I'd love to see you do one of these on Night of the Hunter. Robert Mitchum was so menacing. Charles Laughton's only work as a director was a masterpiece.
Perhaps a censor thought the fear of the woman's wedding night rampage might resemble the Jewish Lilth legend too closely. It being the early 40s and WWII on its way. Jewish groups were putting on huge stage productions to make the US public aware of what was happening in Europe before America joined the fighting.
I expected “Curse” to be another taught psychological thriller based on the original. Instead, I found it to be one of the most beautiful Christmas movies I’ve ever seen, up there with “Miracle at 34th. Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Way too many TH-camrs cover the same movies from the 1980s over and over and I'm so glad to see someone take a deep dive into the true foundational classics like this. All of Lewton's movies from the '40s are wonderful; my faves are The Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, and The Body Snatcher, but even lesser ones like Ghost Ship I find a lot of heavy psychological interest in. Thanks for a splendid job.
Thank you for this video. Cat People is one of my favorites. Another theme explored was Oliver’s not knowing unhappiness or sadness. There’s a great scene where he mentions not understanding sadness. He’s always been happy and felt good. Contrast that with Irena who only knows sadness was a great counter point.
One of my favorite films. Simone Simone is adorable and chilling at the same time. Did you notice how Oliver only eats apple pie and dislikes or never tries exotic or foreign food? Irena is the mysterious, the dangerous, the seductive unknown. Alice is the tried and familiar. Interesting. I love Tourneur and Newton's work.
Of one of the very best reviews I've ever experienced. Thank you for this insightful, educational, and entertaining pieces of art I have had the pleasure to consume. You have a great knack for engaging your audience while enveloping them at the same time with your deep appreciation, and vast knowledge of your subject. Even if it happens to a bad film. Thank you, bravo and please, never stop. You were born to do this, you raise the bar to all other reviewers, and critics. This one was a great treat.
This movie fascinated me as a child. It's beautiful, and hauntingly mysterious. There's a subtlety about the "horror" ...it makes you fall in love with it.
I've always thought that noir and horror were so tightly intertwined, that at times, it was hard for me to distinguish from the two. Probably because, in many of the aforementioned genres, the "real monsters" were mortal human beings. The films of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur were unforgettable for that reason. Both directors achieved something brilliant without the use of gory practical effects or CGI. The ability to extract dark or glorious imaginings within the human mind and then put them onto celluloid is the hallmark of great storytelling. Many thanks, Robin, for this in-depth and brilliant film analysis.
Really enjoyed this. I have been fascinated by Lewton since watching the 2007 documentary "Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows" and this video just adds to that fascination.
In the clip used in this video, I thought the animal roar was somehow suppressed in the mix. Maybe it was done for the blu-ray release? If so, what a shame.
@@robinbailes5236 Probably because it was a wife purposefully dennying her husband sex, which would be seen as kinda subversive, instead of just pretending sex didn't exist.
Odd. Scarlett O'Hara and Rett Butler talked sex every chance they got. She even withholds from him when they finally do marry and he tells her he could divorce her for it.
@@skylx0812 I've never seen Gone With The Wind. I know that in many old TV shows, they had to have separate beds for husband and wife. They couldn't suggest that they could sleep in the same bed!
Superb! One thing that has always wound me up is that film, which is an art form, is run by the companies that make them through stupid, bullying bosses, who care only about money. They are shocking in their idiocy..they cannot, in any way, understand beauty or subtlety, whatever genre they're hurting. Val Lewton's films are feasts for the eye and the imagination and the intellect. They ought to be cherished, celebrated! And...a remake of "Cat People"? NO! How could anyone "remake" such a singular masterpiece? I never watch remakes of anything...only vulgar garbage! Thank you for this great review!
I saw this last night for the first time, what a gorgeously shot film. This was my first Lewton film and I was very impressed I’m definitely going to watch all of them now. 👍
It always felt like The Curse Of The Cat People was a huge influence on Del Toro’s Pan Labyrinth. The same theme of a girl fleeing into fantasy…albeit with a different end result.
Thank you. Sometimes less is more as in Lewton's film but more reflection on Lewton is very welcome. Writer DeWitt Bodeen was a master of things unsaid. He was gay in Hollywood at a rather unfriendly time.
Wow, I made the mistake of watching Cat People and Curse of the Cat People several months apart, so it wasn't until watching this video that I realized the three principle characters of Cat People return in the sequel. This is a brilliant breakdown of two brilliant films.
"The Haunting" (1963) is quite subtle and effectively so, a slow-burn, unnervingly frighteningly film. Of course, it, too, was directed by Robert Wise. I read the novel a few years back and can honestly say I prefer the movie, which is far superior. The novel suffers by having every single character be as unpleasant as possible, an approach that is a valid artistic choice but did not make for a pleasant reading experience. Of course, "The Haunting" was remade in 1999, but let's just ignore that rather sad fact.
Robert Wise is somebody who never got his due. Foundational director of horror, film noir and sci-fi, he had incredible flex and insight which made for a 30 year career. The nearest equivalent of our era would have to be George Miller.
what a great video !! i love CAT PEOPLE, and am so glad you covered it. i never really thought about the idea that lewton had seen himself so much in irena, probably because i didn’t know very much about him, but knowing that makes the movie so much more special. she’s one of my favorite horror heroines.
Thank you for this. I have a great affection for Lewton ("The Seventh Victim" is a favorite of mine). I am so glad Lewton is not being forgotten in a time when too much weight is given to bigger and bloodier.
No less than Roger Corman, who made bloody films himself, has said that there's a limit on what you can do with all that blood. Eventually, he added, it goes back to psychological horror, as it should.
Thank you so much for this. I remember watching these on the summer time BBC2 horror double bills. 'The Curse of the Cat People' surprised and delighted that monster hungry young boy. I would love a review concentrating on 'The Seventh Victim'. Thanks xo.
This is why I ❤️ Dark Corner Reviews! For the love of cinema and this is one of the few channels which does not try to rewrite history and press the current mainstream ideology, pc policies etc. Can wait for more 😉
Thank you for this. I thought of Val Lewton as being just another B movie producer and never saw him as having his own creative hand in the making of these two favourite films of mine.
My personal fave from the Lewton cycle was Bedlam, which had things to say about mental health decades ahead of the curve. The scene where Anna Lee talks kindly to a caged inmate for the first tine in his life is right up there for me with the prayer scene in Bride of Frankenstein.
@@johnathonhaney8291 I'll have to check that out as well. I never realized there was a connection between these films and "Curse of the Demon", but I should have. Last night I watched all 3 versions of Roger Corman's "Not of this Earth" back to back.
So glad to hear you say what I've always said about this one - Oliver has learned absolutely nothing about his past mistakes with women and makes the same mistakes with his daughter. Boom. Also, my gut reaction to "Curse" is that the horror, for me, is about conformity. Amy embarrasses her parents - but mostly her dad - with her dreamy nature and they try to drive it out of her. This was on the precipice of the late 40s and early 50s when conformity would be prized.
I first became aware of Val Lewton when the BBC ran season of his works in 1988. Recently I discovered Adam Roche's terrific podcast on Hollywood including his ones on the aforementioned Mr Lewton. Of course information is going to overlap. But I also believe I got some new insights into the movie from listening to you. Thanks for sharing.
I love your point about how the terror is in the shadows, not in front of us. I like the subtlety in this film as well as other horror type films. Fabulous review and commentary here about this film.
Thank you for reviewing in great detail older movies such as this one. The best thing the remake has going for it is the Bowie closing song. You can see the "American werewolf...." F/X influence which takes away from the story
Your video introduced me to the movies which were both on TCM last week. They were every bit as good as you said. Thanks for the recommendation. Great work.
This is the first time I'm hearing about these movies. With a name like that, I wouldn't have expected anything especially interesting. I'll have to watch the movies.
What movie do I think was influenced by Val Lewton's style? Modern low-budget horror filmmaking today would either be very different today or not exist today if it wasn't for Val Lewton.
"Curse of" was always my fave of the bunch. It's nice to see movies like this, that aren't trying to adhere to any specific genre or tropes. It's also nice to see you review a film you seem to like. (Especially one I like: my tastes run more towards your "Bad Movie" reviews.) Don C.
An excellent review of these films. I recently saw "The Leopard Man" on TCM. The host pointed out that rather than a monster movie it seemed a precurser to the slasher genre. What is interesting in these films is nobody, even the monster, isn't a monster. One of the ambiguities in "Cat People" is the psychiatrist. While he didn't believe the story he was armed, just in case. Had Irene not turned into a panther would the psychiatrist have pointed out the reality to Irene and stopped there? Would he have gone further? The 1942 audience would have been sympathetic to a husband who was tolerant of a wife who wouldn't consumate the marriage. The scenario is she left no hope she would ever consumate the marriage. In the Alfred Hitchock movie "Marnie" (1964) a man (Sean Connery) married a woman (Tippi Hedren) who refused to consumate the marriage. He recommended a psychiatrist, she rebuffed him "Oh, men! You say 'no thanks' to one of them and BINGO! You're a candidate for the funny farm."
A MASTERPIECE! When I first saw it it stunned me. An amazing experience. So many subtle nuances and interpretations. Repressed sexuality, taboos, jealousy... Such an amazing work of art.
I've watched a few documentaries on Lewton, and yours is the best. Well written and endearing. Bravo! Still waiting for a special edition bluray of "I Walked with a Zombie"
Love your great show premise ! Kill 1971 would be perfect for a show . Backstory on the director and stars may even be better than film . Thanks for the awesome fun.
I know I've said this before. You do have a great flare for snappy dialogue. But when you do these longer videos you can see the love you have for these films. I have watched most of your back catalogue and although all of these longer videos are good, this one has been particularly enjoyable.
It's been along time since I've seen the 1st movie and the sequel. Gonna have to remedy that. I forgot how brilliant they both were. And thanks for all the insight, half of which I didn't even notice the 1st time I watched it. (The chair shaped like cat ears?... come on!)
Great job on this video, Robin and Graham. I always appreciate the amount of research and information you do in these specials. I once read that Anthony Perkins was a great admirer of Val Lewton's films. I first saw Cat People while in college and I was so impressed with it that I had to go out the next day and rent the sequel. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment in seeing The Curse Of The Cat People as an obvious "name cash grab", but I will give it another look now that I know how personal a film it was to Val Lewton. I think of all of his films, I like The Leopard Man best. What starts as a horror film and then becomes a murder mystery is really well handled.
Credit to Harlan Ellison for turning me onto Val Lewton. When I got the DVD series of his cycle, Cat People was the first one I watched. Curse of The Cat People haunts me more, though. Reminds me of too many adults who let me down growing up.
Exceptional review of two great movies. Your analysis and insight is quite amazing. I hope this channel gets many more people to view the Lewton films and discover what subtlety and imagination can do to invoking horror.
I got into Hammer and classic horror in large part due to your retrospectives. Onibaba as well as the two cat people films are now among my favorite films. Thank you for exposing me to the depths and greatness of the classics!
I had never heard of her until I saw “Cat People” during the pandemic; good Lord, was she gorgeous (and perfect for Irene). I’d like to see some of her films from France, her home country. Interesting to read that she had a eventual love life, but never married.
Terrific video on a great film series! You know, I had no memory of there actually being a cat in the climactic scene of Cat People. Perhaps my inner editor removed it? I also love Lewton's film The 7th Victim. It's a bit of a mess in the second half, but I love its atmosphere, and the hopeless fragility of its titular character in the face of the consequences of her own actions.
It's too bad that Val Lewton never adapted the W. Somerset Maugham novel The Magician. I just finished rereading it and I could visualise how it might have looked under that Lewton style. Even though it is not among Maugham's better novels and even the author dismisses it as a lesser work it does have a very cinematic quality that would have been easily adapted as a film. The main character is based loosely on Aleister Crowley, which irritated the "wickedest man in the world" and tried to bring slander charges against Maugham. It is not a flattering portrayal as Oliver Haddo is grotesquely fat but has a larger-than-life menace that harkens back to Carswell from Curse of the Demon. I highly recommend reading the novel. It is a quick read.
@@robinbailes5236 Sir Lancelot's unsettling song is what I remember best about that one...can't quite bring himself to say it--or sing it--out loud. He had a beautiful singing voice. When I heard it for the third time in Ghost Ship, I asked out loud "What was your name, friend?"
Thanks for watching. Please smash that like button and look out for our second Val Lewton video covering all his RKO movies coming in November.
Just saw no time to die in a movie theater in Massachusetts it was good I'm from pawtucket ri 🎃
Looking forward to the next Lewton video. This one is fantastic!
I'd love to see you do one of these on Night of the Hunter. Robert Mitchum was so menacing. Charles Laughton's only work as a director was a masterpiece.
Thanks for this, as I grew up in Luton it sounds like my hometown created these films.
Perhaps a censor thought the fear of the woman's wedding night rampage might resemble the Jewish Lilth legend too closely. It being the early 40s and WWII on its way.
Jewish groups were putting on huge stage productions to make the US public aware of what was happening in Europe before America joined the fighting.
I expected “Curse” to be another taught psychological thriller based on the original. Instead, I found it to be one of the most beautiful Christmas movies I’ve ever seen, up there with “Miracle at 34th. Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”.
Taut, but yes. This is a fantastic observation.
Way too many TH-camrs cover the same movies from the 1980s over and over and I'm so glad to see someone take a deep dive into the true foundational classics like this. All of Lewton's movies from the '40s are wonderful; my faves are The Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, and The Body Snatcher, but even lesser ones like Ghost Ship I find a lot of heavy psychological interest in. Thanks for a splendid job.
We will be coving those films in our next special due later this month
I talk about all movies from different decades.
Crazy that nine years after "King Kong," RKO was an ailing studio. The Cat People movies are great.
I'm honestly surprised that Cat People doesn't get enough love, it's an excellent film and it's remake is good as well.
Thank you for this video. Cat People is one of my favorites. Another theme explored was Oliver’s not knowing unhappiness or sadness. There’s a great scene where he mentions not understanding sadness. He’s always been happy and felt good. Contrast that with Irena who only knows sadness was a great counter point.
Probably why I hated him in Curse. His cluelessness was causing a lot of his daughter's unhappiness.
Not knowing any unhappiness seems wildly abnormal in itself.
One of my favorite films. Simone Simone is adorable and chilling at the same time. Did you notice how Oliver only eats apple pie and dislikes or never tries exotic or foreign food? Irena is the mysterious, the dangerous, the seductive unknown. Alice is the tried and familiar. Interesting. I love Tourneur and Newton's work.
No less than Guillermo Del Toro called them a "Lennon and McCartney" pairing.
DCR one of the few channels keeping the classics alive, God bless
Of one of the very best reviews I've ever experienced. Thank you for this insightful, educational, and entertaining pieces of art I have had the pleasure to consume. You have a great knack for engaging your audience while enveloping them at the same time with your deep appreciation, and vast knowledge of your subject. Even if it happens to a bad film. Thank you, bravo and please, never stop. You were born to do this, you raise the bar to all other reviewers, and critics. This one was a great treat.
Fantastic work, chaps. I feel a rewatch of both film is on the cards for tomorrow.
I love the 'transformation' scene with Tom Conway. The subtle lighting change on her face after she is kissed and then his reaction really sells it.
Yes. Tom Conway was great in that scene, when he retreats, almost falling and draws out his stick-sword. Excellent.
This movie fascinated me as a child. It's beautiful, and hauntingly mysterious. There's a subtlety about the "horror" ...it makes you fall in love with it.
I've always thought that noir and horror were so tightly intertwined, that at times, it was hard for me to distinguish from the two. Probably because, in many of the aforementioned genres, the "real monsters" were mortal human beings. The films of Val Lewton and Jacques Tourneur were unforgettable for that reason. Both directors achieved something brilliant without the use of gory practical effects or CGI. The ability to extract dark or glorious imaginings within the human mind and then put them onto celluloid is the hallmark of great storytelling. Many thanks, Robin, for this in-depth and brilliant film analysis.
Really enjoyed this. I have been fascinated by Lewton since watching the 2007 documentary "Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows" and this video just adds to that fascination.
A GREAT chiller, best of any in the '40s .. tho the sequel is my favorite, Carter, Dean & Russell are exceptional
What a beautiful review for two of my favorite early "horror" movies. Thank you.
I've seen that bus scene many times, but it still catches me off guard.
In the clip used in this video, I thought the animal roar was somehow suppressed in the mix. Maybe it was done for the blu-ray release? If so, what a shame.
My favourite homage to him is by Hayao Miyazaki in My Neighbour Totoro, in the character of the Lewton Cat Bus.
Thank you, i'll see myself out.
Anyone who has Virgin channels ‘Horror Channel’ are showing all the classic Universal Horrors this Halloween, great stuff.
Cat People: "Censors objected to the portrayal of a sexless marriage."
All other films: Censors objected to the portrayal of sex even in marriage.
I know, that's weird isn't it? How often did censors object to a lack of sex?
@@robinbailes5236 Probably because it was a wife purposefully dennying her husband sex, which would be seen as kinda subversive, instead of just pretending sex didn't exist.
Some people are never pleased and yes pun intended.
Odd. Scarlett O'Hara and Rett Butler talked sex every chance they got. She even withholds from him when they finally do marry and he tells her he could divorce her for it.
@@skylx0812 I've never seen Gone With The Wind. I know that in many old TV shows, they had to have separate beds for husband and wife. They couldn't suggest that they could sleep in the same bed!
Superb! One thing that has always wound me up is that film, which is an art form, is run by the companies that make them through stupid, bullying bosses, who care only about money. They are shocking in their idiocy..they cannot, in any way, understand beauty or subtlety, whatever genre they're hurting. Val Lewton's films are feasts for the eye and the imagination and the intellect. They ought to be cherished, celebrated! And...a remake of "Cat People"? NO! How could anyone "remake" such a singular masterpiece? I never watch remakes of anything...only vulgar garbage! Thank you for this great review!
Thanks DCR. Val Lewton is one of my favorites. I especially enjoy The Seventh Victim even though I could never make much sense of it.
Another brilliant and loving tribute of the masterpieces of early 20th century Horrors - cheers!
I saw this last night for the first time, what a gorgeously shot film. This was my first Lewton film and I was very impressed I’m definitely going to watch all of them now. 👍
It always felt like The Curse Of The Cat People was a huge influence on Del Toro’s Pan Labyrinth. The same theme of a girl fleeing into fantasy…albeit with a different end result.
Perfect example...Del Toro is very much a Val Lewton fanboy. He even featured on a documentary going over the Lewton cycle.
I came to the very same conclusion while watching this video.
Interesting as I do love both their works. Hmm.
Thank you. Sometimes less is more as in Lewton's film but more reflection on Lewton is very welcome. Writer DeWitt Bodeen was a master of things unsaid. He was gay in Hollywood at a rather unfriendly time.
0:21 ''... keeping the terror in the shadows ...''
That's THE Secret of these 40s movies' success, among them ''Curse Of The Demon''(1942)
I've been looking forward to this one!
Kent Smith really IS the most wooden-headed father ever, isn't he?
Wow, I made the mistake of watching Cat People and Curse of the Cat People several months apart, so it wasn't until watching this video that I realized the three principle characters of Cat People return in the sequel. This is a brilliant breakdown of two brilliant films.
"The Haunting" (1963) is quite subtle and effectively so, a slow-burn, unnervingly frighteningly film. Of course, it, too, was directed by Robert Wise. I read the novel a few years back and can honestly say I prefer the movie, which is far superior. The novel suffers by having every single character be as unpleasant as possible, an approach that is a valid artistic choice but did not make for a pleasant reading experience. Of course, "The Haunting" was remade in 1999, but let's just ignore that rather sad fact.
Wise said it was a tribute to Lewton.
@@robinbailes5236 Thank you. I did not know that.
I liked the book, The Turn of the Screw, as well as the film. But, the film is definitely a masterpiece.
Robert Wise is somebody who never got his due. Foundational director of horror, film noir and sci-fi, he had incredible flex and insight which made for a 30 year career. The nearest equivalent of our era would have to be George Miller.
Good points. Definitely a fine film worth covering.
what a great video !! i love CAT PEOPLE, and am so glad you covered it. i never really thought about the idea that lewton had seen himself so much in irena, probably because i didn’t know very much about him, but knowing that makes the movie so much more special. she’s one of my favorite horror heroines.
The remake in color, at least in title,
with Malcolm McDowell & Natasha Kinski
didn't come to the ankle of the original.
When it came out, Harlan Ellison was EXTREMELY vocal on that point in his then-contemporary column, An Edge In My Voice.
@@johnathonhaney8291
The worst cop-out in the movie was that they made
the leopard body of the dead wereleopard explode when it was dissected !
@@johnathonhaney8291
glad to see that I wasn't mistaken in finding the movie bad,
despite its attempt at exploitation.
0:40
YES !
Never show the monster !
It would die of ridicule !
Thank you for this. I have a great affection for Lewton ("The Seventh Victim" is a favorite of mine). I am so glad Lewton is not being forgotten in a time when too much weight is given to bigger and bloodier.
I love The 7th Victim too. (I think that's the official spelling of the title)
@@ThreadBomb It is.
No less than Roger Corman, who made bloody films himself, has said that there's a limit on what you can do with all that blood. Eventually, he added, it goes back to psychological horror, as it should.
The ending of the Seventh Victim is so bleakly beautiful; one of the most moving and despairing I know of.
cat people and its sequel are brilliant. curse of the demon is a horror masterpiece.
thank you .
Great mini documentary on this set of films. I love both, for different reasons.
Thank you so much for this. I remember watching these on the summer time BBC2 horror double bills. 'The Curse of the Cat People' surprised and delighted that monster hungry young boy. I would love a review concentrating on 'The Seventh Victim'. Thanks xo.
Me too. Back in 1988
This is why I ❤️ Dark Corner Reviews! For the love of cinema and this is one of the few channels which does not try to rewrite history and press the current mainstream ideology, pc policies etc. Can wait for more 😉
Thank you for this. I thought of Val Lewton as being just another B movie producer and never saw him as having his own creative hand in the making of these two favourite films of mine.
I love Dark Corners, this channel is the goat!🐐
Elizabeth Russell was a gem!
Love the way you dissect a movie. I am definitely going to revisit both these as well as watch "The 7th Victim".
My personal fave from the Lewton cycle was Bedlam, which had things to say about mental health decades ahead of the curve. The scene where Anna Lee talks kindly to a caged inmate for the first tine in his life is right up there for me with the prayer scene in Bride of Frankenstein.
@@johnathonhaney8291 I'll have to check that out as well. I never realized there was a connection between these films and "Curse of the Demon", but I should have. Last night I watched all 3 versions of Roger Corman's "Not of this Earth" back to back.
So glad to hear you say what I've always said about this one - Oliver has learned absolutely nothing about his past mistakes with women and makes the same mistakes with his daughter. Boom. Also, my gut reaction to "Curse" is that the horror, for me, is about conformity. Amy embarrasses her parents - but mostly her dad - with her dreamy nature and they try to drive it out of her. This was on the precipice of the late 40s and early 50s when conformity would be prized.
I first became aware of Val Lewton when the BBC ran season of his works in 1988. Recently I discovered Adam Roche's terrific podcast on Hollywood including his ones on the aforementioned Mr Lewton. Of course information is going to overlap. But I also believe I got some new insights into the movie from listening to you. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutely fantastic analysis. Just watched the movie and you made me love it even more.
I love your point about how the terror is in the shadows, not in front of us. I like the subtlety in this film as well as other horror type films. Fabulous review and commentary here about this film.
I wish they would do more sequels like _Curse of the Cat People._
I love these Horror/Noir Lewton films. I'm entranced by the atmosphere and ambiguities.
Thank you for reviewing in great detail older movies such as this one. The best thing the remake has going for it is the Bowie closing song. You can see the "American werewolf...." F/X influence which takes away from the story
at about 8:50 I like the way the furniture behind her makes an almost cat like shadow effect around her head.
An interesting and engaging treatment. Very much enjoyed and appreciated. Bravo!
Your video introduced me to the movies which were both on TCM last week. They were every bit as good as you said. Thanks for the recommendation. Great work.
This is the first time I'm hearing about these movies. With a name like that, I wouldn't have expected anything especially interesting. I'll have to watch the movies.
one of the best explorations through a film(s) and it's makers I've seen on TH-cam
As usual a great, sensitive and informative piece of essay about the old classics! Thank you!
What movie do I think was influenced by Val Lewton's style? Modern low-budget horror filmmaking today would either be very different today or not exist today if it wasn't for Val Lewton.
Wonderful vid about two classic films I dearly love. Thank you.
Owned the remake for years, but recently saw the first two this past October. The original is great.
"Curse of" was always my fave of the bunch. It's nice to see movies like this, that aren't trying to adhere to any specific genre or tropes. It's also nice to see you review a film you seem to like. (Especially one I like: my tastes run more towards your "Bad Movie" reviews.)
Don C.
Wow great video, after watching I’ve decided to watch both of the cat people movies
Great job on this! It’s nice to see these true horror classics covered with such care. Well done, Mark
An excellent review of these films. I recently saw "The Leopard Man" on TCM. The host pointed out that rather than a monster movie it seemed a precurser to the slasher genre. What is interesting in these films is nobody, even the monster, isn't a monster. One of the ambiguities in "Cat People" is the psychiatrist. While he didn't believe the story he was armed, just in case. Had Irene not turned into a panther would the psychiatrist have pointed out the reality to Irene and stopped there? Would he have gone further? The 1942 audience would have been sympathetic to a husband who was tolerant of a wife who wouldn't consumate the marriage. The scenario is she left no hope she would ever consumate the marriage. In the Alfred Hitchock movie "Marnie" (1964) a man (Sean Connery) married a woman (Tippi Hedren) who refused to consumate the marriage. He recommended a psychiatrist, she rebuffed him "Oh, men! You say 'no thanks' to one of them and BINGO! You're a candidate for the funny farm."
A MASTERPIECE! When I first saw it it stunned me. An amazing experience. So many subtle nuances and interpretations. Repressed sexuality, taboos, jealousy... Such an amazing work of art.
Love these deep dives, man. 👏👏👏
Thanks for this great video, always been a big fan of Lewton, looking forward for part 2
I've watched a few documentaries on Lewton, and yours is the best. Well written and endearing. Bravo! Still waiting for a special edition bluray of "I Walked with a Zombie"
Love your great show premise ! Kill 1971 would be perfect for a show . Backstory on the director and stars may even be better than film . Thanks for the awesome fun.
Fantastic video essay, great job! 🐈⬛.
I know I've said this before. You do have a great flare for snappy dialogue. But when you do these longer videos you can see the love you have for these films. I have watched most of your back catalogue and although all of these longer videos are good, this one has been particularly enjoyable.
It's been along time since I've seen the 1st movie and the sequel. Gonna have to remedy that. I forgot how brilliant they both were. And thanks for all the insight, half of which I didn't even notice the 1st time I watched it. (The chair shaped like cat ears?... come on!)
Great job on this video, Robin and Graham. I always appreciate the amount of research and information you do in these specials. I once read that Anthony Perkins was a great admirer of Val Lewton's films. I first saw Cat People while in college and I was so impressed with it that I had to go out the next day and rent the sequel. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment in seeing The Curse Of The Cat People as an obvious "name cash grab", but I will give it another look now that I know how personal a film it was to Val Lewton. I think of all of his films, I like The Leopard Man best. What starts as a horror film and then becomes a murder mystery is really well handled.
I'd not watch this full length, but this review really shows how you love these old movies.
Credit to Harlan Ellison for turning me onto Val Lewton. When I got the DVD series of his cycle, Cat People was the first one I watched. Curse of The Cat People haunts me more, though. Reminds me of too many adults who let me down growing up.
Happy Halloween, Dark Corners! Well done!
Really enjoyable video. The script, character work and cinematography are exceptional in this movie. So far above contemporary movies.
Excellent vid 👍 Lewton as important as Hitchcock in terms of developing the horror film.
Great video! I really enjoy these occasional deep dives into classic films!
looking forward to this.
Outstanding work yet again. Thank you so much
Fantastic retrospective!
Excellent assessment of both movies!
One of my favorite movies!!!
Thanks!
Thank you!
Exceptional review of two great movies. Your analysis and insight is quite amazing. I hope this channel gets many more people to view the Lewton films and discover what subtlety and imagination can do to invoking horror.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I got into Hammer and classic horror in large part due to your retrospectives. Onibaba as well as the two cat people films are now among my favorite films. Thank you for exposing me to the depths and greatness of the classics!
and now i am a patreon. Simone Simon sealed the deal. I hope to be around for Barbara Steele!
Thank you so much. Welcome aboard.
I had never heard of her until I saw “Cat People” during the pandemic; good Lord, was she gorgeous (and perfect for Irene). I’d like to see some of her films from France, her home country. Interesting to read that she had a eventual love life, but never married.
Terrific video on a great film series! You know, I had no memory of there actually being a cat in the climactic scene of Cat People. Perhaps my inner editor removed it?
I also love Lewton's film The 7th Victim. It's a bit of a mess in the second half, but I love its atmosphere, and the hopeless fragility of its titular character in the face of the consequences of her own actions.
We will talk more about The Seventh Victim in our next special, covering all Lewton's RKO horrors.
Reminder on 👍 horror channel classics movie binge 😁
It's too bad that Val Lewton never adapted the W. Somerset Maugham novel The Magician. I just finished rereading it and I could visualise how it might have looked under that Lewton style. Even though it is not among Maugham's better novels and even the author dismisses it as a lesser work it does have a very cinematic quality that would have been easily adapted as a film. The main character is based loosely on Aleister Crowley, which irritated the "wickedest man in the world" and tried to bring slander charges against Maugham. It is not a flattering portrayal as Oliver Haddo is grotesquely fat but has a larger-than-life menace that harkens back to Carswell from Curse of the Demon. I highly recommend reading the novel. It is a quick read.
Fascinating. Thanks for the video/insight.
Excellent review,one of your best.
Thanks. It doesn't get watched a lot and it's really nice to know that people appreciate it!
It is an excellent movie. Well done. Thank you.
Awesome review! I love your RKO T-Shirt!
This was a great joy.
I love 'Cat People' but I think 'I Walked with a Zombie' is even better!
We will be talking about that in the next video. I always wish I Walked With a Zombie was longer.
@@robinbailes5236 Sir Lancelot's unsettling song is what I remember best about that one...can't quite bring himself to say it--or sing it--out loud. He had a beautiful singing voice. When I heard it for the third time in Ghost Ship, I asked out loud "What was your name, friend?"
Needs more zombie!
Even though it has a title that's laughed at, BRIDE OF THE GORILLA has a Val Lewton feeling to it.
The director of Bride of the Gorilla was one of the writers on I Walked With a Zombie, so there is a connection.
Thank you for this amazing review!
Great video. 😊 Thanks.
These movies remind me of Night Gallery stories such as "Silent Snow Secret Snow" and "The Different Ones".