Habit (1997)

Touches You

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

I absolutely love Larry Fessenden; though not all his movies are masterpieces, I feel he generally has his heart in the right place when doing horror. He is a unique, creative filmmaker, and he's not afraid to try something different at times, whether it's popular or not.Habit is an early film of his. From what I gather, it's basically a bigger remake of a film he'd previously written and directed. I was very impressed with Habit, both as an independent film, and as a horror/vampire flick There's something about the mood, the aesthetic throughout, I'm really a fan of. Even early on, there's a certain look and feel to Habit that grabs me. As far as acting goes, I really enjoyed Fessenden in the main role here. He is natural, cool, at times excitable and playful. It's a joy to watch him play the character of Sam. I really felt for him: his father just died, he meets a beautiful woman who interests him after his girlfriend has moved out on him, he's suddenly fairly ill. There's a tension Fessenden creates, between his character and the mood; it all makes things very suspenseful. I found myself hoping Sam could overcome it all- even hoping he was just wrong about everything, or that it would all just turn out to be a strange set of coincidences. Gripping stuff. The character of Anna was wonderful- a great take on vampires! There are a few moments I had to rewind and watch again because I wanted to make sure I'd caught the small hints. Meredith Snaider IS Anna: a sensual, wild woman, who may or may not be a vampire. She seduces anyone in her path. Yet she is sort of cute in a way; not innocent, but just cute. At times she throws you off. Other times, she is a little spooky. Snaider and Fessenden clearly had chemistry from the original film they'd shot in the 1980s, so it's no wonder they both play well off one another.The story is a well-crafted look at a man who could be going crazy- or maybe he contracted some terrible, unspeakable STD from the new woman he met at a Halloween party. Or maybe, just maybe, Sam is right, and the new woman he met at that party is a vampire, sucking his blood, sucking the blood of others... maybe.9 out of 10 stars, and highly recommended. I hesitate to give it the full ten star rating only because of the character Nick (I believe that's his name.. i.e the annoyingly pretentious seeming best friend of Sam); he was horrible, and Fessenden wrote terrible dialogue for him. Other than that I think the film is a work of art, and is one of the few vampire films in the last thirty years not to disappoint with lame representations of the undead.

This movie was pure GENIUS!!!!!!!!!!! I usually don't like sequels but I wish there was one. This is in my top 10 horror flicks. Other vampire movies BITE compared to this. I put this movie up there with Kenny and Co. for realism.It's a shame more people don't spread the word on this movie!!!! Rent this movie!! AH HELL, BUY THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!The acting was terrific.I hope to see more from Fesseden!!!!I wonder what he's up to now. Hopefully he is working on a sequel. The great thing about this movie is that it is not in the traditional yarn. It is unique in every way. The location shots are surreal. The pain and addiction that Fesseden goes through seems so real. I give this movie 2 fangs up!!!!

I was very impressed with this movie. As someone who has spent part of her youth working the nightlife of lower Manhattan in the 90's, I found this film's portrayal of a downtown bar owner's grappling with addiction and madness real enough to be terrifying. New York is one of the main characters as Sam, the protagonist deals with the death of a distant dad, and a break up with a girlfriend while starting up with a woman who develops a taste for his blood during sex. Apartments, parks, rooftops and subways have a prominent role in the sometimes claustrophobic and hallucinogenic experience that is NYC in the wee hours. The actor who plays Sam (who is also the director and the writer) is believable as a disheveled youngish bohemian type who has been on self destruct for some time. His sanity is pushed to the limit once he starts to believe that his feeling ill might have something to do with the bite marks that his new girlfriend has been giving him. The actress who plays Anna, the alleged vampire, is a refreshing change from the Gothic fanged hotties of Hollywood, She is a short haired, brunette, and has a quiet yet demanding presence. While there are scenes that could have used some editing, and plot development that could have used some tweaking, I would recommend this movie to anyone interested in a truly independent, story and character driven movie. If you want a Hollywood gore-fest, don't bother. If you want a creepiness on par with "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Hunger," take a deep breath, and enjoy the ride.

I evaluate the film as a successful film within the criteria of limited budget of an independent film. Making a film about vampires and aiming to make a different one at the same time is not so easy in the hegemony and co-action of Hollywood vampire films. In my point of view, Fessenden makes a great job encouraging independent film makers to force the limits of any kind of subject and scenario and showing that anything can be shot in the spirit of independence. He has a stylish photography of scenes and a normal perspective in showing NY life in a paranormal scenario in its genre. His playing integrates his full motivation in the film. Moreover the film shall not be considered as an experimental low budgeted vampire film, but a mirror of depression and suffer in man's mind.