Cat People (1982) movie review - Sneak Previews with Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel

This is the original review of Cat People by Siskel & Ebert on "Sneak Previews" in 1982. All of the segments pertaining to the movie have been included.

[@nevskislake]

This is one of those movies that I did not appreciate when I first watched it because I was way too young to even understand what was going on. When I watched it again in my 20's, I was blown away. This movie was a dark fairy tale set in modern day. It oozes with sensuality, and the score and the performances are fantastic.

[@olivermarijuanajones5041]

'Cat People' had one of the best, most underrated Bowie songs on it's soundtrack, which was pretty damned great, anyway...

[@TheHoopyscoopy]

I just heard it and didn't care for it. Sorry.

[@creepyskulldini581]

"Puting out fire, .. . with GASOLINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[@ianfindly3257]

@@TheHoopyscoopy There are TWO VERSIONS of it - one is a dance version featured on one of his albums, the other is the movie-score version which is featured in this film and is the superior version. Do you know which one YOU LISTENED TO?

[@TheHoopyscoopy]

No, I do not know.

[@TheLiveMusicGroup]

*its

[@CR41489]

A very good creative film. Moody and well done. Nastasia Kinski... beautiful woman. Good score by Giorgio Moroder.

[@civilizedsatyr]

They were right about Nastassjia having a kind of magic on screen. It's been decades since I have seen her in a movie.

[@williamhicks7736]

Nastassia Kinski’s father, Klaus, was a lot like the Malcolm McDowell character, according to her... Could have provided a motivation for her... This film never really appealed to me but the last scene where John Heard looks upon her in the cage is bittersweet. The film works...

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

Yes, Klaus Kinski didn't just play creeps and psychos on screen, he was a creep and a psycho in real life, too! Nastassja's older half-sister Pola, from his first marriage, was raped by him for years, and he tried to molest Nastassja, too. Actually, he wrote in his autobiography that he DID commit incest with Nastassja (as well as his sister and mother), as if that were something to brag about! Nastassja actually sued him over that, saying that he tried to molest her, but she always managed to get away from him in time - I am inclined to believe her word more than his, because that man told big old lies all the time, just to make himself seem more interesting. This film is deeply moving to me all on its own, but the context of Nastassja's background adds another level of poignancy.

[@Portugal2025]

Malcolm is one of the best actors ever

[@clevlandblock]

Siskel and Ebert were brilliant. They saw this in a dimension that went way over my head. I saw this as an ethereal, spooky movie about cats and suppressed thoughts of it being about incest or sex.

[@user-xp3sq5lb1v]

You're pretty much saying the same thing they're saying but wording it different

[@michaelorick2197]

I Love this movie she was great in it a perfect actress and very Beautiful

[@robertwiegman1]

Val Lawton/Jacques Tourner original is great too :)

[@KRhetor]

It's much better than the remake.

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

I remember watching this episode when it first aired.

[@Blaqjaqshellaq]

According to EASY RIDERS, RAGING BULLS, Schrader proposed marriage to both Kinski and the woman he'd been living with for several years, hoping that if one said no the other would say yes! (Why yes, he was on drugs...) Schrader recalls that Kinski ended up telling him, "I sleep with all my directors, but in your case it was hard." (Or not hard enough?) Pauline Kael's review of CAT PEOPLE in THE NEW YORKER says, "Every shot looks like an album cover for records you don't want to play."

[@damianlatimer5753]

lol!

[@michaelpunziano1208]

Putting out the fire with gasoline!

[@Barnabas45]

Larry Talbot: I know you'll think I'm crazy, but in a half an hour the moon will rise and I'll turn into a wolf. Wilbur : You and twenty million other guys!

[@reecespiecesheroful]

The film is rather a coming out story. And a very well told one at that. I like that these two were favorable towards it as it is a wonderful accomplishment by all involved.

[@Clay3613]

Sexiest Horror Movie Ever.

[@he8082]

Underrated and I am so glad Hollywood didn't remake this.

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

This movie is a remake of the original Cat People.

[@he8082]

@@johnfitzpatrick3094 I know but I mean a post 1990-Current remake

[@KRhetor]

"Don't remake my movies, just other people's movies!"

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Excellent film

[@PaulSmith-qs1es]

"you don't have to be sleezy to be thrilling." It sounds like the sleeziest movie ever made....

[@damianlatimer5753]

sleazy

[@christhornycroft3686]

You haven’t seen any 90s erotic thrillers?

[@trfesok]

We saw it at a discount price. It was pretty good. But the print we saw cut before the credits, so we didn't hear the Bowie song!

[@Fiveash-Art]

It's crazy how they always totally spoiled every movie they reviewed.

[@Grim2]

"Fear of losing virginity. Fear of turning into sexual animal" Ummm... what? XD

[@maxthepupp]

I want to.like this movie more than I actually do. Solid cast all the way around and Very well shot, although no Val Lewton to be sure. It's still good for me but not great. But. The fishing scene where Kinski is wearing waders and shorts? Good God that girl is sexy.

[@andysummersthxcinemaandmyc7748]

4 dislikes are dogs , not cat people

[@christhornycroft3686]

You can always tell an 80s movie with the copious use of synth in the soundtrack.

[@movieman104]

never seen cat people is it good? maybe ill have to give it a chance sum day

[@damianlatimer5753]

yeah.its cool

[@abhiezibran9654]

Only if Paul had written this movie. the writing really din work for me.

[@captainharris8980]

Saw part of it on HBO, didn't think much of it. Fairly uninteresting.

[@denroy3]

Criminal that they didn't mention the original. Criminal that Ebert said Kinski was "Monroe". Criminal tgat Simon was called "safe" because he didn't do incest. Lol

[@captainharris8980]

@@denroy3 You're making no sense. What are you talking about.

[@newwavepop]

i remember back then and when Nastassja had that moniker as the most beautiful women in the world, and my whole life i have never understood it, i never found her attractive at all. and i spent years hanging out in the punk and goth scenes, i LOVE androgynous short haired women. but i never found her the slightest bit attractive.

[@riffraffrichard]

She's beautiful

[@riffraffrichard]

But thats beauty of attraction its in the eye of the beholder

[@CaptainSpalding72]

Wow. Kinski certainly didn't live up to the hype..

[@damianlatimer5753]

what hype?

[@nolagospeltracts8264]

@@damianlatimer5753 oh, she was quite the rage back then, The cat's meow!

[@jennieatkinson2919]

Yes a movie about incest I definitely must see this movie!

[@tommyboy6267]

O.K. Just watched Genes review of Apocalypse Now...thumbs down. But he gives this B movie trash...and yes I've seen it...a thumbs up. Huhhh? My mind boggles.

[@TheHoopyscoopy]

MacDowell was miscast in my book. He's not the least bit alluring.

[@Diakron79]

I agree with your comment. Mr. Shrader should've cast David Bowie from the start.

[@johnfitzpatrick3094]

McDowell was well cast. He oozes menace.

[@ludmillaroman]

I for one... had forgotten what a couple of pompous dorks these guys were. "If you think this movie is advocating incest, well, maybe it is...but I loved it."

[@resiseven7407]

best line in a movie review ever

[@reneedennis2011]

This is a weird movie.

[@josephlacerra8433]

I found this movie so boring that I actually fell asleep in the theater. Nor am I even slightly smitten by Kinski, to me a very ordinary female.

[@Ease54]

I guess we'll just have to carry on without you.

[@damianlatimer5753]

@@Ease54 lol!