Australia, 1979
95m
35mm film, Eastmancolor, filmed in Panavision, 2.35:1
mono, English
An Australian horror film directed by Rod Hardy.
Plot Summary
Successful young professional Kate Davis is abducted by a strange group calling themselves “The Brotherhood” and imprisoned in what appears to be a health spa known as The Farm. She is told that she is descended from the notorious Elizabeth Báthory and The Brotherhood, an elite society that lives on human blood, want her to join them. She refuses and discovers that The Farm is a facility for bleeding docile victims, “blood cows.” Against the wishes of the more compassionate Dr Fraser, Dr Gauss and Mrs Barker ply her with hallucinogenics, what they call “psychic engineering”, hoping to break her will.
Credits
Crew
Director: Rod Hardy
© MCMLXXIX [1979] F.G. Film Productions Pty Ltd
New South Wales Film Corporation. Antony I. Ginnane and William Fayman present. Made in association with The New South Wales Film Corporation and The Victorian Film Corporation
Executive Producer: William Fayman
Producer: Antony I. Ginnane
Associate Producer: Barbi Taylor
Original Screenplay by: John Pinkney
Director of Photography: Vincent Monton
Editor: Philip Reid
Music Composed & Conducted by: Brian May
Sound Recordist: Paul Clark
Wardrobe Designer: Aphrodite
Make-up and Hairdressing Supervisor: Jose L. Perez
Special Effects: Conrad C. Rothmann, Chris Murray
Art Direction: Jon Dowding
Cast
Chantal Contouri (Kate Davis)
Shirley Cameron (Mrs Barker)
Max Phipps (Mr Hodge)
Henry Silva (Dr Gauss)
Rod Mullinar (Derek)
Amanda Muggleton (Martha)
Robert Thompson (Sean)
Rosie Sturgess (Lori)
David Hemmings (Dr Fraser)
Walter Pym (Ditcher)
Lulu Pinkus (nurse)
Chris Milne (David)
Jacqui Gordon (Leah)
Val Christensen (Toni)
Glenys O’Brien (guide)
Ben Nightingale (tourist driver)
Stephan Clark (barman)
Stewart Faichney, David Vella (security men)
Paddy Burnet (blue rinse lady)
Yvette Rees (nurse)
Vicki Andonopoulos (the child Kate)
Links
Extracts included in
Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! (2008)
Ozploitation (2020)
Ozploitation Trailer Explosion (2014)
Thirst: A Contemporary Blend (2004)
References
Periodicals
- Cinema Papers n19 Jan/Feb 1979) p.215
- Cinema Papers n23 Sep/Oct 1979) p.571
- Écran Fantastique no.16 1980) p.22,23
- Fangoria no.222 May 2003) p.68 – illustrated DVD review (DVD Dungeon: Thirst by Matthew Kiernan)
- The Hollywood Reporter vol.255 n29 27 Feb 1979) p.11 – credits
- The Hollywood Reporter vol.260 n40 7 Mar 1980) p.18
- Screen International no.212 20 Oct 1979) p.146 – advertisment
- Sight and Sound vol.3 n7 July 1993) p.62 – video note
- Variety 26 Dec 1979) p.20
