The Hunger
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Movie Reviews of The Hunger
Movie Review: Wonderful.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Hunger (Tony Scott, 1983)
It says something, perhaps, about my upbringing that it never occurred to me, when I first saw this movie a quarter-century ago, to question the rather cutting-edge sexuality of it all. So, yeah, I'm fifteen, Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon are getting it on (and quite nicely, I might add), and I'm still sitting there thinking "jeez, poor John." I saw nothing out of the ordinary whatsoever. For that matter, I still don't, except through the lenses of those opposing groups who call it vile or hold it up as some sort of bastion of film for exactly the same reason: it contains two major international film stars of the same sex doing quite nice things to one another. Which is great and all, but honestly, so what? It has about as much significance to the overall plot as does the label in Dan Hedaya's suit. (And no, I've no idea whether it's Brooks Brothers or something you can buy in an alley for fifty bucks.) Miriam Blaylock is opportunistic; the sex of her prospective partners means about as much to her as does whether the place down the street will deliver after eleven, see?
Okay, so anyway: this was Tony Scott's first feature film, and while he's certainly done some interesting movies since, he's never quite lived up to the promise this one showed; this was something entirely new and quite deftly handled. It's probably not outside the bounds of reason to point to this film, and the Whitley Streiber novel upon which it is based, as at least part of the genesis for the current sexy-vampire rage in books and movies. It's certainly hard to imagine a pair of vamps who fit the bill better than John (David Bowie) and Miriam (Deneuve) Blaylock. The problem is that John, who's approaching the ripe old age of two hundred (or so I gather from flashbacks), is starting to lose that whole eternal-youth thing. At the same time, Sarah Roberts (Sarandon) a doctor who's studying the causes of progeria, is all the rage in the local news, so John seeks her out. Miriam, too, is interested...
It's impossible to give any more of a plot summary without major spoilers, so I'll have to leave it at that, but there's a lot that goes on under the hood here, and all of it works well. (In fact, the only scene in the movie that's never worked for me is the opening scene, which plays rather like a Bauhaus video, and has always struck me as just a tad too egregious.) Everything about the movie plays-- the acting, the direction, the soundtrack, the set design (do brownstones like that really exist in New York City?), everything. It's quite a sight to behold.
I keep waiting for another movie this good from Tony Scott, because I know he's got it in him. Until then, I'll settle for watching The Hunger. ****
Movie Review: The Hunger - Never Underestimate the Creepy Old Guy
Summary: 4 Stars
Sleek installment in the vampire canon, highly stylized with a new twist on the old vampire theme: Queen vampire can't keep her lovers around forever because at some point they start to age rapidly and die. So much for the whole immortality thing. Of the many disturbing images in this film, the one that sticks with me most is the murder of the young girl who is really their only friend - she is street smart, but her innocence prevents her from seeing the couple's strangeness and the eventual danger she is in. For some reason, kids are never spared in the vampire genre, and Bowie's strangulation of her is dreadful to watch, especially since this kid is a spunky, gum-chewing likable smart allec next door neighbor who plays violin and snaps pictures of everything with her Polaroid one-shot. She is also liked by and cared for by the couple, but even that doesn't spare her from him. The problem with children surviving in vampire stories was started by Bram Stoker in the first place (read Dracula and it's all in there), but reading about it and seeing it are two different things. I always wonder how they manage to get away with violence against children in vampire movies, but they always do somehow, and it is always disturbing. We could have done without that scene and I kept thinking - he won't be able to do it because he cares about her, or someone will come in at the last minute and prevent it from happening, but no, to my astonishment he kills her and she doesn't even know who he is because by now Bowie is unrecognizable as the friendly, enigmatic, cello-playing neighbor (who kinda treats her as a daughter since Bowie and Deneuve have no children). He is now a withered, creepy old relic who asks her to play a sweet piece of music for him on her violin. Well, never underestimate the creepy old guy who seem harmless I guess.
Notables of the film are Peter Murphy/Bauhaus in the dramatic opening sequence of the film performing Bela Lugosi's Dead, Beth Ehlers of Guiding Light fame in her breakout role as the doomed girl, Willem Dafoe in an early career bit part as a street punk, character actor Dan Hedaya, John Pankow, and some guy who looks just like Bill Paxton (but isn't) as an unwitting victim who winds up as dinner. Sarandon is the real star in this film and is stunning to watch. And how can you not like a movie on some level that contains so much classical music? Ravel and Schubert are a perfect fit - it doesn't get any better than Ravel's Le Gibet. Gothic, eerie, disturbing, this film is a worthy installment in the vampire genre.
Movie Review: A sexy cult vampire classic of the 80's!
Summary: 4 Stars
Miriam (Catherine Denueve) and John (David Bowie) are two ancient Egyptian vampire lovers, they have survived for a thousand years off from fresh human blood. They seek the blood of Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Surandon) in need of help, however John soon ages rapidly and starts to die as now openly bisexual bloodsucking suductress Miriam seeks sexual interest in Sarah as now she will be her vampire lover.
A fascinating and wildy gothic erotic horror drama thriller that is a different take on vampires rather then just your usual Bram Stoker material but more like Anne Rice. You won't hear the word "vampire" in this movie cause this is a different vampire movie and the vampires in this movie aren't your usual vamps as they don't show their fangs or burn when the sun hits them. David Bowie gives off an excellent performance as a vampire especially the beautiful Catherine Denueve as the Egyptian vampire queen who does this incredibly hot lesbian sex scene that is guaranteed to please any straight man especially myself. Tony Scott's direction is quite good since he is the brother of "Blade Runner" director Ridley Scott and the acting is outstanding, it's a very good and steamy vampire story that i recommend for anyone who likes good erotic horror and vampire movies.
The DVD contains fairly good picture and sound with a nice widescreen transfer and some decent extras like audio commentary from Tony Scott and Susan Surandon, still gallery and Trailer.
Also recommended: "Vamp", "Basic Instinct", "The Vampire Lovers", "Lifeforce", "Near Dark", "From Dusk Till Dawn", "Interview with the Vampire", "Dracula (1931)", "Nosferatu", "John Carpenter's Vampires", "Vampire's Kiss", "Suspiria", "The Lost Boys", "Def By Temptation", "An American Werewolf in London", "Cemetery Man", "The Howling", "Vampire Hunter D", "Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust", "The Vampire Lovers", "Vampryos Lesbos", "Bram Stoker's Dracula", "The Company of Wolves", "Dog Soldiers", "Dracula has Risen from the Grave", "Fright Night 1 & 2", "Martin", "Salem's Lot (1979)", "Daughter of Darkness", "Vampyres", "Once Bitten", "Tales from The Crypt: Bordello of Blood", "Love at First Bite", "Lair of the White Worm", "Innocent Blood", "Queen of the Damned", "Blade Trilogy", "Cronos", "Rabid" and "Ginger Snaps".
Movie Review: Belated DVD Release of Classic 80s Horror
Summary: 4 Stars
This one was late in coming. I was beginning to think the world would never see a DVD release of Tony Scott's "The Hunger" from 1983. Was it worth the wait?
Well, I don't understand why it took so long. There isn't anything special included on this DVD that would have necessitated such a long wait. Other than a lukewarm commentary track featuring director Tony Scoot and actor Susan Surandon, there aren't any extras to speak of.
The DVD itself is fine: the picture quality is pretty sharp and crisp and the colors are bold and much nicer than the washed-out desaturated hues of crappy old VHS copies of this movie that we've all seen for how many years now. There is minimal grain or compression artifacts onscreen as this DVD yields a clean, brilliantly crisp picture.
I emphasize the image quality of this product because this is an extremely visual movie. This was Tony Scott's first major directorial debut of a feature film and prior to this, his experience was in commercial spots and advertising and it shows. In many ways, this film looks like an artificial photographic shoot for a TV ad.
I don't mean that to be a negative statment; it's just the style of the film. As such, it makes this movie unique. Commercialism in the arts was valued in during the 1980s. There was a brilliant new International style during the early 1980s that blended 1960s avant-garde ideas into sleek Madison Avenue advertising and commercial art that was all the rage then. The preferred artistic style of the early 80s was not a National one. The era preferred an International style that was a unique blend of slick European modernism with the technical perfection of American commercialism and technology. This film is a product of that "movement" (if there was such a defined artistic movement in acknowledgment at that time?).
I like this movie. I always have. Sure it has dated poorly. Without question this film is stuck in a time warp. So is Russ Meyer's "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" and Elvis's "Jailhouse Rock" and I would define both of those movies as "classics". This movie is a cult classic in every sense of the word. It serves as a 'looking glass' into the past, and as such does a wonderful job.
Movie Review: Stylish vampire flick.
Summary: 4 Stars
The Hunger is a stylishly made gothic horror film that also happens to be a cult classic its also Tony Scott's first feature film, I thought that the film was a nice piece of work that is rich in texture and design and it was very artistic its too bad that Tony Scott doesn't make these type of films anymore. I think it was more of a thriller only this time with vampires which I think is very interesting and it also has a different take on the vampire legend, the film is about two centuries old vampires Mariam (Catherine Deneuve) and John (David Bowie) who are a very rich and sophisticated couple, devoid of fangs they bleed their victims by cutting their jugulars with small blades hidden inside amulets of the Egyptian symbol Ankh which is the symbol of everlasting life for the vampires however there seems to be a problem John is aging rapidly since he is not a pure blood vampire like Mariam and is approaching the same end as the previous lovers of Mariam who have died in the past. In desperation John contacts Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Surandon) who is conducting research into slowing the effects of aging to find a cure for his condition. The Hunger had a very interesting plot and some nice and memorable scenes like that goth club and the girl on girl sex scene between Catherine Deneuve and Susan Surandon, yes the film was visually impressive but sometimes it seems like Tony Scott tries abit too hard and starts editing too fast. Overall I would say that it was pretty good and the make-up effects on the ageing vampire was great and looked very realistic I was also surprised by David Bowie's acting he was quite good in this film.