The Curse of the Cat People (1944)

[gpn]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

Assumedly I Walked with a Zombie will be up next, but I'm hoping for The 7th Victim!

Those are two of my favorites too. The 7th Victim was to be one of my Halloween viewings last October, but my disc has gone bad, so a blu-ray version would be welcome.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by Monterey Jack

This might rank as one of the sequels most unlike its predecessor (akin to Babe: Pig In The City), which is not to say it's bad at all, but that anyone expecting it to be anything like the first Cat People will likely be confused.

If you can get past that hurdle, though, this is a damn fine movie...and Robert Wise's first directorial effort, I believe.

I think it was in Leonard Maltin's movie guide of all places that I saw Godzilla's Revenge described as the "Curse of the Cat People" of Godzilla films.

[horroru]

Originally Posted by MJD64

I've always admired how it brings back main characters that connect it to the first film but then tells a completely different story, as opposed to the greater majority of sequels that merely rehash the original in an effort to recapture box-office profits. I consider it a real gem within the genre, and a rather touching ghost story as well.

Agreed MJD, most sequels get bogged down with rehashing plot beats from the first movie. This one goes it's own way and is better for it, even though it's not as much of a "horror" movie as the original - it at least deals with the supernatural as the first film did so it's not a cheat.

[Lutz]

I guess if the two movies are about "cat people" and not about how narrow social roles for women can lead to their neglect and abuse it could be argued that they are both very different?

It's rare that a sequel like this *actually* recognises the core story and themes of the original and builds on them in a meaningful way (showing an artistic woman with no outlet is disturbing but seeing the parents in the sequel break down the daughter's natural creativity is heartbreaking). It could have easily made the mistake of taking up the genre trappings from the first movie which are not actually the core of the story.

[ravenus]

It looks like Warner are not interested in putting out the Lewton films themselves and they will not be in any boxset form. While I would have felt obliged to upgrade for an entire box, I guess in this case I will be cherry-picking my personal favorites, mainly IWWAZ, Body-Snatcher & 7th Victim as and when they are released. I suppose someone could cobble a Lewton-Karloff set, but I found Bedlam one of the less interesting Lewton films (along with the Dick Dix vehicle Ghost Ship)

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by Lutz

It's rare that a sequel like this *actually* recognises the core story and themes of the original and builds on them in a meaningful way (showing an artistic woman with no outlet is disturbing but seeing the parents in the sequel break down the daughter's natural creativity is heartbreaking). It could have easily made the mistake of taking up the genre trappings from the first movie which are not actually the core of the story.

Do you believe the suppression of the child's imagination is gender-related? I personally thought it applied to all kids, a reflection of conservative adulthood's tendency to nip at what they regard as dangerous and unworldly in their children.

[zbinks]

Originally Posted by NoirFan

I could see SF following this up with a Karloff double-feature of Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead. The former also has Lugosi, so that would seem to be a more marketable choice than Curse, meaning that it’s unlikely that Curse is a Lewton one-off for them (though they may be waiting to see how Curse does before proceeding further).

Originally Posted by ravenus

It looks like Warner are not interested in putting out the Lewton films themselves and they will not be in any boxset form. While I would have felt obliged to upgrade for an entire box, I guess in this case I will be cherry-picking my personal favorites, mainly IWWAZ, Body-Snatcher & 7th Victim as and when they are released. I suppose someone could cobble a Lewton-Karloff set, but I found Bedlam one of the less interesting Lewton films (along with the Dick Dix vehicle Ghost Ship)

I wouldn't be surprised if they were planning bigger, broader, Vincent Price-esque multi-studio boxsets for Karloff and/or Lugosi.

[ravenus]

Originally Posted by zbinks

I wouldn't be surprised if they were planning bigger, broader, Vincent Price-esque multi-studio boxsets for Karloff and/or Lugosi.

I am doubting. I don't know about Lugosi but Karloff was more spread out studio-wise, with releases from Universal, MGM and RKO among others.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by ravenus

It looks like Warner are not interested in putting out the Lewton films themselves and they will not be in any boxset form.

Good. You can't fault the WAC transfers, but the lack of extras is annoying and I hate the crappy, cheap inkjet-printed artwork they use. You almost need to store the cases in a humidity-controlled vault to keep the paper flat.

Originally Posted by ravenus

While I would have felt obliged to upgrade for an entire box, I guess in this case I will be cherry-picking my personal favorites, mainly IWWAZ, Body-Snatcher & 7th Victim as and when they are released. I suppose someone could cobble a Lewton-Karloff set, but I found Bedlam one of the less interesting Lewton films (along with the Dick Dix vehicle Ghost Ship)

Bedlam I'm not that keen on either. I hope Shout get hold of all the rest and use the original artwork like COTCP.

[Zillamon51]

A Shout Factory Lewton set, akin to their Price and Naschy sets, would be most welcome.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

A Shout Factory Lewton set, akin to their Price and Naschy sets, would be most welcome.

Maybe they could ask Criterion very nicely if they could borrow Cat People and include it

[Bates_Motel]

Originally Posted by lemonski

Good. You can't fault the WAC transfers, but the lack of extras is annoying and I hate the crappy, cheap inkjet-printed artwork they use. You almost need to store the cases in a humidity-controlled vault to keep the paper flat.

Yeah, makes sense to trade some of the best catalog transfers in the business for typically worse transfers - but hey! Better paper for the insert, which is the most important thing. Priorities I guess.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Amazing news. Many were disappointed when the Criterion release for Cat People didn't include this too, so this works out perfectly. This deal between Warner and Shout! is a godsend.

The only problem with that for me is a Criterion release of this would have been region b. Am I right in guessing Shout are legion locked please?

[buck135]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The only problem with that for me is a Criterion release of this would have been region b. Am I right in guessing Shout are legion locked please?

The Shout blu-ray's that I purchased over the past several years have been region A locked.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by Steedeel

The only problem with that for me is a Criterion release of this would have been region b. Am I right in guessing Shout are legion locked please?

Criterions in the US are Region A locked, and there's really no guarantee that they would release this in the UK, even despite releasing the first one there. I was actually going to bring this up earlier, but it would be great for Warner to team up with a boutique label in the UK too, like Eureka, to put out similar titles for region B folks.

[NoirFan]

I wonder if SF will be able to include either one of the Lewton docs that were included with the box set?

[Todd Tomorrow]

Originally Posted by Lutz

I guess if the two movies are about "cat people" and not about how narrow social roles for women can lead to their neglect and abuse it could be argued that they are both very different?

It's rare that a sequel like this *actually* recognises the core story and themes of the original and builds on them in a meaningful way (showing an artistic woman with no outlet is disturbing but seeing the parents in the sequel break down the daughter's natural creativity is heartbreaking). It could have easily made the mistake of taking up the genre trappings from the first movie which are not actually the core of the story.

Completely agree with you. While Curse... was developed as a separate project called Aimee and Her Friend, its a remarkably consistent sequel in terms of themes and characterization. Oliver, the supposed hero of Cat People, is the real villain in both films, crassly insensitive first towards his emotionally fragile first wife and then towards his lonely daughter. The sequel confirms that by turning the "monster" from Cat People into a guardian angel in the sequel, but then Irena always was among the most sympathetic of monsters.

I love this film just as much as the original, both are my favorite pre-50s horror films. I hope the transfer for this will be as good as the Criterion of Cat People. And I hope more of the Val Lewton films will follow.

[Cvalda]

Originally Posted by gpn

Those are two of my favorites too. The 7th Victim was to be one of my Halloween viewings last October, but my disc has gone bad, so a blu-ray version would be welcome.

I tried watching my copy of The 7th Victim as well last year and my disc had also gone bad! Maybe there's a lot of faulty pressings

[Boggle]

Originally Posted by lemonski

I hate the crappy, cheap inkjet-printed artwork they use. You almost need to store the cases in a humidity-controlled vault to keep the paper flat.

Ha, yeah this bothers me too. Very cheap. This and eco-cases are my pet peeves. I mean if we're paying for the damn thing it should at least be something that's not total crap.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by buck135

The Shout blu-ray's that I purchased over the past several years have been region A locked.

Thanks. I put off buying the original because I know it would bug me not have the sequel.