The Hunger
The Hunger is a British film from 1983, the first to be directed by Tony Scott. The screenplay was written by Ivan Davis and Micheal Thomas, and adapted from Whitley Strieber's novel.
Susan Sarandon plays Dr. Sarah Roberts, a researcher in premature aging who is contacted by John Blaylock (David Bowie) who is in fact the immortal companion of Miriam, a beautiful vampire played by Catherine Deneuve. John was led to believe that he and Miriam would share a life of eternal youth when they met in the 18th Century and is most distressed by the fact that his body is suddenly deteriorating. Miriam, however, has known for some time that she needs a replacement companion. And Sarah is about to walk through the door...
The Hunger contains examples of:
- And I Must Scream: The fate of John and all Miriam's other companions is to be shut in coffins as their bodies age and become more and more frail but never actually die. At the end, they come after her en masse and manage to perish -- leaving her to experience their former fate for herself.
- Animal Testing: Sarah's investigations into the effects of premature aging, and methods of prevention, on chimps.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: Used to great effect, particularly immediately after the opening sequence.
- Depraved Bisexual: Miriam.
- Dramatic Necklace Removal: The ankh-knife pendants.
- Everything's Better with Monkeys: Averted, hard, by Sarah's test subjects.
- Lesbian Vampire: Miriam is a bisexual variant.
- Our Vampires Are Different: No fangs, Miriam has Egyptian origins and prefers a more cutting approach featuring blades concealed in ankh-shaped pendants.
- Rapid Aging
- Really 700 Years Old: Miriam was around when the Sphinx was constructed, and John doesn't look too bad for 200, at least at first.
- Sliding Scale of Adaptation Modification: Type 3. It excises the novel's lengthy flashbacks to Miriam's past (which reveal her kind existed before humans did) and many doomed lovers, but effectively condenses and focuses on the present-day story, though the ending is significantly altered.
- Vampire Dance: The memorable opening scene features Miriam and John picking up a goth couple in a club to take home while Bauhaus perform "Bela Lugosi's Dead".
- Vampires Are Sex Gods
- Would Hurt a Child: John, who murders the young violinist who came to the house regularly for tutoring. It's also implied (outright stated in the novel) that Miriam is grooming the girl to replace him.