I am not going to lie, David Bowie is really the only reason to watch this movie. I mean I have been on a Bowie kick as of late with most of my trivia hosting comprising of Bowie songs in between rounds, watching the Prestige and even catching the 35mm print of The Man Who Fell To Earth at the Drafthouse. Also I am really hoping that I win the bidding for the Craig Drake screen print of David Bowie from The Hunger, I mean it’s a fucking gorgeous print. Take a look!
Damn that is sexy as hell. I really hope I can get a hold of this print. Anyways let’s jump into the lesbo vampire, David Bowie flick.
The exquisitely beautiful Catherine Deneuve plays Miriam, a centuries-old vampire capable of bestowing the gift of immortality on her lovers — namely her current partner John (David Bowie). To sustain their sanguinary requirements, the pair cruises New York nightclubs in search of victims (as illustrated in a stunning opening sequence to the accompaniment of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” performed by seminal Goth band Bauhaus). When John awakens one morning to discover telltale signs of aging, it is revealed that his own sustained youth is not permanent, and his physical decrepitude begins to increase at an incredible rate. In a panic, John visits the clinic of scientist Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon), who has recently published a book on reversing the aging process, but she initially dismisses him as a crank, leaving him to sit in the lobby for several hours… during which his body ages several decades. After learning of his condition, Sarah traces John to his uptown flat. John is nowhere to be found, having been consigned by Miriam to a box in the attic with her legions of undead loves, leaving Miriam to deal with Sarah — which she does quite effectively, seducing her into a steamy lesbian tryst. Their passion is consummated by a mingling of Miriam’s blood with Sarah’s, which later manifests itself as a psychic link between the two women and leaves Sarah with a rapidly-increasing appetite for blood. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi
Man, I was really hoping for a sexier vampire movie, but The Hunger ended up leaving me hungry for more than just a pure style movie instead of giving me just a bit more substance. I mean any substance would have done in this Tony Scott movie. For me, both the female leads weren’t typically inspiring or really captivating, except during their tryst, but Bowie absolutely steals the film for me. Something about that man is incredibly mesmerizing.
I enjoyed the concept of The Hunger, a vampire struggling to hold on to his youth through helping Miriam get new lovers to satiate her hunger. The biggest sell of the movie and really the general thing that most remember about the movie is the hookup between Sarandon and Deneuve, which is nice and all, but the performance by Bowie is overlooked because of that. John is the center of the film, a man conflicted with wanting more of the eternal youth he has been granted, but also having to face a rapid aging side effect from his constant need for youth. It’s a decision as to whether he comes to terms with his predicament that Miriam has left him with. Watching him age is startling, even a bit unreal to witness as he ages in the movie in minutes, aging decades in one moment.
The British vampire flick is stylish and chic to look at, which is nice since you aren’t going to get a very deep film or subject matter exploration. You would have a better time reading the novel if you want more characterizations, but on the surface, it’s an 80s flick with a nice veneer of style. Sarandon and Deneuve are really just breath taking to watch, but there doesn’t seem to be much in the way of development from their characters. Deneuve seduces and saunters around the screen, gobbling up her lovers and using Bowie’s character as the toy that he is. Bowie really just steals the show for me and I want this man to be in a lot more movies. Maybe a Nikola Tesla film, you know, just have him reprise his role from The Prestige.
