Classic is the adjective for this movie, either you like it or not.

The Hunger is an important movie in the Gothic culture world not because it's another movie with a vampire theme, but because it features Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead" in its soundtrack and a peformance of this cult band in the beginning of the story. But there's more to it, read on and go watch the movie later!

The Secret Of Eternal Life?

Released in 1983, based on a Whitley Strieber's novel and directed by Ridley's brother Tony Scott, this movie tells the story of the immortal Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve), a vampire, who has the secret of "eternal life", which was inherited from the ancient Egyptians and which she had given to many through the centuries.

The only detail of it, is that her chosen ones aren't immortal…

Her latest lover is John Blaylock (David Bowie), with whom she's together since the 18th century, but although he's a vampire, he isn't immortal and he's starting to age. As his youth goes away, he starts to get predictably depressed and the aging process is showed in a marvelous way, with the technique of the master Dick Smith, who had worked before in "The Exorcist".

When I watched the movie for the first time, in the late 80s, I wondered if Bowie would look like that in his 60s, and now that he's 63, I'm wondering if he'll look like that when he's 80? Or in his 90s perhaps, if he lives that long??

Anyway, John soon dies and Miriam turns her attentions to the doctor John went after looking for help with his ageing, Sara (Susan Sarandon), who works researching on how to reverse aging.

The two start a relationship and then a love affair and that's when the movie has the (in)famous scene of Deneuve and Sarandon on the bed…

The vampires in this movie are totally unconventional. They are able to walk in the daylight hours, get pictures taken, see their reflexes in mirrors and they don't have long and sharp fangs. To pierce their victims' skin, the vamps use a sharp pointed ankh pendant.

The climax of the movie happens when Miriam's antics are revenged by Sara.

Although this movie was, and is, badly criticized by critics all around, it's a good and exquisite film, worth seeing for its unusual portrayal of the vampire legends, for David Bowie's performance - which is quite good, for Bauhaus' scene and maybe (dare I suggest?) even for Deneuve and Sarandon's bed scene - which is quite exotic…

Next month I'll take you on a trip to the old black and white world of darkness - always a merry subject to talk about ;). I hope you'll join me here.

   If you want more informations:

The Hunger - us.imdb.com

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