The Addiction (1995)

I first saw The Addiction when I was fifteen years old. My much cooler, older friend and I rented it from the local video shop and watched it in the basement of her parents house, stoned and enthralled. I never forgot it and desperately sought it out as an adult. It took me years to find a copy! No video store had it in stock, or even in their database. Finally, I found a used copy on EBAY.

It's been over ten years since it's release and the film has still not been released on DVD. It's pretty rare that a film doesn't make it to DVD, and pretty shocking this particular film hasn't - considering you can find the entire film catalog of some piece of shit like Lou Diamond Phillips on DVD.

What is even more fascinating about this film is the strong reactions and notoriety the film receives to this day from people who have seen it. There were no mixed reviews upon it's release, it was either loved or loathed.

D.I.Y cult director Abel Ferrara's career has been met with as much extreme reactions as this film. He made his name with cult classics Driller Killer, Ms.45, Bad Lieutenant and King of New York. He is also responsible for some real duds like Madonna's Body of Evidence.

Powerhouse Lili Taylor (I Shot Andy Warhol) plays Kathleen Conklin, a moody grad student who gets attacked and bitten by a vampire, then goes on a downward spiral of addiction and depravity.

For an excellent and detailed synopsis of the film go here

If you can see past the often unapologetically pretentious script, and the soundtrack which often misfires - it's a brilliant film.

Here are a few selected clips from the film that someone just recently put on youtube. If you haven't already seen the film - first you'll have to find it, and then dust off the ol' VCR.

Kathleen confronts friend (Edie Falco) after going through some sickening "changes"

NSFW
Kathleen preys upon a young girl

Kathleen meets an ancient vampire, Peina (Walken)