The Hunger (1983)

The Egyptian vampire lady Miriam subsists upon the blood of her lovers. In return the guys or girls don't age... until Miriam has enough of them. Unfortunately that's currently the case ... See full summary »

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

Ivan Davis (screenplay), Michael Thomas (screenplay),

Stars:

Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Catherine Deneuve	...	Miriam Blaylock
David Bowie	...	John Blaylock
Susan Sarandon	...	Sarah Roberts
Cliff De Young	...	Tom Haver
Beth Ehlers	...	Alice Cavender
Dan Hedaya	...	Lieutenant Allegrezza
Rufus Collins	...	Charlie Humphries
Suzanne Bertish	...	Phyllis
James Aubrey	...	Ron
Ann Magnuson	...	Young Woman from Disco
John Stephen Hill	...	Young Man from Disco
Shane Rimmer	...	Arthur Jelinek
Bauhaus	...	Disco Group
Douglas Lambert	...	TV Host
Bessie Love	...	Lillybelle

Storyline

The Egyptian vampire lady Miriam subsists upon the blood of her lovers. In return the guys or girls don't age... until Miriam has enough of them. Unfortunately that's currently the case with John, so his life expectancy is below 24 hours. Desperately he seeks help from the famous Dr. Sarah Roberts. She doesn't really belive his story, but becomes curious and contacts Miriam ... and gets caught in her ban, too.

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Plot Keywords:

vampire | blood | doctor | sex | aging | 

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Taglines:

Nothing Human Loves Forever

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 April 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

El ansia

Filming Locations:

Senate House, University College London, Malet Street, Bloomsbury, London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$4,800,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Peerford Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In The Celluloid Closet, the 1995 documentary about the history of homosexuality in film, actress Susan Sarandon said that the screenplay for The Hunger originally called for her to be demonstrably drunk in the lead-up to her sex scene with Catherine Deneuve, but Sarandon asked for it to be changed so that her character had only a single sip of wine and then spilled the rest of the glass. She said she wanted to make it clear that her character was choosing to have sex with Miriam instead of doing it because of the alcohol, and also because "you wouldn't have to get drunk to bed Catherine Deneuve, I don't care what your sexual history to that point had been".

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Goofs

During the quick cuts when John attacks Alice, blood splashes on the sheet music. A few cuts later, the music stand is kicked to the floor, and the open pages are now blood-free. The unstained pages are seen again at the end of the sequence (in a fade effect that reinstates their blood stains).

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Quotes

[first lines]
John Blaylock: No ice.

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Connections

References Repulsion (1965)

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Soundtracks

"Funtime"
Written by David Bowie and Iggy Pop
Performed by Iggy Pop

User Reviews

Stylish Vampire Movie- Love Is Eternal While It Lasts

In New York City, the lovers Miriam Blaylock (Catherine Deneuve) and John (David Bowie) are vampires that survive through time under the Egyptian symbol of Ankh. When John starts an accelerated aging process, he seeks the specialist Dr. Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon). However, he does not survive, and Miriam selects Sarah to be her next lover.

"The Hunger" is one of the best vampire movies ever made. I recall when I saw this movie for the first time, in an art cinema in Rio de Janeiro, and later at least three times on VHS. Now on DVD, this stylish film improves with the fantastic melancholic and artistic atmosphere, with a magnificent music score and wonderful cinematography. This movie is totally underrated in IMDb since it is one of the most beautiful vampire movies ever made, actually a masterpiece of the genre. Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon have overwhelming performances in this unforgettable movie. The remarkable scene of the lesbian love of Miriam and Sarah is among the most erotic in the cinema history, never being vulgar. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Fome de Viver" ("Hunger for Living")