DAVID BOWIE DOESN'T SUCK IN TONY SCOTT'S 'THE HUNGER'

David Bowie with Catherine Deneuve in THE HUNGER Year: 1983

With quick editing and plenty of steamy close-ups, Tony Scott's movies often felt like music videos – yet this, unlike several of his other (more commercial) projects, is a really good video.

Centering on Catherine Deneuve’s Miriam Blaylock, a gorgeous vampire holed up in a dark mansion with her husband of two thousand years, John, played with a subtle intensity by musician David Bowie, one of the few actors that could act and, halfway through, providing a surprise attack that truly underlines the pinnacle of the film's suspense, and who our dark anti-heroine promised “eternal life" to, which turned out being a gift with a price: After enough time, her lover’s begin aging rapidly: in the course of twenty-four they’re coffin-bound, for keeps. Which is John's dilemna, who tries seeking help a scientist bent on curing the fatal disease where teenagers can die of old age...

Catherine Deneuve in THE HUNGER

Young, tomboy-cute Beth Ehlers plays a cocky teenage girl who takes music lessons from the couple...

In one scene, John asks Miriam: "Who's next? Have you thought about that? Who's to keep you company when I'm gone? I'm sure you have thought about that. Who's it to be... Alice?" But she already has someone older in mind...

Miriam has her own sites on the lovely, determined scientist, Sarah, who, played by Susan Sarandon, provides a vampire’s love interest you don't see in many films, especially from the early 1980's. The bedroom scenes between Deneuve and Sarandon are replete with lustful passion... But it never feels like your typical male fantasy and yet isn't artistically punishing "curious" viewers for wanting to see what the characters truly felt, and desired: Miriam knows exactly what she wants – and sets out to get it.

Beth Ehlers becomes target in THE HUNGER Score: ****

While Tony Scott, in his first theatrical outing, seems comfortable in this Gothic world of murky shadows and edgy prowess, an atmosphere reminiscent of brother Ridley’s neo noir BLADE RUNNER. Each character, even the immortal ones, has a desperate, doomed quality: Especially Bowie, showing deeper emotion in silence than with words. And you’ll feel that anything can happen at any time – as it often does. So if you’re looking for a cliche body count horror flick, this won’t do.

But for an edgy vampire melodrama, THE HUNGER is quite appetizing. And since this was written and no re-blogged, this provides a posthumous dedication to Mr. Bowie: a man who invented 80's music in the 60's and 70's, and whose legacy stretched beyond his lucrative, groundbreaking day job.

Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon lesbian kiss The Hunger lesbian kiss Catherine Deneuve Susan Sarandon

Beth Ehlers takes a snap of a really old statue with what's not yet an iPhone, and it didn't go to Instagram

A young Willem Defoe provides a cameo as a street punk in THE HUNGER Willem Defoe THE HUNGER

Beth Ehlers as Alice Cavender, the couple's street savvy music student

David Bowie The Hunger David Bowie