Saturday, April 18, 2020

Thirst, Vampire Dairy in Australia

You want to be a vampire? Goths aside, most would say no. Saying no, however, may not be an answer readily accepted. There are, apparently, a select few who are destined for this lifestyle...especially those direct descendants of  Countess Elizabeth Bathory. Throw in a human blood farm, a gratuitous shower in blood scene, and some fangs and we have a neat horror flick from Australia, 1979's "Thirst," directed by Rod Hardy.
Kate (Chantal Contouri) is a sultry and wealthy cosmetics executive. Unbeknownst to her, she is also a direct descendant of Countess Bathory. Unfortunately for our beauty, a cult of vampires, who run a human blood dairy, want her to mate with a schmuck named Hodge (Max Phipps). Guess who Hodge is a direct descendant of. They abduct Kate with the goal of getting her to accept her vampire heritage and to mate with the milquetoast Hodge. Two doctors feud over Kate and her treatment. The evil Mrs. Barker (Shirley Cameron) desires a shock treatment...scaring and brainwashing her into desiring blood. The handsome and suave Dr. Fraser (David Hemmings) desires a gentle treatment, as he might be falling in love with the babe.
Kate is shown the operation as the dairy farm has hundreds of half dead humans who constantly have their blood drained. Also, satanic masses occur at midnight. revving up for an ultimate mass when it is hoped that Kate will plant her fangs into some poor schmuck. As the doctors feud continues, intense psychological warfare is waged against Kate in order to force her to accept her vampire destiny. Her escape attempts are thwarted and betrayals will abound. Kate will give us some gratuitous and bloody nudity, pre-marital sex scenes, and incredible damsel in much distress action. As Kate seems destined to fall to her toothy fate, a vampire civil war at the dairy may just save her.
Will the sultry Kate be conquered and turned into a modern Countess Bathory? Just what are Dr. Fraser's intentions in going soft on the sultry cosmetics executive? Is the depiction of human masses as blood cows for an elite race of beings a gratuitous metaphor for the government of Australia's desire to turn all its citizens into mindless and obedient drones? For a good and gratuitous vampire story, enjoy the erotic and bloody "Thirst." 

2 comments:

  1. Wow, got me thinking, red cross give you bickies and tea for your blood, then get paid by hospitals, it just doesn't make sense, we should be paid good money for it, even the vampires know they are on a good thing and offer a pair of fangs as payment!

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  2. Oh man haven't seen this one in nearly a decade but remember quite liking it at the time it might be covered in the Not Quite Hollywood doc on Ozploitation will definitely revisit sooner rather than later great review Christopher,

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