Cat People (1982 film)
| Cat People | |
|---|---|
 Cat People film poster | |
| Directed by | Paul Schrader |
| Written by | Alan Ormsby (screenplay) DeWitt Bodeen (story) |
| Produced by | Jerry Bruckheimer (executive) Charles W. Fries |
| Starring | Nastassja Kinski Malcolm McDowell John Heard Annette O'Toole Ruby Dee |
| Cinematography | John Bailey |
| Edited by | Jacqueline Cambas, Jere Huggins, Ned Humphreys, Bud S. Smith |
| Music by | Giorgio Moroder |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates | April 2, 1982 |
Running time | 118 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $18,000,000 (estimated) |
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:
- They are something more than lovers who are about to become something less than human.
- An erotic fantasy for the animal in us all.
Plot summary
Irena Gallier, a waifish young woman, meets her older brother Paul, a minister, in New Orleans 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 (pronounced feh-MAH-leh) helps Irena 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 the police and a team of zoologists: Oliver Yates, Alice Perrin and Joe Creigh.
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. Shortly after the panther's violence turned deadly, it escapes, soon Paul turns up and tells a story about his family's werecat heritage and his inevitable sexual union with Irena. 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.
Main 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
- John Larroquette - Bronte Judson
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)