Cat People

Special Features (Blu-ray)

• Trailer - original trailer for Cat People. In English, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080i).
• John Bailey - in this brand new featurette, cinematographer John Bailey (Paul Schrader's Cat People, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters) discusses the visual style of the original Cat People film (with some excellent comments about the management of light and shadow), cinematographer Nicholas Musuraca's legacy and the qualities that defined his work, the studio system during the early 1940s, the evolution of the noir genre and the important work of cinematographer John Alton (The Big Combo, He Walked By Night), the notorious pool scene and how its visual design compares to the same scene in Paul Schrader's film, etc. The featurette was created exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (17 min, 1080p0).
• Cine regards - presented here is an archival episode of the French television program Cine regards in which dierctor Jacques Tournier discusses his life, move to America, and career in the film industry. The interview was conducted in the director's home in Bergerac in May 1977. In French, with optional English subtitles. (27 min, 1080p).
• Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows (2008) - this documentary film, written and directed by Kent Jones, takes a closer look at the life and legacy of the great producer Val Lewton. The documentary is presented and narrated by acclaimed director Martin Scorsese. In English, not subtitled. (77 min, 1080i). 1. In the darkness 2. The old world 3. The Selznick way 4. Important rule 5. Going deeper 6. A mutual influence 7. Freedom 8. Bit players 9. The Curse of the Cat People 10. Secret inspiration 11. Self-portrait 12. Karloff 13. Adrift 14. Shadow world
• Commentary - this audio commentary with film historian Gregory Mank was also included on the DVD release of Cat People from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. It was recorded in 2005. This is a wonderful, extremely informative commentary with an abundance of factual information about the history of RKO, Jacques Tourneur, and producer Val Lewton. (Gregory Mank also deconstructs various key scenes from the film). Also included in the commentary are short excerpts from an interview with actress Simone Simon.
• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring Geoffrey O'Brien's essay "Darkness Betrayed". (The author is editor in chief of the Library of America. His books include The Phantom Empire; Sonata for Jukebox; The Fall of the House of Walworth; and Stolen Glimpses, Captive Shadows: Writing on Film, 2002-2012).

Blu-ray Screenshots