The Hunger (1983)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Tony Scott

Writers:

James Costigan (writer)
Ivan Davis (writer)

Release Date:

29 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Romance

Tagline:

Nothing Human Loves Forever

Plot:

The Egyptian vampire lady Miriam subsists upon the blood of her lovers. In return the guys or girls don't age...

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Blood | Doctor | Sex | Aging

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Catherine Deneuve	...	Miriam
David Bowie	...	John
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

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:R21 (cut) | Iceland:16 | Finland:K-16 (1989) | Finland:K-18 (1983) | Portugal:M/16 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Norway:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

David Bowie actually learned to play the cello for his music scenes.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene when Miriam offers the drink to Sarah, Sarah is standing in front of a bust depicting Miriam. The camera pans between the two a total of three times. The third time, when Sarah takes a sip of her drink, the bust is not there.

Quotes:

[first lines]
John Blaylock: No ice.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Vengeance Is Mine: Reinventing 'Man on Fire' (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Bela Lugosi Is Dead

Totally Eighties

Before embarking onto this one, you must decide whether or not you enjoy films which look like a very extended (and quite expensive) MTV video clip of the early to mid 80's. If you don't, don't bother with this, it'll probably annoy you greatly. If you do, you're in for an indulgent visual ride and great entertainment, because every frame in Tony Scott's cult classic is carefully planned, beautifully orchestrated and wonderfully filmed - from the iconic opening sequence through to the heavily filtered last shot, it's polished until it gleams. Production design is given full reign and is faultless - the sets, lighting and costumes work fabulously with the soundtrack and the editing, creating a very recognisable style which is a genuine product of the trend aesthetics of the decade in question. And there's an added bonus of knowing use of music - this being the film that "relaunched" the Delibes' Lakme aria, paving the way for it becoming a monster classipop hit it is today. The film also employs Ravel at his most frozenly emotional,and, to stunning effect, Deneuve at arguably her most frozenly beautiful. One of those films remembered for perfectly encapsulating the visual style of its times.