‘Thirst’ - blood sucking hilarity oozing from the pulpit!
Posted by Ms Harker | Filed under Horror Films
So after months of waiting, of tolerating the Cannes Festival gushing, of the trickling release dates across the USA, Thirst debuted in Melbourne last night at the Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) and yours truly braved the biting cold for some fangtastic Korean vamp action!
The film was sold out, so the theater was packed to the rafters, which made for classic gasps and squeals at suitably sanguinary moments.
Director Park Chan-wook delivered some stunning visuals, using classic images such as falling blossoms, seascapes and his use of light and dark, created an environment that slowly closed in as the madness ensued. The collage of images which represented the turning of the Priest into vampire was one of my favourite sections of the film. Although this took a leap of faith from the audience and was explained very abruptly in a single scene; then off we went on a blood soaked roller coaster ride of mah-jong, oppressive mother in laws, in your face copulation, feeding off coma patients and a lot (and I mean a lot) of moist sucking noises, echoing throughout the cinema!
The film has some definite grotesque moments, bones cracking, arterial squirts, fish hooks and arm pit licking (keep an eye out for that one!). Although the story is about the Priests fall from grace, his descent into moral depravity due to his thirst for blood and the pleasures of the flesh, it maintains some moments of classic Korean slapstick and humour. Not always taking itself seriously, making for a wild ride of raunch, giggles and gore!
Despite the distinct lack of over sized incisors, it maintains tradition, there will be no going out in the sun for this vamp, however Park Chan-wook turns the eroticism and the romance of the vampire into an entirely psychotic affair . Thirst is a fangtastic addition to vampire genre films.
Ms Harker
Tags: Asian Horror, Horror Films, Vampire
4 Responses to “‘Thirst’ - blood sucking hilarity oozing from the pulpit!”
-
B-Sol Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 12:42 pmVery interesting! This movie was actually the original inspiration for my recent “top 10 religious horrors” list…
-
Ms Harker Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 4:04 pmThe religious stuff takes a back seat in the second half of the film, once the toe sucking and arm pit licking starts. However the moral message wins in the end.. if you lick arm pits you burn in hell. I think there is something in that for all of us.
-
Will Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 9:59 pmAwesome that you got to see this! Sounds good, although the arm pit licking is kinda odd. I’m still jealous that you managed to see this one though, here’s hoping I can catch it somewhere at sometime!
-
Ms Harker Says:
July 27th, 2009 at 11:19 amIts due for release in the USA on 31/07, so shouldn’t be far away for you. You have to see it, its hilarious yet chilling! With some stunning images… don’t tell anyone but I have a thing for Asian blossom trees!
