Paul Schrader essentially ended his career as a Hollywood-level director with his 1982 remake of Cat People. Ironically enough, he took on this film as a director-for-hire between more personal projects - but the result was too artsy and cerebral for the horror crowd while simultaneously being too kinky and gruesome for the arthouse crowd. Schrader's subsequent films were made on a more modest, indie scale as Cat People's box office failure burned a lot of bridges. That said, the film's sense of style and daring have earned it a cult following that it deserves.