Les Prédateurs

Vastly underrated, but it's easily the best vampire film. Seems to be regarded as some kind of a trashy lesbian story, with a little bit of horror and gore thrown in for good measure; well, that's nonsense. These critics would have us believe that some silly Dracula film from the 30s is a masterpiece while this original approach to vampirism is a cheap, exploitative, erotic tale. The film is visually terrific, very atmospheric, has a good cast (Sarandon is excellent), and a superb soundtrack. Sarandon and Deneuve naked in bed is not exactly a deterrent, either. The last scene - a combination of visuals and music, is the absolute highlight of the film. If you'd like to read my parody/biography of Susan Sarandon (and other Hollywood intellectuals), contact me by e-mail.

"The Hunger" opens with the by now familiar Goth anthem "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus. Not a bad way to open a vampire film, though nowadays it would seem almost a parody. "Undead undead undead" indeed. Enter Cathy and Bowie into a slick, sleek, neon nightclub, filled to the rafters with post-punks & pre-Goths playing dead. Too bad they weren't as ready for the real thing as they thought they were. You see, Cathy and Bowie are vampires.

This is a visually stunning film, making up for in effects what it sometimes lacks in coherence. It seems that lovely, immortal Cathy, called Miriam, is a vampire queen who has been around since the Sphinx was built, apparently. Bowie is her consort, a once mortal man whose two hundred-odd year lifespan is suddenly winding down at a frighteningly rapid rate. Desperate to find a cure, he seeks out scientist Susan Sarandon, who at first disbelieves Bowie's claims, but is soon convinced when the young and handsomely androgynous man suddenly ages over the course of a few hours time into a decrepit ruin. Miriam, who has had countless lovers over the centuries, gives Bowie the heave-ho and turns her attention to lovely young Sarandon. But Sarandon, though initially easy to seduce (in an erotic lesbian scene) proves to have a will stronger than Miriam's, and Miriam's habit of keeping her collection of ex-lovers cadavers close at hand, proves to be a mistake.

This is a strange film, almost as cold and dispassionate as one might well imagine a vampire to be. It seems to hold the viewer at arms length, not allowing them to experience the emotions of the characters...but the characters, for the most part, are severely lacking in emotion anyway, so the stark emptiness of the film becomes a brilliant mirror. Some vampire enthusiasts might find this boring and confusing, but it's a good effort and not a total loss.

The three main characters are worth watching simply for their amazing beauty and grace. Tony Scott (brother of Ridley) has made a nice, if somewhat bizarre and chilling, work of art here and, like most works of art, it's up for interpretation.

Dream-like horror

Whitley Streiber's highly suspenseful and thematically rich novel is transformed into something entirely different by Tony Scott.

The film is a dream-like arthouse horror pic with diamond-studded production values.

Catherine Deneuve is very, very good as eternal blood drinker Miriam Blaylock. Although it has never been acknowledged (as far as I know), the look and behavior of her screen character is a "re-imagining" of Delphine Seyrig's peerless vampire Countess Bathory from Harry Kummel's 1971 classic DAUGHTERS OF DARKNESS.

David Bowie is superb as Deneve's not-so-immortal beloved and convinces us to emphasize with his condition (he is aging rapidly)

This was Tony Scott's first feature and it is a beautiful piece of work that is rich in texture and design and demonstrates adroit control of cinematic craft.

The sound design and rich catalog of music cues are pitch perfect.

Certainly bearing little resemblance to Streiber's novel (just as Michael Wadleigh's WOLFEN also moved away from same author's source), THE HUNGER is, nevertheless, gorgeous art.

I watched the Hunger in my teens as a young punk in the 80's. Honestly, back then the fact that Bowie, Peter Murphy and vampire lesbianism was in it made it a 'cool' movie.. flash forward to me now and it's nostalgic 80's with lots of bad makeup and a sub par plot. The lighting effects in the movie annoy me as they use a lot of shadows and dim lighting with blurred backgrounds and points of bright lights. I feel like I need to squint while watching it. Anyway the acting is good and the story is good (never read the book). Do you want to live forever? Do you like vampires, do you like over the top 1980's style ? If so then it's worth the watch.

"The Hunger"(1983)by Tony Scott is a stylish vampire flick filled with some wonderful visuals.The film is excellently acted-a stunningly beautiful Catherine Deneuve is truly memorable as Miriam-an ageless vampire and former Egyptian queen.There is plenty of blood and vampire lesbian sex,so everyone who is into horror films or Goth music should see this cult flick.The opening scene with Bauhaus playing "Bela Lugosi is Dead" is priceless!