi Driver had made the step up to directing with the successful American Gigolo. He makes sure there’s a slick visual nature to the film that matches the beauty of the black panther co-stars. Things get even more slick with Gorgio Moroder’s synth score that gets seductive when David Bowie sings the title tune (which Quentin Tarantino would later incorporate into Inglourious Basterds). Kinski and McDowell make a potent pair as the innocent sister and the demonic brother. Cat People was always a fun rental during the days of VHS. Now it’s come into the 21st century with all of its charms upgraded.

The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 1080p transfer really brings out lush moments such as the opening ritual scene. The audio is a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio. There’s also 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio for those who want the original theatrical mix. The movie has subtitles.

Cast and Crew Interviews are fresh talks with Nastassja Kinski (5:56), Annette O’Toole (8:25), John Heard (6:12), Malcolm McDowell (7:35), Lynn Lowry (5:53), Giorgio Moroder (5:32) and Paul Schrader (9:13). O’Toole mentions that Debbie Allen was supposed to have her role. McDowell talks about working out for the role. Lowry remembers auditioning for bring attacked by the panther. She proved she was a scream queen. Schrader changed the original script to be a less conventional horror ending.

Theatrical Trailer (2:18) pushes the seductive nature of the film.

TV Spot (0:31) dares to show us McDowell without his shirt.

Photo Gallery (9:32) has dozens of production pictures of cast and crew.

Production Art & Posters
(2:41) has quite a few lovely designs from the production department for the sets. There’s also the sleek ad campaign.

Cat People: Collector’s Edition brings the transformations to 1080p. Nastassia Kinski is perfectly cast as woman fearful that her first time will truly change her.

Scream Factory presents Cat People: Collector’s Edition. Directed by: Paul Schrader. Screenplay by: Alan Ormsby. Starring: Nastassia Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, John Heard, Annette O’Toole and Ruby Dee. Running Time: 118 minutes. Rating: R. Released: January 21, 2014.

Joe Corey is the writer and director of "Danger! Health Films" currently streaming on Night Flight and Amazon Prime. He's the author of "The Seven Secrets of Great Walmart People Greeters." This is the last how to get a job book you'll ever need. He was Associate Producer of the documentary "Moving Midway." He's worked as local crew on several reality shows including Candid Camera, American's Most Wanted, Extreme Makeover Home Edition and ESPN's Gaters. He's been featured on The Today Show and CBS's 48 Hours. Dom DeLuise once said, "Joe, you look like an axe murderer." He was in charge of research and programming at the Moving Image Archive.