a_baron
This film has a strong opening, a murder, then looks like it is going to deteriorate into the usual fifth rate predictable trash, but the consensus is that this somewhat off-beat tale of modern horror is both a superior effort and vastly under-rated. A female vampire posing as a prostitute to procure her, or perhaps that should be its, victims, a cynical detective working his first homicide - which soon becomes a killing spree - a deranged former priest who is not so deranged, and our hero - a righteous man - one who will not be tempted by the sins of the flesh. Yeah, "Desire" delivers the goods.David Balsiger is the law student who having tangoed with the evil one in the hospital where his girlfriend works as a nurse, goes on her trail only to be arrested by an undercover policewoman for soliciting a prostitute. Fortunately, although he doesn't find her, she finds him, but how can a righteous man overpower a fiend who can rip iron security bars from a third floor window and leap out of it with impunity? Who knows, but good will triumph over evil. Or will it? Gripping stuff, even three decades and more on.
theoxrox
This little gem has it all! David Naughton was an excellent casting choice for the lead role, but some of my favorites such as Dorian Harewood and Marilyn Jones (remember the cute little Nurse that Radar meets in Japan on TV's MASH?), the alluring Barbara Stock, and a powerful Brad Dourif performance also contribute to this made-for-TV delight which richly deserves to be released on DVD! (Hint, hint!!) The plot was probably patterned after "The Night Stalker", with a vampire in modern-day urban America coming to the attention of law student and part-time night employee David Balsiger. He and his attractive "girl-next-door type" fiancée Cheryl Gillen make a likable young couple, and Harewood is very convincing as ambitious young Police detective Jerry Van Ness. But defrocked priest Paul (Brad Dourif) has a memorable few minutes in the middle of the movie that really sticks in my mind.The ending of the movie comes as somewhat of a surprise, and is well handled by the cast members. There's a bluesy musical theme supporting all this, and a refreshing ABSENCE of modern potty-mouth language that make so many modern flicks unattractive for adults and unsuitable for children.Keep a lookout for it on TV, and if it's ever released on a "legitimate" DVD, stay out of my way at the counter, or you'll get run over by me when selecting it!
Brandt Sponseller
David Balsiger (David Naughton) works the night shift at the city morgue, watching over the "cold room". He's just moved in with his girlfriend, Cheryl Gillen (Marilyn Jones), a nurse. A corpse shows up with puncture wounds on its neck, drained of its blood. A priest comes in, apparently from the man's family, to give last rites, then disappears. Moments later, the man's rabbi shows up. David tells the police, and begins to become wrapped up in the case, which appears to be some kind of serial murderer who is at least mimicking vampirism.Despite a slight clunkiness in a couple spots and a too-understated climax, which caused me to subtract one point from this film's score, this is an incredibly underrated and too-little-known horror flick. It has some resemblances to Taxi Driver, including that film's wonderful grittiness, but as a vampire film.Perhaps with a different cast, Desire, The Vampire (aka I, Desire) would be a much lesser film, but Naughton, who is the focus here--we're following him 90-percent of the time, is fabulous. As he becomes more wrapped up in the strange events, so do we, and we empathetically experience the odd, alienating reaction that he begins to receive from others. Brad Dourif is extra-creepy in the film, and in many ways he's the biggest villain in a film that has many besides the obvious, titular one.This film deserves much more recognition. A 9 out of 10 from me.
aesgaard41
This movie has one of the hottest looking female vampires ever played on television.Played by [whoops,spoiler],this vampire spooks,bedevils and exasperates David Naughton and the police. You'd think this was part of the Kolchak movie/ tv series as Naughton stumbles into the vampire's lair by mere chance. Still,the gothic atmosphere and humor of the movie does keep the viewer spellbound.It really is a shame that this isn't on video because I'd love to have this in my collection.
AD
