Thirst is a 1979 Australian film by Rod Hardy

Rod Hardy

Rod Hardy is an Australian television and film director.His interest in film began before the age of 12, when he shot several short films on his brother’s 8 mm film camera...

. It stars Australian actors Chantal Contouri

Chantal Contouri

Chantal Contouri is an Australian actress.Contouri has had starring roles in Australian films and played guest and recurring roles in various television series. Television roles including nurse Tracey Wilson in the soap opera Number 96 in 1974–1975...

 and Max Phipps

Max Phipps

Max Phipps was an Australian actor, known for a number of roles in theatre, films and television during the 1960s until the end of the 1990s....

 and British actor David Hemmings

David Hemmings

David Edward Leslie Hemmings was an English film, theatre and television actor as well as a film and television director and producer....

. It has been described as a blend of vampire and science fiction genres, influenced by the 1973 film Soylent Green

Soylent Green

Soylent Green is a 1973 American science fiction film directed by Richard Fleischer. Starring Charlton Heston, the film overlays the police procedural and science fiction genres as it depicts the investigation into the murder of a wealthy businessman in a dystopian future suffering from pollution,...

as well as drawing on the vampire folklore of Elizabeth Báthory – one of several vampire films in the 1970s to do so.

Plot

The plot revolves around married professional Kate Davis (Contouri), who is kidnapped by a shadowy organization known as 'The Brotherhood'. She is informed of her ancient lineage of descent from Báthory. The Brotherhood have a hospital-like compound where they clinically 'bleed' brainwashed and hypnotised humans and harvest and consume their blood. After Kate refuses to join, the cult debates over whether to give her hallucinogens to break down her resistance. Dr. Fraser (Hemmings) is against this but is outnumbered. Kate is initiated into the cult, feasts on blood and is returned home. Later, Kate's lover Derek (Rod Mullinar

Rod Mullinar

Rod Mullinar is an actor, noted for his roles on Australian television.He took a regular leading role in Hunter late in the show's run in 1968, however he appeared in just eight episodes due to the cancellation of the series...

) is kidnapped and taken to the farm. Dr. Fraser helps him escape and seeks out Kate, seemingly in attempt to reunite them, only to reveal he is also descended from a vampire lineage and seeks a union with her.

Production

The artists' colony of Montsalvat

Montsalvat

Montsalvat is an artist colony in Eltham, Victoria, Australia, established by Justus Jorgensen in 1934. It is home to over a dozen buildings, houses and halls set amongst richly established gardens on 48,562 m2 of land...

 north of Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

 was used as the cult's headquarters. Producer Ginnane had sought out Hemmings and American Henry Silva in supporting roles to bolster the film's popularity outside Australia.

Reception

Released on 28 September 1979 in Australia, the film did not do well at the box office. It was highly regarded by film critic Leonard Maltin

Leonard Maltin

Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...

, who gave it three stars out of four.