Vampiress Review: "The Hunger"

The Gist:  A doctor who researches genetic disorders that rapidly ages people ends up the victim of the disorder herself when a one night stand with a vampire leads to illness and rapid aging. 

Female Vampire Factor: The main vampire in the film is Miriam (Catherine Deneuve). 

She is a lonely romantic with the gift of eternal life while also being cursed with the reality that anyone she tries to turn will rapidly age but not die leaving them as an immobile aging husk.  By mid movie you find out that she has a collection of old lovers that she keeps once they've aged beyond the ability to function. 

Her love interest in the film is Dr Sarah Roberts (Susan Sarandon)

Dr. Roberts is a scientific researcher studying genetic disorders that cause rapid aging in children with the hope of extending their lives.  Miriams lover at the time John (David Bowie) who is rapidly aging himself thanks to being turned by her seeks Sarah out with the hope that she can help him. She ends up blowing him off but regrets it when he ages rapidly in just the time he's left in her waiting room. 

She seeks John out after their encounter but is met with Miriam instead as Miriam by that point had already stored John away after his rapid aging.  Miriam takes a liking to Sarah and sleeps with her ending with Sarah being turned and getting very ill. 

 Final Opinion: While I know this film is considered a classic it is one of those artsy type films that moves very slow and replaces plot development with imagery and pretty camera angles while nothing really happens.  The vampires in this film stab people with a sharp object hidden in a necklace to get their blood which is also a downgrade for me.   During it's day my opinion would be very different since this is a very ambitious film for 1983 considering it has nudity and lesbian undertones but otherwise not really that impressed and can't really recommend it.  I give it a Vampire Beauty Rating of 1 out of 5. 

Vampiress Review: "Night Teeth"

 

The Gist: A young man filling in for his brother as a limo driver is unknowingly placed in the middle of a murder plot consisting of female vampire assassins on a murder spree. 

Female Vampire Factor: The passengers that limo driver Benny is assigned to pick up are two party girls by the name of Blare and Zoe.

Zoe is the brains of the operation.  She's the girlfriend of the vampire boss Victor who is using the two girls to take out his competition.  She's very short tempered and has no issue with killing anyone who crosses her. 

Blare on the other hand comes off more a victim of circumstance.  She goes along with everything Zoe does because Zoe is who created her but is still in tune with her human emotions and bonds with Benny throughout the film to the point that it seems she's into him and how innocent he is and doesn't want to see him harmed in spite of Zoe and Victors plans for him. 

The only other two female vampires in the film come in the form of one of the vampire leaders Grace and her #2

Grace in this case is played by the it girl of the 2010's Meghan Fox.  She doesn't do anything vampiric but you do get to see her in a very sexy outfit and with fangs during her one scene. 

Final Opinion:  Netflix thankfully does seemingly include one original vampire film in it's Halloween lineup and this one was a very pleasant surprise.  While I've never really been a fan of non horror vampire films, especially ones with the "vampires are just supernatural mobsters" premise as I prefer vampires to be something to fear, this one wasn't too bad.  The underlying story that the elite in the city of Los Angeles are really vampires who own the government and the street gangs are actually vampire hunters was a decent twist though not really explored enough to be important to the plot.  From a femme vamp standpoint you get a much better use of Lucy Fry as a vampire than she was used in the box office bomb "Vampire Academy". That as well as vampire Meghan Fox (though nowhere near the non vampiric performance in Jennifers Body) gives this a Vampire Beauty Rating of 3 out of 5.