THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE

At the beginning of an era of trashy B-horror and sci-fi, Wise attached himself to sound features with intellectually satisfying metaphoric bases, remarkable visual aesthetics and intrigu­ing narratives. In this fine Val Lewton produced sequel to Jacques Tourneur's Cat People. Wise plays down the cheap transmogrifications that could have made this little more than a feline twist on lycanthropy; while retaining the ele­ments of the supernatural that instil flesh-crawl­ing dread. Steaming with suppressed sexuality, The Curse Of The Cat People gives new meaning to the phrase 'animal magnetism'.