豹人The Leopard Man

Is it man, beast or both behind a string of savage maulings and murders in The Leopard Man? An escaped leopard provides the catalyst for a foray into fear in which castanets clack wildly, a cemetery is a rendezvous for death and love, and a closed door heightens rather than hides the horror of a young girl's fate. It's the third and final teaming of producer Val Lewton and director Jacques (Cat People) Tourneur. This is usually considered one of the lesser Lewton horror flicks as well as a lesser entry in Tourneur's oeuvre. I think this is unfair, because aside from the rather pedestrian solution to the "mystery" and the lack of resources available to the filmmakers to more faithfully create the New Mexico setting and Hispanic characters, The Leopard Man is to this day a quite tense and frightening film. This rip includes a commentary by director William Friedken (The Exorcist) and while he is obviously fond of the film and the filmmakers, he has never been the most interesting commentator. Still, it's worth a listen for the little gems that pop up now and then.