1. The Cat People (1942)
She was marked by the curse of those who slink and court and kill by night. Oliver Reed meets the mysterious Serbian lady Irena painting a picture of a black panther in the zoo. It is a coup de foudre and she invites him back to her apartment for tea where he sees a strange statue of a man on horseback wielding a skewered cat. Irena tells Oliver that back in her native Serbia there is a race of cat people who were driven into the mountains. Her behaviour becomes increasingly erratic and animals act weirdly in her presence. Could Irena be one of these mysterious catpeople? A fabulous collaboration between producer Val Lewton and director Jacques Tourneur, The Cat People must rank up there in the all time horror greats in terms of atmosphere, stylishness and cleverness. It relies upon suspense to frighten the viewer - no overt gore or special effects - but it still has its power to chill the viewer. The film is technically perfect when we look at Tourneur's skills as a director, he can really create a mood that is like a cat - swift, edgy, neurotic. We never see the cat in the film because everything is filmed with shadows, suggestion and darkness. We definitely know that Irina is a cat woman - it is never seen but the picture firmly implies it. A ground breaking classic that stands head above its 'murderous cat' film brethren. There was a remake that was meh.