Thirst
(1979)
review by Head Cheeze

Thirst is a perfect example of the kind of horror film that network television made in the 1970's. From the classic genre plotline (vampires in this case) to a cast of beautiful people more befitting a glitzy prime time soap opera, all neatly presented in a leisurely paced plot perfect for an afternoon viewing. The problem with this is that Thirst was actually a theatrical release, an arena in which many of those elements, especially the slow-moving storyline, are frowned upon by casual viewers and critics, and thus Thirst didn't make much more than a puncture at the box-office. An Australian production that has pretty much lay dormant lo these past 30 years, Elite Entertainment has sought fit to resurrect Robin Hardy's Dynasty-cum-Soylent Green minorpiece for the proper arena; the television set.

Kate (Davis) is a young professional who is suddenly besieged by a group of upper crust vamperati who believe her to be a member of an elite vampire family bloodline. Kate is taken and held captive at what amounts to be a blood farm, where captive humans are forced to "donate" voluminous amounts of blood like cattle and provide these toothless and ruthless superior beings with pasteurized plasma for the parasite on the go. This blood farm is one of many around the world, we are told, thus lending a sense of enormity to the rather small scale (and low-budget) goings on here. Kate is then subjected to druggings, force-feedings, and grisly rituals amongst the vampire cult.

Thirst is a pretty pedestrian affair, with the occasional scare and some creepy special effects that will entertain fans of the latter day Hammer flicks, but it may prove to slow and deliberate for others. The film's main problem is that it reveals virtually evertything within the first act, so watching it until completion is merely a formality. We meet Kate, we meet the vampire cult, we see the blood farm, and are told Kate may or may not be a descendent of a great vampire family. After that, well, it's just a jumble of very long hallucinations, exposition, and chase scenes. The vampires aren't particularly frightening, since they aren't really vampires so much as a cult of old folks in cardigans who drink blood out of champagne glasses. Still, I liked the concept quite a bit, especially the bit about the blood farms, and I guess I enjoyed the movie for it's potential more than anything else.

Elite presents the film in a very sharp digital widescreen transfer with a bundle of extras including a commentary track with Hardy and producer Tony Ginnane, a stills gallery and an isolated soundtrack by Brian May that sounds superb and is actually a very welcome extra! The disc also has the essential filmographies and trailers, rounding out a nice package.

While Thirst isn't exactly a white-knuckle joyride of a film, it is a fairly effective little thriller with a great cast (including Blowup and Profondo Rosso star David Hemming) and a really cool if not underused concept.

It doesn't suck, which may be a bit of the problem.