The Insatiable

This looked like one of those movies that would either be really good or really bad. Odds usually are in favor of really bad. This one surprised me by turning out "pretty good". Not terrible. Not great. The acting was good and the writing was good and I was happily surprised to see it wasn't one of those annoying erotic vampire stories with tons of nudity and Gothic crap but no plot. Rather it was a Clerks-style comedy with a vampire drama underneath. On the other hand, I thought it was a bit slow-moving. But overall it was worth my time. I was expecting it would be one of the rentals I'd regret, a high-risk gamble gone wrong... but it was probably the best of the movies I rented for that night (of course that isn't saying much).

I LOVED it! It is indeed what I would call a B Movie and truly almost a Black Comedy. Those are my favorites. There used to be a plethora of them in the 50's and 60's. This one is modern and fits the empty hole perfectly. It almost reminded me of Little Shop of horrors. The acting was not bad and filmography was a lot better than most. I watched 2 Vampire movies in the last couple of days, RISE with Lucy Liu and this one, Insatiable. Although they were quite different and RISE was obviously big buck, my entertainment factor was MUCH better with Insatiable. RISE was OK, and I do love Lucy Liu, and the movie was worth watching, but, again, I did get more enjoyment with this one. I hope they make more like this.

A homeless asks for food to the lonely Harry Balbo (Sean Patrick Flanery) while he is walking back home from his work at the American Flange company. Harry goes to a convenience store to buy a hot-dog for the beggar, but when he returns to the alley, he witnesses a sexy vampire attacking and beheading the man.

Harry becomes obsessed by the vampire and he contacts the vampire hunter Strickland (Michael Biehn) to help him to capture the gorgeous vampire. Harry builds a steel cage in the basement of his building and he succeeds in trapping the vampire in the cell. Harry falls in love with the vampire Tatiana (Charlotte Ayanna) and he tries to force her to drink rabbit blood instead of human blood. But Tatiana is insatiable for blood and sex and usually kills her lovers.

"The Insatiable" is an original vampire movie of extremely low-budget that works. The plot combines horror, drama, romance and comedy in right doses and the result is a film that worth watching. The unknown Charlotte Ayanna is really a very pretty woman and it is easy to understand why the solitary Harry falls in love with her. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Insaciável Sede de Sangue" ("Insatiable Blood Thirst")

The Insatiable, like droves of other vampire flicks, attempts to cover new ground and build on established formulas to create something memorable, and despite having the direct to video stigma working against it's notoriety, works pretty well for the most part. Sean Patrick Flanery plays a timid fellow who, after being targeted by a sexy, devilish bloodsucker (Charlotte Ayana), seeks help anywhere he can, broadcasting his predicament via HAM radio (maybe not the most effective outlet) to anyone who will listen. It just so happens that there is a grizzled old vamp hunter out there played by Michael Biehn, a jaded hardass who's just waiting for signs of these creatures. Ayana likes to play with her prey, and taunts both of them throughout the film in some amusing cat and mouse games, forcing Flanery to great lengths of survival including building one hell of a cage in his basement to trap the bitch. The material is treated mostly head on with just a smidge of smirking deadpan, especially in the sly ending. Biehn is awesome as the cranky, high strung vamp slayer, really having fun in the role. A fun, if slight little flick.

"The Insatiable" is a well-made vampire comedy horror with a decent cast and direction. Sean Patrick Flanery plays Harry Balbo, a man who witnesses a horrific vampire killing during his visit to his local convenience store. Balbo becomes obsessed with tracking the beautiful female vampire (Charlotte Ayanna) down and is successful in imprisoning her in his basement.

Ayanna is a convincing screen siren and it's easy to see how Balbo becomes her unwitting helper. Michael Biehn plays a seasoned vampire hunter - it's a small role but he makes the most of it.

7 out of 10. The ending's a bit rushed but this is a reasonable horror comedy. Worthy of a rental.