Nostalgia Kinky

A fine John Leslie offering from 1991, CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN is a stylish and evocative adult neo-noir featuring a terrific cast, dynamic editing and inventive direction. The legendary Leslie not only directs but he also provides the film’s script and editing, making CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN a real passion project and it shows.

John Leslie had been working prolifically as one of the most recognizable Golden Age actors since the mid-seventies. He switched his attention almost exclusively to directing by the late eighties, quickly establishing himself as a fine low-budget filmmaker. The classic film days were well in the past but Leslie’s early work behind the camera showed a desire for experimentation and narrative, in a period often lacking both.

As shot by his influential fellow filmmaker Jack Remy, CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN looks fantastic, considering the threadbare budget and Leslie’s editing throughout is kind of sublime. I also dig the film’s simple but effective cat POV shots, which feature this cool flared out effect. The barely there plot, kind of a lift on Schrader’s 1982 Kinski classic with a sprinkle of Universal horror and noir, isn’t much but this is more of a mood piece than anything else. The sets are cool, the costumes are sexy and fun and shout out to Jeanna Fine, whom we sadly just lost, for her behind the scenes work in the makeup department. The only real technical issue Leslie has here is with the sound mix, which is a shame because the original score from Bill Heid is infectiously goofy.

Leslie wasn’t the only legend behind the scenes on CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN, as his assistant director is none other than my boy Jamie Gillis, who also appears in the film looking good and menacing with grey tips. This was a notorious period for Gillis, whose films in the ON THE PROWL and MORE DIRTY DEBUTANTE series’ were making folks all kinds of uncomfortable. Despite this, CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN is a fairly gentle and tame film. Leslie is looking to make something pretty and chic and he succeeds.

Speaking of pretty and chic, the cast of CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN are all so gorgeous from star Selena Steele to a wild looking Tom Byron. The big sell to me is the appearance by the wonderful Dutch actress Zara Whites, who steals the show in her brief appearance.
27 year old Rocco Siffredi also features strongly in the film, looking incredible and incredibly frightening. While not amongst his first films, CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN features future legend Siffredi still in the early part of his career and he’s hard to look away from. Who knows, CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN might have been one of the films Catherine Breillat saw Siffredi in, which later led to their memorable collaborations.

CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN was a real success and garnered much praise. A few versions appeared, including a longer European cut and a soft TV version. I haven’t seen either of these as my my copy came from the commonly available 70 minute DVD. John Leslie continued his fast-paced directing career, making interesting works in the wake of CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN including some productions with the tragic Savannah. By the late nineties he began to work more and more in Gonzo style productions, making films nearly all the way up to his passing in 2010. CURSE OF THE CATWOMAN is a real treat from an artist who proved a master at adapting to change.

-Jeremy Richey, February 2026-

I originally posted this over at Letterboxd, but wanted to share it here as well as I found these related clippings for any interested. All very safe for work or anywhere else you might be.