When Gen-X Ruled the Multiplex Ep.90: The Hunger

A look at Tony Scott's impossibly stylish 1983 vampire film, which starred David Bowie, Catherine Deneuve, and Susan Sarandon.

[@reikun86]

I love the opening to this movie. So moody and Bauhaus was a great choice. Tony Scott knew how to set the tone for his films. I don’t know why, but Willem Dafoe asking Susan Sarandon if she’s done with the phone always brings a smile to my face. 😊

[@CaptGage]

i never have seen this whole movie, but I love Ann Magnuson. I even loved her on Picard. Of course, Catherine Deneuve is nice too.

[@kojikicklighter371]

The hunger is one of those spare, minimalistic films that doesn't insult your intelligence by over explaining itself, or being obvious(ie, we don't hear the word vampire, but the opening scene is a performance piece of Bella Lugosi's Dead). The visuals to me are the story. This is one of the rare instances where I enjoy Catherine Deneuve, who I usually find blank and offputting in other films(Belle de Jour paricularly). For some reason, I associate The Hunger with Choose Me(1984) - another stylized film, that isn't plot driven.

[@thomasfranche6770]

Did you know that the 90s lesbian magazine Curve was originally called Deneuve Magazine, inspired by the lesbian sex scene from this movie ? Catherine Deneuve sued and they changed the name.

[@gretaenglish3519]

Yay, you reviewed this one! This film is so visually striking that I don't mind the style over substance. I enjoyed re-watching it several weeks back. Thanks for another great one. :-))

[@D_isco_D_ancer]

I saw this film back in the day but I don't remember having finished it. I saw it on VHS, not in the cinema. The reason to watch it was because everyone was raving more about Deneuve than Bowie. She definitely had more star power amongst the cinematheque crowd than Bowie. I can remember finishing it for the same explanation that you gave. It was so stylized that after a while visually there weren't any ups or downs, Visually there was no story told and cinema is mostly a visual journey. that is what separates a great director from a Master. The light design in this film manages to extend the gradient of light from pure light to pure darkness in every shot. It's quite bizarre and offputting after a while. That sensation reminded me of the era pre-computer that graphic designers wanted to do everything with airbrushes.

[@4Mr.Crowley2]

I’ve been a Bowie gal for decades, and I loved watching his beautiful bone structure bathed in the elegant, cool lighting of this film. It’s a gift we Bowie fans can hold onto! Thank you Morgan! Loved it!

[@Britcarjunkie]

You got me! I have never heard of this one...though I do have a Partick Nagel print. 🙂 I've never really been into vampire films, BUT - I do have a VHS copy of "Innocent Blood"... People don't realize that Mr. Bowie was in quite a few films. I don't think I've seen all of his performances, but I do have copies (also on VHS - hey, I'm old!) of "Merry Christmas, Mister Lawrence", and "Into The Night", both of which I'm sure to see you talk about in the future, along with "Innocent Blood"...

[@thomasswafford250]

Have you seen Daughters of Darkness 1971? It parallels this movie a great deal. In the Whitney Strieber book on which The Hunger is based, Sarah dies, and Miriam takes a new lover, but refuses to convert him not wanting to go through what she did with John. However, in the movie, Daughters of Darkness, the Miriam character dies and the young woman she was grooming for her lover has taken her place meeting and grooming a young couple.

[@brandonboyle8159]

Will have to check this one out

[@daniellewillis2767]

Yeah, we had the coolest flicks..

[@CaptGage]

@Morgan Have you done any '80s Bond movies?

[@reikun86]

She did a video to A View to a Kill. It was actually the first Bond film I ever watched as a kid.

[@CaptGage]

@@reikun86 Oh yeah, how could I be so forgetful? She said Christopher Walken's villain, Max Schreck, didn't have enough to do.

[@reikun86]

@@CaptGage I also felt like he was under-used. Grace Jones really stood out when I was a kid.

[@burgersuperking]

Real horror in this movie is dry cleaning costs for all her YSL drip.

[@lesleyrussell8200]

the goth club was decorated in a gay music club in london called heaven,,

[@Blumoon_vii]

High

[@i_kill_for_zardoz]

You should check out 1985's "Mischief" which is set in the 50s While billed as a classic teen sex comedy (and there is some of that with a gorgeous Kelly Preston), there is so much more to the film than just teen sex hijinks. There is a real friendship that develops between the local nerdy kid and the new "cool kid", and the soundtrack is great. Very underrated forgotten film.