Amy is a shy six-year old girl, withdrawing into a fantasy world of fairy-tales and imaginary friends. Her father Oliver is concerned, and when Amy starts talking about Irena, his first wife, who killed herself, he is alarmed for Amy's safety and sanity.
This sequel to the classic 1942 RKO chiller Cat People is the polar opposite - where that picture is a moody, gloomy, tragic adult exploration of sexuality and psychosis, this by contrast is a bright, sweet, child-like and happy fable. It may have some menacing Gothic moments but it's really about Amy's imagination and how she sees the world (much of it is shot from waist height, emphasising her point of view), while the snowy Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow small town setting adds tremendous atmosphere. The plot doesn't really have much to do with the original movie except insomuch as we see what's happened to Oliver and Alice, and there are inconsistencies (Irena's ghost sings a French carol, when it should be a Serbian one), but it's a lovely little tale by itself, and I genuinely prefer sequels which aren't simply a rehash of the preceding film. The cast are all great (Smith, Randolph, Simone and Russell were all in the original), with Carter giving a naturalistic child performance which suits the material just right. Best of all is Nicholas Musuraca's photography, with its gorgeous shading and texturing; the use of changes in light and tone which prefigure Irena's ghostly appearances are all beautifully done. All in all, this is a slight little old movie, and not as interesting and influential as its predecessor, but it's still enchanting and mysterious, and a very pleasant way to spend an hour.
This sequel to the classic 1942 RKO chiller Cat People is the polar opposite - where that picture is a moody, gloomy, tragic adult exploration of sexuality and psychosis, this by contrast is a bright, sweet, child-like and happy fable. It may have some menacing Gothic moments but it's really about Amy's imagination and how she sees the world (much of it is shot from waist height, emphasising her point of view), while the snowy Tarrytown / Sleepy Hollow small town setting adds tremendous atmosphere. The plot doesn't really have much to do with the original movie except insomuch as we see what's happened to Oliver and Alice, and there are inconsistencies (Irena's ghost sings a French carol, when it should be a Serbian one), but it's a lovely little tale by itself, and I genuinely prefer sequels which aren't simply a rehash of the preceding film. The cast are all great (Smith, Randolph, Simone and Russell were all in the original), with Carter giving a naturalistic child performance which suits the material just right. Best of all is Nicholas Musuraca's photography, with its gorgeous shading and texturing; the use of changes in light and tone which prefigure Irena's ghostly appearances are all beautifully done. All in all, this is a slight little old movie, and not as interesting and influential as its predecessor, but it's still enchanting and mysterious, and a very pleasant way to spend an hour.