365 Days- Day 51

movie: The Hunger
starring: Catherine Denuve, David Bowie
genre: Romance
year: 1983
format: VHS

plot: A centuries old vampire has begun to age rapidly, and searches out a doctor who specializes in genetics.  But, with only 48 hours to find a cure, he ends up having to be entombed in a box, left to live out eternity in strange state of continuing to mummify and still be aware of it.  Meanwhile, his lover who is a vampire who's been around since the beginning of creation, has begun to find a replacement for him, in the form of the female doctor who was trying to help cure him.  The doctor, is then made into a vampire against her will, with little hope to save herself.

This is based on the novel by Whitley Strieber and spawned the short lived television series, which also starred David Bowie.

Cult classic.  This movie is one of the most enduring vampire movies around. It's themes are addiction, illusion, lust, greed, desperation, time, and co-dependence.  
The lead character of Miriam is cold in her approach to humans, but simply unable to spend time without them.  It's not even about the feeding or even the sex as much as it is about the idea that she just can not seem to deal with the thought of being alone. Of not having someone worship her.
The flash backs are short and confusing at times.  We learn that she originally met her husband John (if the mummy count is right, he's lover #7) during the 1700's-1800's, and it seems has told him about the possibility (as we learn the certainty) that he might being to age at some point and becoming a mummified living corpse. You almost get the feeling that the previous lovers were unaware of the fact till it was too late.
This sort of rewrites the myths of vampirism up to that point, dropping the cinema's rules and pulling a bit from folklore (they can be out in the day, they have reflections and can be seen in photos and on video)

what do i think i learned from this film?
Seduction can sometimes come with a price all it's own, just because you are looking to be seduced does not mean that you need to be.  Love, as much as we want to believe is forever, it too will fade.
Energy does not die, but it can be displaced with the idea of time.