The Hunger (1983) - T. Scott's under-appreciated, erotic horror masterpiece

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The sensuous and the menacing meet in this striking, highly detailed poster for Tony Scott's The Hunger

In New York an immortal, beautiful woman lives with her vampire lover, who suddenly starts aging at a rapid speed. An aging-focused scientist is sought out and starts to overtake the man's position...

The Hunger is written by James Costigan (On Borrowed Time (1957)) and Michael Thomas (Countryman (1982)), adapting the same-titled 1981 novel by Whitley Strieber (The Wolfen (1978)), and directed by English master filmmaker Tony Scott (Loving Memory (1971)), whose 2nd feature it was.

Scott's finest film, The Hunger is a visual treat, (cinematography by Stephen Goldblatt (For the Boys (1991))), hyper-stylized with dream compositions and lights, beautiful sound work and music choices, (score by Denny Jaeger (What Waits Below (1984)) and Michel Rubini (Manhunter (1986))). Susan Sarandon (Lovin' Molly (1974)), otherworldly beautiful Catherine Deneuve (Changing Times/Les Temps qui Changent (2004)) and über-cool David Bowie (Zoolander (2001)) give formidable performances. The make-up jobs are unparalleled, the special effects radical and troubling.

The film's handling of its central themes of immortality and love seems to encourage its audience to take on and rejoice in our own mortality. The Hunger is a fierce and absolutely fantastic masterpiece.

 

Related posts:
 
Tony Scott: Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer)  

Unstoppable (2010) - T. Scott's mechanically exciting final movie
Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!
Domino (2005) - T. Scott's bounty-hunter biopic a complete misfire, mega-flop  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Enemy of the State (1998) - T. Scott, Bruckheimer, Marconi ahead of their time in outing NSA in exciting thriller 

Days of Thunder (1990) or, Very Little Thunder

 

 

Scott talks about making the film many years later in a video here

Cost: Reportedly 10 mil. $

Box office: Reportedly 10.2 mil. $

= Huge flop (returned 1.02 times its cost)

[The Hunger was released 29 April (USA) and runs 97 minutes. Shooting took place from March 1982 - ? in New York and in England, including in London. SPOILER The final balcony scene with Sarandon's character was a studio-mandated addition. The film opened #5, behind holdover hit Flashdance, fellow new release Something Wicked This Way Comes, holdover hit Tootsie and fellow new release Valley Girl, to a 1.8 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it grossed 5.9 mil. $ (57.8 % of the total gross). Roger Ebert gave it a 1.5/4 star review, translating to 5 notches under this one. Scott returned with Top Gun (1986). Deneuve returned in Le Bon Plaisir (1984); Bowie in Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983); and Sarandon in The Buddy System (1984). The Hunger is rotten at 55 % with a 5.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

 

What do you think of The Hunger? 

Enemy of the State (1998) - T. Scott, Bruckheimer, Marconi ahead of their time in outing NSA in exciting thriller

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+ Best Action-Thriller of the Year + Best Political Movie of the Year + Best Washington DC Movie of the Year

The stars look apprehensive on this undeniably unimpressive poster for Tony Scott's Enemy of the State

A strong Washington DC lawyer experiences a former school buddy confiding his troubles to him before he expires in a wild accident. Soon our man comes in possession of a tape of a murder. - And as a result becomes a hunted man.

Enemy of the State is the 11th film by English master filmmaker Tony Scott (The Hunger (1983)), written by David Marconi (Collision (2013)). It sports an unusually strong cast and is a high-charged political action-thriller, which hooks with intense scenes between Jason Robards (Parenthood (1989)) and Jon Voight (The Champ (1979)), who plays the super-villain here. Will Smith (Shark Tale (2004)), Philip Baker Hall (In Good Company (2004)) and Gene Hackman (Superman (1978)) are such professionals that the plot works even when it becomes a bit contrived and feeds us unlikely strikes of luck. As with several other Scott films in the action-thriller genre, Enemy of the State is edited at a fast pace throughout, which at times becomes exasperating.
The issue of the right to privacy versus the consideration for national security continues to be a mined and hot topic. In Enemy of the State, the evil, governmental mass-surveillance side, as represented by the NSA, attain an almost Communist glow, - they steal our protagonist's blender and seem to have a wish to literally own everything, - which is a clever perspective in an already very entertaining film.

Related reviews:
 
Tony Scott: Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer)  

Unstoppable (2010) - T. Scott's mechanically exciting final movie
Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!
Domino (2005) - T. Scott's bounty-hunter biopic a complete misfire, mega-flop  

1998 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess 

Days of Thunder (1990) or, Very Little Thunder

Watch a short trailer for the film here

Cost: 90 mil. $
Box office: 250.6 mil. $
= Box office success
[Enemy of the State premiered 18 November (New York) and runs 132 minutes. Smith declined to star in Brian De Palma's Snake Eyes (1998) in preference for Enemy of the State. Shooting took place in Maryland, mostly in Baltimore, and in Washington DC and California from November 1997 - April 1998. The film opened # 2, behind The Rugrats Movie, to a 20 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it 'had legs', spending a total of 4 weeks in the top 5 and grossed 111.5 mil. $ (44.5 % of the total gross). Comparisons were drawn between this and Hackman's turn in Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed, similarly themed The Conversation (1974). Roger Ebert agreed with Film Excess in awarding the film 3/4 stars. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has announced that he is producing a TV-series based on the film. Enemy of the State is fresh at 71 % with a 6.4 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Enemy of the State?

Unstoppable (2010) - T. Scott's mechanically exciting final movie

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This poster for Tony Scott's Unstoppable is similar in its fiery style to past posters for speed-themed action movies such as Speed (1994)

 

A series of mistakes make a huge train full of dangerous chemicals and fuel race along without steering towards a string of larger cities. A veteran railroad engineer and a newly begun same pick up the challenge; to try to derail a catastrophe about to happen!

 

For the train and/or mechanically interested in general, Unstoppable has sequences that cultivates that mechanical fascination that will make the diaphragm tighten in suspense. English master filmmaker Tony Scott (The Hunger (1983)), whose 17th and last movie this is, - before his tragic 2012 suicide, - creates a fundamental excitement that works, up to a point. - Because we never really believe that things will evolve as catastrophically as projected. And because leads Chris Pine (Star Trek Beyond (2016)) and Denzel Washington's (Flight (2012)) family sup-blots continue to be distant and uninteresting.

Mark Bomback (Live Free or Die Hard (2007)) has written the script, based on a real 2001 incident in Ohio, which has its stakes raised drastically for the film. Rosario Dawson (Death Proof (2007)) is good as a train yardmaster. Unstoppable feels thick, but Scott keeps it mostly on its tracks.

 

Related reviews:
 
Tony Scott: Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer)  
Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!
Domino (2005) - T. Scott's bounty-hunter biopic a complete misfire, mega-flop  

Days of Thunder (1990) or, Very Little Thunder

Watch an interview with Chris Pine for the movie here

Cost: 85 - 100 mil. $

Box office: 167.8 mil. $

= Big flop

[Unstoppable premiered October 26 (Westwood, LA) and runs 98 minutes. Negotiations with Washington for the film fell through once, as Fox wanted him to accept 16 instead of 20 mil. $. Scott was also asked to cut his salary from 9 to 6 mil. $. Filming took place from August - November 2009 in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, California and New York. Production was halted for one day in November, as part of the train accidentally derailed. As with Scott's previous film, the remake The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009), - also a big flop, and a little bit more mediocre, - Unstoppable is a run-amok train action movie with Washington as an everyday type of guy hero. The film opened #2, behind holdover hit Megamind, to a 22.6 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it stayed in the top 5 for a total of 5 weeks and grossed 81.5 mil. $ (48.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were Japan with 12.8 mil. $ (7.6 %) and China with 9.8 mil. $ (5.8 %). The film was nominated for the Best Sound Editing Oscar, which it lost to Inception. Unstoppable is certified fresh at 87 % with a 6.9 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Unstoppable?

Days of Thunder (1990) or, Very Little Thunder

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The flashy poster for Tony Scott's Days of Thunder doesn't exactly sell its star Tom Cruise short

QUICK REVIEW:

The prince of racing and his ups and downs.

Thunder presents a thick story that's simultaneously a thin story, you might say. Tom Cruise (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)) is terrific from first shot, while Randy Quaid (Not Another Teen Movie (2001)) and Robert Duvall (True Confessions (1981)) yell and scream, respectively, while trotting around in the background in this dull case, which is an obvious attempt to make a new Top Gun (1986), only in new surroundings.
Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut (1999)) has charm as Cruise's love interest, - the two got married off-camera in 1990, (and divorced 11 years later), - and the two, understandably, have good chemistry here, but Kidman's role in Thunder is far beneath her talent. And that is a general problem for this weak, only slightly interesting serving of sports nonsense.
It was written by Robert Towne (Shampoo (1975)), with Cruise supplying story elements, and directed by the late English master filmmaker Tony Scott (The Hunger (1983)).
- Not much thunder in this vehicle.

Related reviews:
 
Tony Scott: Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer)  
Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!
Domino (2005) - T. Scott's bounty-hunter biopic a complete misfire, mega-flop

Watch the original trailer for the film here

Cost: 60 mil. $
Box office: 157.9 mil. $
= Box office success
[Days of Thunder was released June 27 and runs 108 minutes. It was shot in Daytona and Charlotte, North Carolina from January - May 1990, going no less than 3 months over schedule. The shoot was fraught with problems and a team of producers, Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, writer Towne and director Scott, who argued a lot and, reportedly especially the former three, increased the spendings drastically with outrageous production decisions like building a private gym for themselves, giving away designer dresses to woo women, building sets multiple times, throwing expensive parties and pressing cast and crew members to work (expensive) overtime. The result was a nearly doubled budget that could have posed a serious problem for them all. But the film opened #1 to 15.4 mil. $ in North America, where it grossed 82.6 mil. $ (52.3 % of the total gross). The film was Oscar-nominated for Best Sound, losing to Dances with Wolves (1990). It was also successful on video, making at least an additional 40 mil. $ there. - But the bloated budget and diminished quality of the film still makes its success much smaller than Top Gun's, which made back its budget almost 24 times, (Thunder only did so 2.6 times.) Days of Thunder is rotten at 38 % with a 4.8 critical average on Rotten Tomatoes.]

What do you think of Days of Thunder?

Domino (2005) - T. Scott's bounty-hunter biopic a complete misfire, mega-flop

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+ Worst Poster of the Year  

Keira Knightley, now obviously a shotgun-toting action heroine, on one of the lazily done and very uninspiring posters for Tony Scott's Domino

QUICK REVIEW:

A cool team of bounty hunters somehow become a reality TV series, but then get mixed up with a Vegas billionaire and a mob boss, SPOILER and everyone dies.

Domino is based on real-life model turned bounty hunter Domino Harvey, but how much of what happens in the film has any connection to reality is unclear. Unfortunately, by the end of the fatiguing, dull film, I didn't care at all.
Because what is Tony Scott's (The Hunger (1983)) Domino, written by Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko (2001))? - An action movie? Nah... - A heist movie? Not really... - A thriller? Far from it... The film is like a failed mix of all these things.
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler (2008)) spits out his lines in the film, so that they glimmer of coolness, and the story does take some fun detours, like the bit about The First Ladies and Ian Ziering and Brian Austin Green (Beverly Hills, 90210 (1990-00), both) playing themselves.
But mostly, Scott's 127 minutes long Domino is a stressful, flashing, music-video-like creation, sure to be counted among the late, English master filmmaker's worst.

Related review:
Tony Scott:  Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer) 

Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!

2005 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I] 

Watch the horrible trailer for the film here

Cost: 50 mil. $
Box office: 22.9 mil. $
= Mega-flop
[Fox, who had a refusal deal with Scott, must count themselves lucky that they decided to forgo any involvement in Domino. The real Domino was paid a huge sum for the rights to her story, but as a drug addict, this obviously backfired: Before the film opened, she died from a drug overdose.  Scott has said that the film is among his favorites of his own. He also committed suicide, 7 years after the release, in 2012. Domino's release was delayed several times, and the film eventually opened to bad reviews and a dismal 4.6 mil. $ opening weekend in North America, where it only played for 4 weeks, grossing 10.1 mil. $ (44 % of the total gross).]

What do you think of Domino?

Déjà Vu (2006) - T. Scott cuts a helluva suspense-cake!

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+ Best New Orleans Movie of the Year + Best Car Chase of the Year (chase in the past scene)

The suspense-promising poster for Tony Scott's Déjà Vu

QUICK REVIEW:

During the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, a ferry with hundreds of passengers gets blown up by a domestic terrorist. ATF agent Doug Carlin investigates and finds a way to possibly hinder the attack from ever happening in the first place!

One of English master director Tony Scott's (The Hunger (1983)) best films, Déjà Vu is an exciting and wild film, (SPOILER especially the car chase in the past is spectacular), written by Bill Marsilii (The Wind in the Willows (announced)) and Terry Rossio (Shrek (2001)), basically around one of the oldest narrative premises in the world: Can you alter you own fate?
The time travel perspectives are intriguing and sophisticated; Scott's (and cinematographer Paul Cameron's (Collateral (2004))) images and the sound universe (score by Harry Gregson-Williams (Veronica Guerin (2003)) ) are incredibly well-made.
Denzel Washington (Flight (2012)) in the lead seems to play the character he has played a thousand times before, but he still does it well. Val Kilmer's (Heat (1995)) head has grown with the years, but he also plays well here in this exciting science fiction action-thriller.
Scott tragically ended his own life in 2012. His last film was the train-set thriller Unstoppable (2010). 

Related posts:

Tony Scott: Stoker (2013) - Chan-wook Park's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns (producer) 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II] 

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch the awesome trailer for Déjà Vu here

Cost: 75 mil. $
Box office: 180.5 mil. $
= Minor flop
[Behind the scenes of this Jerry Bruckheimer production that was mostly shot on locations in New Orleans before and after Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc in the city, the screenwriters and Scott had fall-outs. The enormous real-life disaster came to influence the tightly scheduled film. Déjà Vu opened a disappointing #3 in the US, where it made 'just' 64 mil. $ (35 % of the total gross). It was a big hit elsewhere; in the UK, it made a hefty 4.9 mil. £.]

What do you think of Déjà Vu?
What are your favorite 3 Tony Scott films?
(Mine are The Hunger, True Romance (1993) and Déjà Vu)

Stoker (2013) - Park Chan-wook's over-styled American debut revolts and bores in turns

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Half-faced Matthew Goode and Nicole Kidman and an eerie, full-faced Mia Wasikowska seated for Chan-wook Park's Stoker

At a country residence which looks (just like the family that lives there) like something from a long-gone European past, a nervous and spiteful young girl and her selfish mother have an up until then unknown, self-satisfied uncle Charlie on visit after the family's patriarch's death in an accident.

Stoker is a horrible film, incredibly overrated (6.9 critic-average score on Rotten Tomatoes), and I think many critics carry their curious awe of its Korean director Chan-wook Park (Oldboy (2003)) on them like a lead jacket with regards to it and are afraid to see through the tiring, artsy jumble that is really served here.
The film has energetic photography (by Chung-hoon Chung (Thirst (2009)), but it's all (unfortunately) wasted on futile gimmicks. The characters are dilly-dallying around, while the protagonist (exciting young Australian actress Mia Wasikowska (In Treatment (2008), TV-series), who I like just as much as anybody) remains hateful and introverted, until she at last proves herself SPOILER just as callous and heinous as the rest of her family, as she starts killing at random.
Stoker also has disgusting, depraved scenes (SPOILER like when our anti-heroine masturbates to her murder fantasy) and an odd, extreme silence through its 3rd act.
Since seeing Oldboy, which didn't at all stun me like it did so many others, I haven't watched Park's films until now with Stoker, which is his first film in English. It is written by actor Wentworth Miller (Prison Break (2005-09)) and was a Blacklist [Internet screenplay database service] entry in 2010. 
In my opinion, it's a deadly boring show in hollow style, unnatural design, depravity and bad atmosphere. It is also, tragically, one of the last films produced by Tony Scott (Top Gun (1986)), (along with his brother Ridley Scott and 7 other producers), who, tragically, committed suicide in the Summer of 2012.

Related posts:

2013 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED VI]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]  
2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Watch the trailer for this wrongly hailed 'Hitchcockian' film here

Cost: 12 mil. $
Box office: 12 mil. $
= Flop
[Stoker only made 1.7 mil. $ of its total gross in the States, which is disappointing, seeing as it is Park's first English-speaking film, shot in America, with big stars. It fared better abroad, although it is unreported where especially.]

What do you think of Stoker?
If you are familiar with more of Chan-wook Park's work, please share your knowledge and feelings in a comment