Thirst – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Australia, 1979
Director: Rod Hardy
Writer: John Pinkney
Cast: Chantal Contouri, Shirley Cameron, Max Phipps, Henry Silva, Rod Mullinar, David Hemmings, Rosie Sturgess, Robert Thompson, Walter Pym, Amanda Muggleton

Release Date: March 16th, 2025 (UK), March 17th, 2025 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 15 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"A sinister organization known as the Brotherhood kidnaps Kate (Contouri), believing her to be the descendant of Countess Báthory, the Hungarian noblewoman who reputedly had vampiric tendencies. A battle of wills ensues as the Brotherhood tries to force the horrified Kate to join their blood-drinking sacrificial cult. Only Dr. Fraser (Hemmings) is willing to help her..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Thirst was scanned in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative, preserved at the National Film and Sound Archive (NPSA) of Australia by Fixafilm. Picture restoration and color correction work were carried out by Renasci Films in the UK. Thousands of instances of dirt were removed, scratches, stains, and other imperfections eliminated, and a number of torn or damaged frames repaired. No grain management, edge enhancement, or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

Thirst comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.7 GB

Feature: 57.1 GB

The source used for this transfer looks exceptional. Image clarity, depth, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, and grain remains intact; the image always looks organic. That said, Thirst is the best-looking transfer out of the four Australian films they have released on 4K UHD.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include image galleries: original promotional and publicity material (109 images - posters/press/stills), behind the scenes (121 images - stills), and dialogue continuity script gallery (18 images), Australian theatrical trailer (2 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 36 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. TV spot #1 (11 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. TV spot #2 (31 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), U.S. TV spot #3 (32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an isolated score track, appreciation by the academic and Australian cinema specialist Stephen Morgan titled First Blood (17 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with stuntman Grant Page titled Seeing Reality (3 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a far-reaching podcast interview with Rod Hardy conducted by broadcaster Paul Harris and Mark Hartley titled Film Buffs Forecast: Rod Hardy (154 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio interview with Chantal Contouri (23 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an archival TV interview of The Don Lane Show with David Hemmings (15 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), ‘Not Quite Hollywood’ interviews: Rod Hardy (13 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), producer Antony I Ginnane (15 minutes 11 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), actor Rod Mullinar (6 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles) and cinematographer Vincent Monton (4 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a retrospective interview with Antony I Ginnane titled Thirst, a Contemporary Blend (13 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival audio commentary with director Rod Hardy and producer Antony I Ginnane, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Insatiable Thirst written by Diane A Rodgers, exclusive extracts from producer Antony I Ginnane’s unpublished memoirs titled Memories of Thirst, an archival interview with actress Chantal Contouri titled It’s a Toss-up as to Which is Stranger Movie or Actress’ Life conducted by Steve Millburg, an archival interview with actor David Hemmings conducted by Ross Lansell, an archival interview with actor Henry Silva titled A Model of a Bad Guy conducted by Deborah Forster, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Thirst was directed by Rod Hadry, a filmmaker most known for his work on TV series like Division 4, The Box, Matlock Police, and The Sullivans.

A woman is abducted by a vampire cult because she is a descendant of Elizabeth Bathory.

Thirst is an unusual twist on vampires and Elizabeth Bathory, a blood-drinking countess who preyed on virgins. The vampires in Thirst have fangs that they insert when they drink blood. They are not your shape-shifting or afraid-of-sunlight type of vampire. They operate a full-scale blood cultivation system for widespread distribution. The vampire cult gathers donors—who are essentially victims—and keeps them on a commune-like farm for blood harvesting. The donors are then slowly drained via a machine that attaches a nozzle to their jugulars that sucks out their blood while they are strapped down. 

Only the protagonist, Kate Davis, has ties to Elizabeth Bathory; no one else who is connected to this vampire cult appears to have any heritage that points towards their vampirism. It is almost like the other members of the cult, especially the doctors, are self-appointed chosen ones who view themselves as superior to those who they drain blood from. Thirst effectively explores the theme of cults alongside its vampire elements. Unlike many vampire films that rely heavily on graphic violence, Thirst takes a different approach by avoiding such depictions.

Chantal Contouri’s (Snapshot) portrayal of Kate Davis anchors Thirst. Her character's apprehension at what is unfolding perfectly guides the viewers. She’s surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, which includes David Hemmings (Blow Up) and Henry Silva (The Manchurian Candidate); they portray doctors who work for the vampire cult. There is a subtlety to the way David Hemmings' character, Dr. Fraser, approaches a problem, while Henry Silva's character, Dr. Gauss, is more aggressive and at times careless. All around, the cast are excellent in their roles.

From a production standpoint, Thirst is a film where everything falls into place. The premise is superbly executed, and the narrative does a phenomenal job building momentum to the finale. Two key collaborators on Thirst are cinematographer Vincent Monton, whose credits include Long Weekend, Snapshot, and Road Games, and composer Brian May, whose credits include Patrick, Mad Max, Dark Forces, and Nightmares. The visuals are overflowing with atmosphere, and in combination with the score, they create an uneasy mood that perfectly captures the protagonist's fractured state of mind. Ultimately, Thirst is well-made horror whose strong payoff lingers in your mind.

Thirst makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer