Cat People (1942)
When not everybody wants to be a cat.
Brief Backstory
As the fires of the war ravaged among the world, the theater was somewhat like a sanctuary for the public. As 1942 rolled in, more notable horror movies entered the giant screen, with a prime example being Cat People.
Story
Irena, newlywed to Oliver, fears she will turn into a panther if she gets intimate, leading to the downfall of their marriage.
Random Facts
Strangely enough, there are almost no appearances of Irena as a panther. Just two; one where you briefly see her attacking a person, then at the very end when she dies. This trope, known as “Nothing is Scarier” is common in horror movies from the 1930s and 1940s, but also seen in more recent ones like Alien (1979).
Tom Conway would do voice work for Peter Pan and 101 Dalmatians in the next few decades.
This was remade in 1982 with a more sexual theme, which was given a lower reception than the original.
Cat People is an early example of psychological horror; though that genre would be further pioneered nearly 20 years later with Psycho.
Random Opinions
I consider Cat People to be the “female” version of the Wolf Man. Both involve characters who shapeshift at the end of both movies and their transformed appearances are given very little screen time. On the other hand, the Wolf Man has more screen time in his shapeshifted appearance.
The lack of appearances of the monster makes me think I’m watching something that Alfred Hitchcock made. That’s not a bad thing though.
Pros
- Quite unsettling.
Cons
- Some of the dialogue is erotic for the 1940s.
- For a chunk of the movie, it can be confusing to know what’s going on. For one Irena gets talked to by a sister and then the rest of the time she starts acting like a lunatic.
Rating: 7.5/10 – Good
Not for everyone. I can’t recommend this one to those who like their horror movies with the monster all over. Anyone who isn’t much of a fan of something like the Most Dangerous Game might not want to see this.
One response to “Cat People”
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Thank goodness I’m skipping this movie due to the creature having very little screen time. If I were you try out these gems that’ll get your scare on.
Jacob’s Ladder 1990
Black Swan
Red Dragon 2002
The Silence of the Lambs
Seven
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