Cat People (1982)
- Starring:
- Nastassja Kinski, Malcolm McDowell, (more)
- Director(s):
- Paul Schrader
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R
- Category:
- Horror
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In this loose adaptation of the 1942 horror classic of the same name, a 2001-style opening montage establishes some sort of sacrificial, mystical union between panthers and an ancient tribe of humans. Flash forward to 1980's New Orleans, where waifish Irina (Natassja Kinski) meets her older brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell), a minister, for the first time since their animal trainer parents died and she was sent to a series of foster homes. Paul's Creole housekeeper, Female (Ruby Dee), helps Irina settle into her brother's home, but Paul himself disappears. Cut to a fleabag motel where a blasé prostitute finds an angry panther instead of a client; after mauling her, the cat is captured by police and a team of zoologists: Oliver (John Heard), Alice (Annette O'Toole), and Joe (Ed Begley Jr.). The next day Irina 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. Shortly after the panther's violence turns deadly, it escapes, and soon Paul turns up spouting an unbelievable story about his family's were-cat heritage and his inevitable sexual union with little Irina. On the run from her dangerous brother, Irina takes refuge in a sexually frustrated romance with Oliver, afraid of what might happen if she consummates their passion. Astute viewers will notice that the zoologist characters refer to the film's panthers as leopards; "panther" is actually a generic term for any large cat, especially a black one, but Cat People's panthers are in fact leopards whose black color comes from a recessive trait known as melanism. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Theatrical Feature Running Time:
- 119 mins
Complete Cast:
- Nastassja Kinski - Irena Gallier
- John Heard - Oliver Yates
- Ruby Dee - Female
- Scott Paulin - Bill Searle
- Ron Diamond - Detective Ron Diamond
- John Larroquette - Bronte Judson
- Patricia Perkins - Taxi Driver
- Fausto Barajas - Otis
- Emery Hollier - Yeatman Brewer
- Marco St. John - Policeman
- David Showacre - Man in Bar
- David Ross McCarty - Man in Airport
- Stephen Marshal - Moonie
- John C. Isbell - Police Officer
- Neva Gage - Cat-Like Woman
- Arione De Winter - Indian Village Mother
- The Black Pope - D.J.
- Harry Hauss - First Helicopter Pilot
- Roger E. Reid - Policeman
- Don Hood - Agent
- James Deeth - Second Helicopter Pilot
- Malcolm McDowell - Paul Gallier
- Annette O'Toole - Alice Perrin
- Ed Begley, Jr. - Joe Creigh
- Frankie R. Faison - Detective Brandt
- Lynn Lowry - Ruthie
- Tessa Richarde - Billie
- Berry Berenson - Sandra
- John H. Fields - Massage Parlor Manager
- Robert Pavlovich - Ted
- Danelle Hand - Indian Girl
- Francine Segal - Church Woman
- Terc Martinez - Cub Scout
- Charles Joseph Konya Jr. - Policeman
- Gregory Gatto - Cub Scout
- Marisa Folse - Indian Girl
- Julie Denney - Carol
- Brett Alexander - Cub Scout
- Ray Wise - Soap Opera Man
- David Blackwell - Staring Man on Bus
- JoAnn Dearing - Soap Opera Woman
- Director(s):
- Paul Schrader
- Writer(s):
- DeWitt Bodeen, Alan Ormsby, Paul Schrader
- Producer(s):
- Charles W. Fries
- Theatrical MPAA Rating:
- R(Nudity, Not For Children, Strong Sexual Content, Adult Language, Adult Situations)
- Categories:
- Horror
- Closed Captioning:
- Check All Versions
- Subtitles:
- Check All Versions
