The Hunger (1983)

Catherine Deneuve and David Bowie are rich, beautiful, and oh-so chic as denizens of the night. Dressed in sleek outfits and stylish sunglasses, they haunt rock & roll clubs on the prowl for young blood, whom they bring home to their impossibly luxurious mansion for a late-night snack. Being a vampire never looked more sexy, but there's a price: Bowie starts to age so fast he wrinkles up in the waiting room of a doctor's (Susan Sarandon) office. The agelessly elegant Deneuve, evoking Delphine Seyrig's Countess Bathory from Daughters of Darkness, is perfectly cast as a millenniums-old bloodsucker who seeks a new mate in Sarandon and seduces her in a sunlight-bathed afternoon of smooth, silky sex. Tony Scott's (Ridley's brother) directorial debut, adapted from the Whitley Strieber novel, revises the vampire myth with Egyptian inflections and removes all references to garlic and crosses and wooden stakes--these bloodsuckers can even walk around in the daylight--but the ties between blood and sex are as strong as ever. Scott's background as an award-winning commercial director is evident in every richly textured frame and his densely interwoven editing, but the moody atmosphere comes at the expense of dramatic urgency. At times the film is so languid it becomes mired in its hazy, impeccably designed visual style. In its own way, The Hunger is the perfect vampire film for the '80s, all poise and attitude and surface beauty. Sarandon talks candidly about the film in the documentary The Celluloid Closet. --Sean Axmaker Amazon.com

Slash... Glub... Slurp...

THE HUNGER is one of the best vampire movies around. The mysterious, bloodsucking Blaylocks (Catherine Deneuve as Miriam and David Bowie as John) live a non-life of luxury and debauched serial-murder / feeding. Doctor Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon) gets mixed up w/ the deadly duo when John begins aging at an incredibly accelerated rate. Dr. Roberts might be able to help him since she happens to be doing research into slowing the aging process. Miriam falls for Sarah and makes plans to replace the now-decrepit John. The seduction / consumation scenes between Miriam and Sarah are as elegant as they are HOT! I've always loved Ms. Sarandon's eyes, and she displays quite a bit more here! Bowie is excellent in his ill-fated role. THE HUNGER stands as a vampire masterpiece... August 21, 2008

Vampires in Egypt

This film is very different from other vampire movies. What makes it different is the music from Schubert used in the soundtrack. June 23, 2008

Art house horror with David Bowie

Directed by Ridley Scott's brother, Tony Scott, this 1980s horror vampire film is not a typical vampire movie and yet at the same time is not even a typical motion picture. There is no mistaking though that The Hunger does look great and the lighting camera combination is very gothic urban.

The story strands involve two vampires played by David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve, who kill people to drink their blood so they can have extended life. However these vampires are not the traditional type. They do not have fangs and they can go out in sunlight. Susan Sarandon plays a scientist who thinks that aging is a disease and can be cured. She is sought after by Catherine Deneuve.

The film is notorious for the lesbian scene between Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. There are also impressive special effects for Bowie's aging process. He grows old over the course of a number of scenes. Apart from this however the film seems to loose touch with the subject matter, freely roaming towards art for art's sake and sacrifices the story so severely that the ending doesn't make any sense because of it.

If you are a fan of Tony Scott, David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve or 80s horror films then it might be worth checking out. Vampire movie fans may want to reconsider and even vampire film completers may hold back. May 10, 2008

Poignant with a touch of freak

This had some pretty hot moments in it and just about any time Catherine Deneuve showed up was hot as hell. She just exudes eroticism. I liked the story very much. An interesting take on vampires. I really got into Bowie's pain. I tried to imagine what it would be like to experience what he was feeling and why. Very sad. It was a trip to see Willem Dafoe looking about all of 17 and I've never seen Dan Hedaya looking so young either. March 25, 2008

One of my all-time favorites...

But then I'm kind of a weirdie.

If you like vampires, sublime actors, stories of love, betrayal and eventual triumph and/or the idea of two incredibly lovely women having one of the most sensual love/sex scenes in cinema history, this is YOUR movie.

Plus the soundtrack is so fabulous, it stands alone... Bauhaus' Bella Lugosi's Dead (Live!), Delibes' Lakme, and Schubert's Trio in E Flat all in one movie? Oh yes indeed. March 7, 2008

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