Habit (1995) d. Larry Fessenden (USA)
The vampire of legend is eternal, and its cinematic brethren are equally durable and widespread. Even before the post-millennial pop culture phenomena of Twilight and True Blood (among others) but especially in their wake, it’s refreshing and rewarding to encounter an undead feature possessing a genuinely grounded and unique interpretation. As writer/director Fessenden’s Habit (alongside George Romero’s Martin, Abel Ferrara’s The Addiction and Michael Almereyda’s Nadja) shows, it’s not just about bringing the vampire into contemporary settings; since the 1930s, the silver screen has hosted an array of “modern” bloodsuckers preying upon hip and sensible disbelievers. What’s often missing is a true sense of personality, vision and passion, and it is here that Habit delivers with both barrels.
