Review of The Hunger (1983) by Alissa B — 28 Mar 2009

So what you may not know is that circa 1983, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon made a vampire movie. What you also may not know - is that it's pretty &^#*$& awesome.

This movie was probably regarded as mediocre-to-downright-suckfest when it was released, and was probably relegated in most people's memories as just another shining example of how Susan Sarandon can't make it through a movie fully clothed.

But now it's time to celebrate it I think because this movie (2nd to Purple Rain) needs to be regarded as a time capsule for 80's style and GOOD 80's style. BEAUTIFUL 80's style. I'm being dead serious when I say that you could freeze any frame of this movie and put it on your wall and it would be GORGEOUS.

There's a scene of black garbage bags melted to dead people's faces inside a furnace that's sort of just unspeakably fascinating to look at (SHINY BLACK FLAMES). And also on the non-macabre side of things - there's just gorgeous people in sunglasses and netted veils looking all sorts of vintage goth. Cue the billowing draperies and the 1000 doves flying inside of rooms for no reason... and you've got yourself a cold-pure American 1980's capturing of a now dead and way unappreciated visual style.

The pace was sort of off - the first half was sort of good in that it was slow and moody - the last half sort of went crazy and accelerated and accelerated till I'm 100% sure I still don't even UNDERSTAND the ending... but whatever.

This is just a gorgeous film to look at - I forgive it all the rest, even the moments where it felt like a music video for Skinamax. It had a lovely mood.

(Also, as a side note for movie geeks - making an early appearance in the role of "2nd Phone Booth Youth" is a very young Willem Defoe.).

CHECK IT OUT.