Cat People (1982) - Soundtrack

Although I was somewhat familiar with Giorgio Moroder's work via its radio play, thanks to the ubiquity of Donna Summer's I Feel Love on our local radio stations in the late 1970s, as well as The Chase from Midnight Express making the occasional appearance. It was not until 1982's Cat People that I became familiar with his name.

I think this soundtrack also served as my first introduction to David Bowie, who sang the film's longing and lust fueled song of a love doomed to be denied for all eternity. Of course my teenaged and hormone addled heart and brain vibed with it. How could it not?

Although it has been several decades since I have watched Cat People from start to finish, listening to the pop song interpretations presented on this soundtrack bring the film's sumptuous images to vivid life in my mind.

Track 2, The Autopsy, pulls forth the memory of that bloodied arm raising out of the guts of the dead leopard carcass. 

The opening of Track 4, Night Rabbit, got a lot of play, if only because, if I wish casted hard enough, I could pretend it was the opening beats to the electronic version of Ennio Morricone's theme to The Thing (1982). Because I did not have access to the soundtrack to the latter, yet.

Track 5, Leopard Tree Dream, brings forth the image of a shirtless Malcolm McDowell striding across a desert dreamscape to deliver necessary exposition regarding the sexual curse of the cat people. 

Track 6, Paul's Theme (Jogging Chase), calls forth the low angle image of McDowell sashaying up a flight of stairs and/or Annette O' Toole jogging through a park.

Track 7, The Myth, served as the film's main title and oozes and throbs with sultry energy. That energy builds and builds until it gets a gorgeous and vibrant release. Perfection.

Tracks 8, To The Bridge, is a wonderful pop expansion of a cue the underplays John Heard's driving to a bridge.

Track 9, Transformation Seduction, underplays Nastassja Kinski's character's first, and therefore quite traumatic, transformation into a leopard.

Track 10, Bring the Pod, is another expansion on music that underplays what was one of the most vivid and memorable scenes in the movie. Listening to it can still make me clutch at my shoulder in empathetic dread. Ouch.

It is a great soundtrack for a great movie. One that I really should give another look. Looks like it might be time to finally add that Cat People blu-ray from Scream Factory to my collection.