Hunger [VHS]
by Tony Scott
![Hunger [VHS]](/images/Hunger-VHS-6304509103-L.jpg)
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VHS Tape Cover Information
Actor: Beth Ehlers, Catherine Deneuve, Cliff De Young, David Bowie, Susan SarandonDirector: Tony Scott
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Unknown)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
Running Time: 100 minutes
Release Date: 1997-08-26
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Publisher: MGM (Warner)
Studio: MGM (Warner)
VHS Movie Reviews of Hunger [VHS]
Movie Review: The hunger in you is a hunger in me.
Summary: 3 Stars
Beautiful, intelligent and seductive, Miriam and John Blaylock, outside looking in, appear to have it all. That is, until their bloodlust locks onto you, and from them, there is nothing but horror and death.
As the companion to the ageless Miriam, John is but a mere mimic, who soon finds out the truth of the blessing and curse that is Miriam's gift, and her false promises of eternal youth and eternity with her. As he begins to rapidly age, Miriam realizes the eventuality of his demise and begins to seek a new companion, in the form of a doctor specializing in aging disorders, and in essence, attempting to unlock the very thing that Miriam possesses: immortality.
Dr. Sarah Roberts is approached by John, who desperately seeks her aid in reversing the aging process but is quickly dismissed--until she sees him literally age before her eyes. But it's too late, John leaves, frustrated and terrified. When Sarah locates the Blaylocks in their Manhattan home, she is instead greeted by the sensuous Miriam, and ensnared. And in her newfound freedom and loneliness, it is Sarah who Miriam chooses.
The Hunger, based on Whitley Strieber's book (and will now be reading), is a goth-punk but intriguing take on the vampire lore, that could be very sentimental, but more sexual than romantic, and mostly unapologetic, focusing on the base and animalistic ritual of prey and predator. The familiar facets of vampirism, and some which are missing (such as sleeping during the day and aversion to sunlight, etc), are all there but with a grittier and more sinister pall, and a jaw-dropping sexual encounter between the captivated Sarah and the gorgeous Miriam.
Tony Scott's debut film makes for an atmospheric and luscious dark delight, with a very moody, stylish and artsy flare, but with well done horror. To set the mood, is a stunningly rich and wonderful score, with punk-rock to start off with, but with mostly symphonic music throughout, that is both melancholy and haunting, intoxicating and sublime. It's the kind of score that really makes this film doubly unique and also a must buy.
That said, while I always enjoy watching this film, in its entirety, it is a confusing, choppily put together and jumbled telling. Pacing is not very smooth, and the transition between scenes at times harsh, going from quiet to loud, bright to dark, abstract imagery, or moves too quickly and you're not quite sure what you just saw. Clearly, the scenes were put together more for effect, over telling a compelling story. While the idea of love, loneliness, aging and immortality is the underlying theme of the story, Scott does little to actually question the existence of Miriam, her callousness and love for her human companions and damning them to a horrible end, or why she seeks Sarah as her next victim, besides letting the audience assume the obvious. Scott uses the backdrop of the vampire myth as his story and to explain the nature of these characters, which I found that somewhat lazy and careless of Scott. Rather than incorporating a stronger story line besides Miriam's hunt for a new companion, it merely displays and idolizes the eroticism and allure of the vampire--which is why I'm going to read the book. Then again, it is obvious early on that this is purely a sensory film.
The extras are a must. Stills from the production, cast pictures and behind the scenes, while not necessarily brilliant, are fun. What you should really go for is the audio commentary by Tony Scott and Susan Sarandon, which was actually insightful, both are articulate and interesting commentators.
Catherine Deneuve as Miriam is the perfect seductress, infusing a timeless worldly beauty and eloquence to a character that really deserves nothing but due justice. Surprisingly, David Bowie's role as John was both subtle, chilling, and unexpected. Both are believable as modern day vampires and effortless as mainstream vampires in the new age. What surprised me was Susan Sarandon. While she did an excellent job, pitted against two Europeans, the American in her at times clashed. While she is at times brash and ineloquent, both John and Miriam are always so coolly aloof but passionate. Or maybe that was the point. It was hard to imagine that someone like Miriam, who is that otherwordly and could have anyone she wanted, would pick such a stubborn and independent intellectual, while her choice of John is totally believable. Despite that, and the problems with this adaptation, I always find myself picking it out every once in a while, during an evening when I need some vampire horror and blood, but with a twist. This cult classic from the 1980s is one that every vampire and horror lover should watch.
Summary of Hunger [VHS]
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 AxmakerCult Movies VHS Video
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