Bloodtype Online

    You ever have one of those nights that you just knew would turn out perfectly?  Well that is how I felt when I received my Cat People DVD in the mail.  I had seen this movie before on the late night shows, but this was supposed to be a restored pristine version the likes of which I had never seen before.  I was not disappointed.  The movie starts out with a young woman sketching a panther at the zoo.  She is clearly having difficulty capturing what she sees and continuously tears off pages and tosses them into the garbage.  While doing this she catches the eye of our hero Oliver “Ollie” Reed.  He introduces himself and the attraction between the two is immediate.  Her name is Irena, an exotic mysterious woman from Serbia, and soon he ends up in her apartment talking.  Fast forward a short time later and we find out that they are now married.  The only catch is that Irena is convinced that she can’t feel any strong emotions because of a family curse, which will turn her into a ferocious cat.  Of course this sort of puts a damper on the marital activities, which being a movie from 1942 can only be hinted at.  Soon Oliver is finding solace in the arms of a beautiful co-worker, who we find out has been carrying a flame for him.  Irena finds out, and with jealousy being a strong emotion, all hell begins to break loose. 

    This is an amazing film that has to be on the must own list of any true horror fan.    The acting is top notch, especially the beautiful Simone Simon in the role of Irena.  The character of Irena goes thru many changes (no pun intended!) starting off as an innocent young woman who becomes a scorned jealous wife and ends up as a guilt ridden tragic figure.  This film is also an excellent example of the less is more philosophy of filmmaking.  You never see an onscreen transformation; everything is either in the shadows or merely hinted at.  This allows your imagination to roam, creating your own nightmarish reality of what is happening.  The direction is magnificent as well, allowing the tension to slowly build.  This creates some really creepy and down right frightening scenes, including a nighttime stroll that will have your skin crawling.