Review of The Hunger (1983) by Alan L — 02 Nov 2008

Tony Scott lives by the jump cut, flashing between dissassociate nerdy scenes (chamber quartets, disco-clubs, monkeys in cages, TV talk show interviews, Bowie in a shower) in a somewhat painful, somewhat inexplicable showy need to drive a plot without a consistent POV.

But, hey, there have been plenty of vampire stories told in other ways, and since we might better tolerate the simulteneity of location in a graphic novel, lets enjoy it in this not entirely subtle genre exercise.

Sure they might never utter "nosferatu", but there's never any confusion that you're watching "Anne Rice: the masquerade, new york yuppie power scene version." There's a little bit of the Vampyros Lesbos going down here, and a strange Egyptian angle.

But the whole "Sarandon is a doctor studying aging in primates" part comes off as a great academic tie-in, even if they never find a way to relate her science to the supernatural happenings with the vampires.

Too bad, that was the big mystery we wanted them to tie up.