Thirst (1979) & Harlequin (1980) Released 18 May
Cult film fans will love the DVD release of two Down Under psycho-chillers produced by Antony I Ginnane – Australia’s very own Roger Corman. A shining light in the 1980s, Ginnane was a true auteur, and the only Aussie film-maker brave enough to do genre films in a period stuffed with costume dramas and historical epics. His legacy lives on in these DVD re-releases.
From director Rod Hardy (who today lenses US shows like Dollhouse and Burn Notice) comes Thirst, a contemporary vampire flick in which a cult of wealthy high-fliers farm humans for their blood. Believing fashion designer Kate (Chantal Contouri) is a descendant of the notorious Countess Bathory, the group abduct and brainwash Kate into believing in her legacy. Her only chance of escape is a kindly doctor (David Hemmings) who disagrees with the cult’s use of force.
Thirst (which has nothing to do with Park Chan Wook http://youtube.com/v/Hk70A_6GkmA Harlequin – one of the few Australian features to be shot in beautiful Perth, Western Australia http://youtube.com/v/5dMbie5yIx8
