A remake of the 1942 Jacques Tourneur horror/noir classic, Cat People stars Nastassja Kinski as Irena, a beautiful young woman who discovers love for the first time only to find that the experience brings tragic consequences. The tremendous passion of this woman’s first romantic love is so strong, however, it bypasses the chaos around her – including the extraordinary demands of her brother (Malcolm McDowell, A Clockwork Orange) – as it pushes her on to her own bizarre destiny. Directed by Paul Schrader (Hardcore, American Gigolo, Affliction), this erotic fantasy about the passion and terror surrounding this first love also stars John Heard (Awakenings), Annette O’Toole (48 Hrs.), Ruby Dee (Do The Right Thing) and Lynn Lowry (Shivers).
For thoughts on Cat People, please check out my piece on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Scream Factory presents Cat People with an excellent 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. This film was originally released on Blu-Ray by Scream Factory eight years ago, but that release is one of the most maligned on the format thanks to the patently artificial look from the heavy DNR and lack of fine detail. Thankfully, this film has been given another chance at life with this new scan which allows it to retain its natural look once again. In terms of films that desperately needed an upgrade after previously being botched on Blu-Ray, this one was among the top entries.
From the evocative opening credits forward, it is apparent that this disc is playing a whole different ball game. Where almost none was visible before, we now have natural film grain that allows for true detail and clarity to come through in the landscapes, the production design, the special effects and more. This grain resolves mostly well with nothing ever feeling overly clumpy or spiking even during the darker environments or the frequent nighttime scenes. Cinematographer John Bailey uses very considered lighting choices to build the tension of this film, and this disc executes every slight environmental change with ease. The black levels are pretty strong with next-to-nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels show no evidence of blooming.
From the opening burnt orange sky, this is a film that utilizes vibrant colors to take the audience on a sumptuous visual journey. The Dolby Vision presentation with increased color output does not let you down with its depth and nuance. As you might expect, the bright daytime scenes walking around the zoo or with Alice running through the park provide a vivid palette of natural splendor including various brilliant shades of the foliage. Things do not change when things get darker, as certain gels used by Bailey cast some lovely, colorful lighting in the shadows, as well as environmental lighting such as the red of a dark room. The new presentation captures the complexity of the colors in the production design and effects in a way that has not been possible on home media previously.
While a few minuscule spots still remain in fleeting moments, this transfer has done a great job of cleaning up a great deal of the print damage. The texture on display in the gory makeup, the outfits and within the various interiors are unbelievable. The special effects showcase impressive clarity which makes the work all the more visceral, such as when limbs are being torn off or the transformations are happening with skin ripping. The only space where this transfer seems to falter ever so slightly is in the encode. While it is mostly smooth sailing, there are brief moments where digital anomalies pop up such as compression artifacts and banding that could have been tightened up with a little more care. This small issue aside, this is by far the best the film has looked on home entertainment, and fans will be absolutely thrilled to finally have a copy they can proudly watch at home.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with the previously released DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio tracks, both of which continue to serve the movie really well. One of the most effective elements of the film is the combination of the terrific Giorgio Moroder score and the all-time great banger that David Bowie wrote for the film. Both of these elements hold up exceedingly well and are used impeccably to establish the mood of the story. The dialogue never lacks for distinct clarity even during some of the more active moments. Environmental sounds such as the noises of the various animals at the zoo and the clawing against both wood and fabric are rendered with an immediacy that puts you on edge. The track never struggles with fidelity even when events become more chaotic near the end of the film. The low end of the track will not blow your hair back, but it has enough power to execute the sonic ambitions of the film. Overall, Scream Factory provided a really great audio experience for this one. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Paul Schrader provides a very thorough and entertaining commentary track in which he discusses the surprisingly personal nature of this film, the unsung heroes of the production, making a rare “beauty film” in his career, working with the felines, the performers who almost starred in the film, why he regrets sharing a title with the classic horror film, details about the locations, how he worked with John Bailey to achieve certain shots, working in the age before digital technology, how the film continuously got further away from the original film and more.
- Interview with Paul Schrader: A nine-minute interview with the director in which he discusses how he became involved with the project, what about the material appealed to him, the changes he made to the ending, establishing a coherent mythology, his appreciation for relying on practical effects, the greater success it had abroad rather than in the US, and more.
- Interview with Nastassja Kinski: A six-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses getting involved with the film, the deeper themes at play with her character, studying the power of the animal, the complexity of the narrative and more.
- Interview with Annette O’Toole: A nearly nine-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses coming to the project last minute, her experiences working with Paul Schrader, the influences she had on her character, the differences between the actress and the character, her friendship with John Heard, working with the cats, the scenes that impacted her the most, the injury she sustained and more.
- Interview with John Heard: A six-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses getting involved with the project, his thoughts on his character, his feelings on the sexuality of the film, what the practical effects added to the film, his memories of her co-stars and more.
- Interview with Malcolm McDowell: A nearly eight-minute interview with the actor in which he discusses where he was at in his career when he was approached with this role, working with Paul Schrader, the erotic nature of the picture, appearing naked on screen, experiences with the cat and more.
- Interview with Lynn Lowry: A six-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses going “full out” with her audition, her experiences working with Paul Schrader, memories of the performers and more.
- Interview with Giorgio Moroder: A six-minute interview with the composer in which he discusses working with Schrader and producer Jerry Bruckheimer, conjuring up the “dark” sound of the film, working with David Bowie to integrate his work into the soundtrack and more.
- An Intimate Portrait by Paul Schrader: A nearly 26-minute interview with Schrader from 2000 in which he discusses what led him to Cat People, becoming fixated on the myth of Beatrice, why American accept more over the top exposition from Brits, how the performers incorporated cat moments into their performance, the soundstages they constructed, the aesthetic of the film, why it does not fit neatly into the horror genre and more.
- On The Set with Director Paul Schrader: A nearly 11-minute piece with Schrader being interviewed on the set of the film where he attempts to evade nailing down what the film is about, disagrees with the interviewer about how “sad” the movie is, claims credit for the vision of the film and more. This is classic Schrader.
- Filmmaker Robert Wise On The Producer Of The Original Cat People, Val Lewton: A nearly four-minute piece with the director of the sequel to the original Cat People in which he discusses his relationship with Val Lewton, the creative process of the producer, and more.
- Special Makeup Effects by Tom Burman: An 11-minute piece with Special Make-Up Effects Artist Tom Burman in which he discusses his approach to the material, the difficulties of the transformation, the different approaches to each transformation, the different kinds of blood and more.
- Matte Paintings: A three-minute look at key scenes which reveals some of the matte paintings that were integrated as backgrounds.
- Photo Gallery: A collection of still photos, behind the scenes photos, promotional material and more is provided here.
- Production Art: Another brief gallery showing off production art from the film.
- Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Cat People is a unique beast, standing far apart from the original Val Lewton production while also looking a bit different from your typical Paul Schrader vehicle. Yet, we are so glad it exists, as an uncompromising voice like Schrader knows how to delve into the seedy psychological complexities of this story which keep you glued to the screen. Together with the incredible performances, this team crafts a moody, disturbing tale that sticks with you long after the credits have finished rolling. This is how you are supposed to remake a film – you have to do something new with it. Schrader certainly succeeds on that front. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts an excellent A/V presentation and a wide-ranging collection of special features that fans will love. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, you owe it to yourself to stop suffering with that presentation and see this film how it is supposed to be seen. Highly Recommended
Cat People (Collector’s Edition) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack on August 30, 2022.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.