The Addiction (1995)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Abel Ferrara

Writer (WGA):

Nicholas St. John (written by)

Release Date:

6 October 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Drama

Tagline:

The dark is their sunlight. What makes them different is what keeps them alive.

Plot:

A New York anthropology grad student turns into a vampire after getting bitten by one, and then tries to come to terms with her new lifestyle and frequent craving for human blood.

Plot Keywords:

Vampire | Blood | Drugs | Philosophy | College

Awards:

5 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Lili Taylor	...	Kathleen Conklin
Christopher Walken	...	Peina
Annabella Sciorra	...	Casanova
Edie Falco	...	Jean
Paul Calderon	...	Professor
Fredro Starr	...	Black
Kathryn Erbe	...	Anthropology Student
Michael Imperioli	...	Missionary
Jamal Simmons	...	Black's Friend (as Jamel 'Redrum' Simmons)
Michael A. Fella	...	Cop
Louis Katz	...	Doctor (as Louis A. Katz)
Leroy Johnson	...	Homeless Victim #1
Fred Williams	...	Homeless Victim #2
Avron Coleman	...	Cellist
Lisa Casillo	...	Mary
Frank Aquilino	...	Delivery Man
Nicholas De Cegli	...	Cabby
Jay Julien	...	Dean
Chuck Jeffreys	...	Bartender (as Chuck Jeffries)
Edward Conna	...	Waiter
Nancy Ellen Anzalone	...	Dress Victim
Susan Mitchell	...	Featured Victim
Mary Ann Hannon	...	Featured Victim
John Vincent McEvily	...	Featured Victim
Bianca Pratt	...	Featured Victim
Christina Campanella	...	Featured Victim
Anthony Giangrande	...	Featured Victim (as Anthony Giangrando)
Heather Bracken	...	Nurse
Robert W. Castle	...	Narrator / Priest
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kevin Scullin	...	Featured Victim
Harrison Freed	...	College Student (uncredited)

Directed by
Abel Ferrara

Writing credits (WGA)
Nicholas St. John		(written by)

Produced by
Denis Hann	....	producer
Preston L. Holmes	....	executive producer
Margot Lulick	....	line producer
Russell Simmons	....	executive producer
Fernando Sulichin	....	producer

Original Music by
Joe Delia

Cinematography by
Ken Kelsch

Film Editing by
Mayin Lo

Production Design by
Charles M. Lagola

Art Direction by
Beth Curtis

Set Decoration by
Sara Baldocchi
Mary Prlain

Costume Design by
Melinda Eshelman

Makeup Department
Linda Grimes	....	makeup artist
Wayne Herndon	....	key hair stylist
Patricia Regan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Margot Lulick	....	unit production manager
Andrew Ramsey	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Randy Fletcher	....	assistant director
Dean Garvin	....	assistant director
Evan Labb	....	assistant director
Chris Marazzo	....	second second assistant director: exteriors
Glen Trotiner	....	assistant director

Art Department
Erick Schiele	....	draftsman

Sound Department
Bob Barnes	....	boom operator
Héctor Cordero	....	sound editor
Andrew Edelman	....	sound utility
Clancy T. Troutman	....	supervising sound editor

Stunts
Ren Campbell	....	stunts
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunts
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Bill Almeida	....	electrician
Charlie McNamara	....	gaffer
Alpesh Patel	....	grip truck
Lance Rieck	....	second assistant camera

Casting Department
Meredith Jacobson	....	casting: New York

Music Department
James Flatto	....	music editor

Other crew
Adam Baer	....	location scout
Jay Cannold	....	production accountant
Alex Corven Caronia	....	location manager
Arthur Flam	....	production assistant
Adam Ben Frank	....	set production assistant
Melissa Marr	....	production coordinator
Joseph Stephans	....	location assistant

Production Companies

• Fast Films
• Guild
• October Films

Distributors

• Hallmark (video)
• October Films
• Polygram Filmed Entertainment (video)
• TriPictures (Spain)
• Twister Digital Video (2005) (Russia) (DVD)
• Vitória Filmes (Portugal)

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA | Argentina

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Italy:VM14 | Norway:18 (TV rating) | Singapore:M18 | Australia:R | Germany:16 | Portugal:M/18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

New York, USA

Company:

Fast Films

Trivia:

Film critic Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian placed the film at #1 in his top ten films of all time (as submitted for the 2002 Sight & Sound Poll)

Quotes:

Kathleen Conklin: We drink to escape the fact we're alcoholics. Existence is the search for relief from our habit, and our habit is the only relief we can find.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Short Film About the Long Career of Abel Ferrara (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

Eternity

Vampire genre film, but really an excellent look at sin and redemption

In the sister film to the Funeral philosophy student Kathleen Conklin is dragged into an alley and bitten by Casanova and left to bleed. Despite hospital care she begins to change and have strange desires. With her desires controlling her turns to Peina for help.

A sister film in that both film share a crew, a writer and some of the cast. The genres are very different but the themes are the same – religion and redemption. The vampire thing isn't played like it usually is – stakes through the heart etc, these are mentioned but not laboured. Instead the story is about the origins of sin and the extent it controls us and how we can be redeemed. It cleverly uses the vampire myth as an allegory for wider human evil – `We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. We aren't evil because we do evil, we do evil because we are evil'.

At times it gets a little heavy – the ending in particular takes some interpretation and the message can be easily misunderstood. However ignoring the message this also stands up as a great vampire film – the party which turns into a massacre is as good (if not better) then the nightclub opening of Blade, and much more meaningful to boot. Ferrara is a master director who has never followed the money to blockbusters – here he is in total control of his themes and the film rarely loses focus. His clever use of music is also good – a blend of all styles. The theme song feels like it's going to be a 1980's romantic comedy, but this blends straight into hip-hop and others to create a mix that never feels strange – in fact a baseline seems to run under the whole film like a heartbeat.

Lili Taylor is on top form as Conklin and commands attention the whole time. Walken and Sciorra are both good but have less screen time than in the Funeral, however here, as there, they have key lines of dialogue that carry tremendous weight. Sopranos co-stars Falco and Imperioli are both good but are no more than bit players. The real stars are Ferrara and writer Nicolas St John, who wrote this and The Funeral after the death of his son.

Overall this is a great film that serves up more for thought than for action. To this end it won't please those expecting a Blade style vampire film but to fans of Ferrara used to his themes this will be very enjoyable.