31 days of Horror: Day Twenty Eight- Thirst

Thirst (1979)

Kate Davis is a modern successful lady. In the evenings she, and her mustachioed lover cavort in front of a blazing fire. Imagine her surprise when she's kidnapped by a well financed secret society, and told she's the last living descendant of Elizabeth Bathory. The secret society is made up people who believe they are a superior race, and that the drinking of blood confers youth and power. To keep a steady supply of the good stuff available the society has set up "farms" like the one Kate is being held at. There dozens of "donors" are held captive, and regularly drained of blood (not enough to kill them) in a mechanized factory farm setting. The "donors" seem dopey, and compliant. Kate is meant to join the society, drink blood, and merge her bloodline with that of another powerful family. She's horrified by the concept, and so is subjected to powerful drug fueled brainwashing sessions.

The resulting movie is both creepy, and intriguing. I was often reminded of the "Prisoner" TV show, where Patrick McGoohan, plays a spy being held captive in a surreal village where you can't tell who the prisoners are, and who are the jailers. Like McGoohan, Kate seemingly escapes a number of times only to discover she's still trapped. And also like McGoohan, her captors use hallucinogenic drugs, and mind control techniques to break her will. The sterile factory setting , and docile "Blood Cows" (as one character calls them) add to the unsettling atmosphere.

The acting is good across the board, with Shirley Cameron standing out as the most ruthless of the Society members. She plays the part with apparent glee. B Movie mainstay Henry Silva is also present, and although he doesn't get a lot to do, he does get a fantastic death.

While Thirst isn't quite as good as George A. Romero's Vampire revisionist masterpiece Martin, it's sure to please fans of Romero's, and Cronenberg' s 70's output.