Cat People (1942) Claws its way onto the Criterion Collection
On September 20, 2016, the Criterion Collection released Cat People on Blu-ray. Jacques Tourneur directed the film which starred Simone Simon, Tom Conway, and Kent Smith.
‘Cat People’ Movie Summary
Cat People begins at the Central Park Zoo in New York City. Engineer, Oliver Reed, strikes up a conversation with the Serbian beauty, Irena Dubrovna. He asks her on a date, and eventually, the two fall in love and wed. However, Irena has a dark secret. She believes she’s cursed just like the others from her town that causes her to transform into a panther when she’s sexually aroused. Therefore, she makes excuses to consummate her new marriage. Confused, Oliver sends Irena to the psychiatrist Dr. Louis Judd for treatment. Meanwhile, Oliver’s co-worker, Alice Moore, consoles him. Irena’s jealousy gets the better of her when she fears Alice is taking Oliver away from her. That brings out her claws, and it leads to tragedy for all.
Read the full movie summary here or listen to our film review here.
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Our Rating
On September 20, 2016, the Criterion Collection released Cat People on Blu-ray. Jacques Tourneur directed the film starring Simone Simon, Tom Conway, and Kent Smith.
The Criterion remaster of the “Cat People” print is positively flawless. However, the extras are sorely lacking. The Shout Factory release of “Curse of the Cat People” also has a crystal clear version of that sequel plus superior extras, including a 30-min documentary about Simone Simon that should have been on the Criterion. My recommendation would be to rent “Cat People” Criterion and buy the Shout Factory “Curse of the Cat People” if you’re choosing between these two for the extras. The price is roughly the same online at this time.