Habit (1995) Online

This film isn't for people who want wooden stake sticking action. A lot of people will find it very slow. But I found it to be one of the most interesting films that I have ever seen. It vampirism is mostly a sub-plot here. Mainly it is about this guy, Sam, who works at a bar, and who meets this girl after recently breaking up from his girlfriend. The movie talks about lust, betrayal, love, seduction, and frienship. It is filmed with great cinematography. I am not talking about sweeping landscapes, but I am talking about how things around you can look like they are collapsing on you when you start getting paranoid that you have this weird illness. A very good quality picture. I loved it, and I highly recommend it to people who want to see real characters will some real problems.

A very good, kind of disturbing modern vampire story. Its hero is a guy on the rebound who has a circle of friends, a small inheritance, and no direction in life. He meets an alluring woman who seduces him into sado-masochistic sex addiction, and the film continues to play with the concepts essential to Vampirism and modern life. Good performances from all, particularly Fessenden (also the director) and Aaron Beall as his hypocritical friend. Chilling atmosphere on a very low budget. Some obvious writing, but well executed style pulls it off. Particularly memorable is Fessenden's desperate meat fix, where he licks the drainings out of the bottom of a supermarket meat container. Fans of vampire movies of quality should definately check this out.

Fessenden embodies much that is great about no-budget, maverick filmmaking. I appreciated his color palette of browns and blacks, and like Polanski's `Repulsion' he manages to place you into the heart of a character on a downward spiral while referencing back to the vampire film. The lingering question for much of the film is, simply, is he going bonkers because of emotional stress or is she a blood sucking vampire draining him dry?

Wisely, Fessenden avoids any overt references to vampirism for almost the entire film, allowing the viewer to determine what is happening. He avoids the clumsy exposition which populates so many films. In a brief moment when Sam encounters his ex at a Halloween party, they make no reference to breaking up or ever having been together; he simply asks her how her apartment hunt is going and offers to help her move, and the way theyinteract says it all. The film is filled with moments like this.

It also helps that the film is shot in such a creepy way, giving the mundane aspects of his life a jolt. The major setpieces at a masked Halloween party or at a carnival evoke mystery and dread without resorting to vampires jumping out at you.

Fascinating movie! Apparently Larry Fessenden is someone to keep an eye on, as his past work (some short films) has been critically acclaimed at Cannes. I don't know how Habit was received, but it is awesome. It takes a familiar theme (vampire/sex/etc.) and completely distorts it into an unexpected, unparalleled cinematic treat. Sort of like a grown up Lost Boys, without the cheesiness. The performances are mesmerizing (Larry himself play the David Yow look-a-like lead alcoholic), the camera work is intriguing, the overall creepy-yet realistic mood all work together to make this a must-see movie for anyone who hates mundane, mainstream fluff.

I love this movie. Fessenden's camera is relentless and surprising - likewise with his edit - he is simple, unique, and engaging - like a down-beat Cassavetes, he works on small impulses and real urban rhythms - while not perfect,the film is dreamily shaggy, a creepy joy every step of the way. beautifuly realized (great art-direction and photography) - this and Ferara's "The Addiction" make a great po-mo NY vampire double bill. BRAVO!

I can't hope to match the eloquence of the other commentors, but to try: The is the best, most compelling film I have seen in years. In fact, it is the only film I've seen in years which I feel deserves the effort of comment. And to think I almost missed it -- I inherited it when a friend closed his video store.

I lived downtown in NYC for 20 years where I had my own bouts with obsession and addiction, have spent time hopelessly ill on the LIE, now live in East Hampton where I have enjoyed the "hypocrisy" of Thanksgiving at a table full of friends and neighbors and have occasionally flung myself into a freezing ocean. I can safely say that this incredibly talented filmmaker and his fellow artists have captured it all beyond words -- which is I guess what film is supposed to be all about. The female lead is beyond exceptional.

On Saturday I asked a film producer neighbor to check out this movie and tell me why these people aren't famous.

...or at least since Abel Ferrara's The Addiction (1995).

Until it shows it's hand at the end of the film, Habit is a fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable look at the collapsing world of Sam, a semi-alcoholic loser played by writer/director Larry Fessenden. When Sam meets the mysterious Anna at a Halloween party, his life seems to be changing for the better...until people start disappearing and Sam develops an upset tummy. Oh, and Anna starts...biting him. This is a must see for all fans of the bloodsucking genre.

A great vampire film full of realistic eroticism, Habit is one of the best small-scale independent films ever made. The film is stunning on many levels- narrative ambiguity (is she a vampire or not?), incredible visuals and a beautifully detailed soundtrack all combine to make a dark and mysterious film that is more interested in character than in gore.

This film is stunning in every way imaginable. Even non horror fans can enjoy this film as it's really just using Vampires as a metaphor for relationships and being lonely. There's nothing exactly like this film, but if you enjoy it I would also recommend Immortality ( Wisdom Of The Crocodiles), another different spin on the Vampire mythos. The performances here are so realistic, you actually feel like you are watching real people, in the real world, with real problems, which is rare in Vampire films. I've seen almost every Creature Of The Night movie ever made, from the original Nosferatu, to current big budget flicks like Blade and Underworld, and all the foreign and DTDVD films in between, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that you will love Habit.

Sam(Larry Fessenden, who also wrote, directed, & edited this feature)is an alcoholic manager of a café, coming off a relationship that is lingering awkwardly, meets an alluring mysterious woman named Anna(Meredith Snaider)at a friend's Halloween party. They later meet for a series of passionate sexual encounters..their first featuring an intense bite on Sam's lip by Anna. Soon Sam's friends begin to disappear one by one, while his physical condition begins to worsen. We see that Anna may just be a vampire when, during a sexual encounter in a hospital supply room she bites him lustfully on the arm. In another very quick moment which reveals even more about Anna is after Sam has spoken a dedication speech for his late father..she has taken the face of Sam's past lover, Liza(..this is quick so you must notice it when it comes;we can see that she has taken the identity of someone people at that function might've seen in Sam's life before). But, the most revealing aspect of Anna is how she hides her entire existence(work, personal things, family)only desiring to constantly have relations with Sam with most being of a sexual nature. But, even though Sam finds these certain developments out during time, including his worsening physical state, he does not seem to care as long as he can continue to have those moments with Anna.

Horror fans might know Fessenden the most for his directorial effort, Wendigo, but I like this film even more. It has that "Martin" vibe(the George Romero tale of a vampire)with Fessenden using authentic NYC locations shooting and unfamiliars in the acting department. The cast is quite good for being unknown(..these are probably actors and friends he has worked with in the past), but the startling aspect of his story-telling to me is how graphic the sex is between Fessenden and Snaider. Snaider fulfills her role quite well providing a vamp who we might could understand why Sam wouldn't wish to relinquish his passion with her. The film's location work might remind many of indie directors like Ed Burns and Noah Baumbach who often like making films surrounding NYC and having "regular" looking people in them. But, I think this film is closer to Romero who likes using rather regular looking people who we don't see in films unlike those I named above. Much like "Martin", this film feels like a documentary of a doomed loser who has finally found something exciting in his life, despite the consequences that might occur later.

I wrote this bad review pretty much as a heads-up to horror fans who are looking for a different kind of vampire tale. "Habit" is quite a low-budget wonder where Fessenden provides us with realistic flats and the rather ordinary places that ordinary people might frequent in NYC.

I didn't care for Habit. I can see where a certain kind of viewer, those that like movies like Taxi Driver. However for the person looking for a good vampire film I would strongly recommend against this independent film. Nothing much happens in this, it's a 20-minute story stretched out to 112 minutes of nothing.

Habit is an intense sort of character study, I suppose it might be called, the sort more often found in films set at some family's weekend of isolation in spending time together. Classic independent film fodder and thus dreadful boring for anyone looking for action, adventure, or cool visuals.

The best thing that I can say for it is that it seems to leave open the question of if the vampire survives. I think it would be interesting to see a vampire story where the protagonist dies and the vampire simply continues, make a point about predators usually winning against the prey. Also it was rather nice to see something other than Hollywood pretty boy in the role of victim.

But I must emphasize again that this is a movie for people just watching people interact with only a bit of supernatural and people phoning in their performances from too cool for emotion New York.

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 was pleasantly surprised by how good this film was despite it's serious lack of budget. The film follows the trail of an alcoholic restaurant manager, emotionally distraught over the recent death of his Hemingway-esque father and a break up with a girlfriend. He succumbs to an innocent-looking yet mysterious woman at a party and his "downward spiral" begins. There are a few flaws I saw in this movie, namely that if one is going for the "is this real or all in his head?" angle perhaps more should have been developed for the vampire girl. Was she really a vampire or wasn't she? It seems fairly obvious in some scenes that she was but it could be argued that the lead character's shaky hold on sanity made him imagine some of this. A tighter script could have helped. Good sex scenes, which one rarely finds in a horror film, and some better-than-average acting make this film really enjoyable despite some of the script's flaws.

Most of the expressions other reviewers have used sound kinda cliché, but this is the real deal, it is an indie masterpiece.

I found this DVD by accident at Circuit City, of all places, the box caught my attention and it was something like 7 bucks, so i said what the heck, plus i have a fascination with vampire flicks. I was FLOORED at how good this was. It is a very metaphorical and existential picture, but SOOOO realistic, thus so beautiful and painful. Scary, creepy, haunting and heartbreaking, without being a melodrama.

The DVD extras are also some of the best i've ever seen, no joke. The making off and how you see Larry pulling this off with no money, just guts, passion and instinct is better than wasting time at film school. And his thoughts about the importance of indie film-making staying independent are so true. It's really tragic that this hasn't been seen by many people. I've owned this DVD for about 6 years now, and show it to people whenever i get a chance, and its always the same reaction, everybody's jaws just drop at how powerful and unique this film is.

The whole cast is perfect, but Larry himself is a stand out and such a gut-wrenching performance. I understand why there are some people that didn't like this, i don't agree but this is a very personal picture, and i think most of the people that just fall head over heels over HABIT, including myself, connect to it in such a personal way because we see ourselves in Sam and his relationships, or in his friends who have seen our friends go through a downward spiral. Beer for breakfast? That's not a joke or some eccentric stereotype, it screams out about something else, just like everything else in the film, not a frame or second is wasted.

Check my profile, i have never commented on a film, and don't think i will, but HABIT is just mind blowingly gorgeous and incredible, and like nothing i've ever seen before, and sadly, probably never will. If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and find this.

(P.S. small commercial, there is one other film that i sort-of feel the same way about, if you get a chance, check out "Kontroll", also perfect and unlike anything you've ever seen).

I had to comment on this film after reading some of the annoying remarks about it. It's just so sad that there are people who failed to enjoy this film because it didn't feature a "movie star" gorgeous lead female. People who couldn't get past the actress's butch haircut and appreciate all the hard work and clever touches which make this movie work.

First of all, Habit is obviously a "no budget" indie film. There are no stars. Part of its charm are its real life locations and real people performers. If you need Sandra Bullock or Jessica Alba or Tom Cruise in state-of-the-art vampire fangs to feel you've gotten your money's worth, stick to big studio films.

Like Abel Ferrara's early films and the underrated "Kiss Daddy Goodnight," Habit is a nicely directed low budget New York indie. Gritty and sexy and intriguing.

Larry Fessenden does a great job as writer-director-star. Believably sexy despite a missing front tooth, he is completely convincing as an alcoholic trust fund slacker, whose aimless and seemingly pointless existence is interrupted by the intrusion of a vampire into his life.

The theme of the movie is made clear in an early scene at a Halloween party, where the east side hipster guests indulge in their favorite habits: passing joints, stashing beers, obsessively munching hors d'oeuvres. All the little oral addictions which make life bearable for most of us.

Meredith Snaider plays against the clichéd image of a vampire. Instead of the syrupy Goth cartoon spawned by Anne Rice, she is a wholesome, psychologically stable everygirl, wearing sexy but sensible outfit, hair shorn short, emblematic of her unburdened psyche. Anna has but one habit: feeding on human blood. Unlike her victims, she is not tortured by it, but has adapted perfectly to her one human failure.

Fessenden the writer unravels his story with a languid, naturalistic pace. He makes excellent use of existing locations, including boats and street fairs and a house in the Hamptons. He tosses in just enough in the way of red herrings to create the illusion of hope for a hopeless character.

As a director, he keeps the romance between Anna and her victim steamy without being exploitative. He makes full use of New York's pool of acting talent, mostly unknowns. A blessing for those of us who'd rather lose themselves in a good story than feast their eyes on over-hyped eye candy.

"Habit" is a unique creation from a total filmmaker. The writer/director/editor/star has taken the familiar genres of horror, vampirism, sexual obsession, and addiction, looked at them from the inside out, and blended them into a quixotic journey which leads the audience into a realistic horror of how deadly these afflictions can become. Fessenden shows all the marks of an auteur with heart, and miles to go before he sleeps.

Larry Fessenden could show a few of the current horror film and dark movie people (writers, directors, producers and casting) something about sex, vampires and life. No budget and in badly in need of dental work, Larry has out performed many an over-budgeted badly written flick. The sex scenes were not at a loss with being simulated, but were in fact, HOT!!! Blood letting was at a minimum and still scary as hell. Anna underplayed her VAMPIE to a new high. I just saw this tonight (10/22/2006) and it became an immediate favorite. Whoa, had to write this with my pulse still racing and looking over my shoulder for the missing "ANNA". Great job Larry (but I guess you know that)!! That was a kick in the GOTH. Sorry I didn't see it sooner, but will own it soon. Wayne A. McDowell, AKA; Kulddy Jones, kulddy-1, [email protected].

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!!!!

Maybe it was the New York scene, where the apartments are small and dreary and you can get your tooth kicked out during a mugging. Or maybe it was the frankly revolting protagonist. How about the unnaturally natural acting? The fresh photography and flawless editing? How about the fact that it was made on zero budget? Compare it to any Stephen King blockbuster and see which one stays in your psyche longer.

"Habit" is a deafeningly quiet little film that absolutely gave me the creeps. For those who are no longer "scared" by jump scenes, fluorescent orange "blood," and the computer generated carnage that couldn't possibly be real, you may find a disturbing connection both viscerally and psychologically to this small masterpiece.

Not satisfying for everyone, but a very special movie of its kind.

I love horror movies. But, I can appreciate ALL types; from the Val Lewton classics (where he scares you with atmosphere and suggestion) to Tobe Hooper and George Romero (where they use shock and gore along with their story) to just plain shlock ("Basket Case", "Maniac", etc.). So, HABIT, won't be everyone's cup of tea (or blood for that matter). From reading the other comments, you can tell there's something to this film. People either raved or hated it. But, most of the reviews that hated it claimed that it was boring. Well, this talented young filmmaker does take his time and that's what I found to be effective. Now there is a WHOLE generation of so-called horror film fans that have been raised on Friday the 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street and scary to them is just long scenes of girls being hacked into two and other examples of what sharp weapons lying around a house or yard can do to the human body. (Yawn!) This film builds as you watch the lead take himself down a path of booze and self-destruction while he unconsciously mourns the recent death of his father. Just having broken up with his long time live-in girlfriend, he meets a mysterious girl at a Halloween party and they start seeing each other. Seeing each other means they start having wild sex outdoors, on rooftops, etc, while a little playful "lip-biting" happens. SPOILER************SPOILER*************SPOILER What I think makes the film works is you are not sure if all this is basically in Sam's head - is he imagining all this? Is he basically drinking himself to death? I thought for a low budget movie the acting was pretty good. I thought the young girl who plays the "vampire" Anna did a wonderful job, she has this dark, interesting look that really added to the character. Now, while I admire Larry Fessenden as a writer, editor and director, I do NOT think he should have played the lead role. It's not that he's a bad actor (on the contrary) but I found it VERY hard to watch all these Downtown young women fawn over Sam while he has a front tooth missing. They try and explain it away with some mugging story, but please!!! Get the tooth fixed if you are going to play the lead in a movie.Fesseneden has this strange face - a mix of the big forehead of Kelsey Grammar and the long face look of a drunken Keith Carradine. I just think the film would have worked even better with a better lead actor, but maybe Larry couldn't afford to hire another actor. He still is to be credited with making an excellent, slow-moving, creepy movie that really is about a young man who is lost and in pain and maybe losing his mind as opposed to just a vampire movie. If you want your basic kill and blow up those blood suckers, this movie is not for you.

Okay so let me paint you a picture. Guy breaks up with girlfriend, falls apart and turns to alcohol & partying. You still with me? Great. Now what does one do under these circumstances? Get laid? Start a hobby? Hit the dating scene? Post your ex a parcel full of dog poop? These are all viable options but this guy decides to do something different, he decides to date a vampire (As you do)

As you can imagine this is no standard love story, in fact I'm not sure it's a love story at all. Gritty, dark, devoid of any type of humour and doesn't make the easiest watching but still has it's merits. For a start our lead female was oddly enthralling, as far as vampires go shes closer on the scale to Spike from Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997) than Leslie Nielsens Dracula in Dracula Dead & Loving It (1995).

Weirdly paced and with an ending that I found a real anti-climax Habit isn't a terrible film it was just made by terrible people who should have turned this premise into something considerably better.

Contains possible spoilers. If you get this thinking you're going to see Bram Stoker's Dracula or Blade, get back in line for the latest Hollywood blockbuster and drop your subscription to IFC & Sundance because it just isn't that kind of vampire movie. If you like dark-themed movies about self-destruction, then definitely check out Habit. What I like best about this film is that it leaves it up to the viewer to decide for themselves whether Anne is a vampire or if Sam just totally flips his lid. I think that with the death of his father and his girlfriend moving out, that Sam, already an alcoholic, is near the breaking point. When he discovers his new sex interest's unusual fetish, his paranoid, delirious mind runs with her taste for blood and causes him to see her as a vampire. Take note of the scene where Sam is receiving the award for his father: when Anne approaches him and the professor, there is a brief glimpse of her as another woman completely, which could be alluding to her either being completely physically different from how Sam sees her or, if she is a vampire, that she's a shapeshifter. Both possibilities apply depending on how you look at the question of is she real or is it all in his head. I think the same question could apply to the sex scenes: are they real or did they do an excellent job of simulating them?

The bad movie against which I measure all other bad movies. Nothing else ever comes close to bumping it off the worst position. The director seems overfond of shots of himself peeing. Perhaps a fetish for urination is what's required to enjoy this. What ever it takes seems to be something I'm missing. I have never walked out of a movie, but this would have been the first. I was ready to get up and leave after half an hour, but that's when I realized my companion (usually an insomniac)was sleeping peacefully. I felt obligated to finish the the movie so she could sleep, and I've never let her forget the things I'll endure for friendship!

This movie really bothered me. It was incredibly slow and although the sex scenes were really unique, the plot line DRAGGED...this guy was such a drunk you felt bad for him, but after a while it was like COME ON even this guy's addiction was boring... The funny thing I noticed was his front tooth was missing in most of the movie but in the scene at the funeral/memorial for his father he has two front teeth. I dunno...I usually LOVE independent films, but this one dragged on for quite some time. The relationship he has had with the woman that is hooked up with his friend is hinted at throughout the movie, but you never really get a feel for what it was about. What the hell did the boat have to do with anything? Lenny has sex with the girl on the boat, supposedly...then he got sick, how come the main character didn't ever go ON the boat? Then at the end, everyone was on the boat...the biggest tragedy to me was the death of the cat. I hoped our main man would die from scene one when he was drunk off of his butt at the party. Not a very likable guy...

A New York man, Sam, has just split with his girlfriend. He is lonely, but soon becomes interested in a stranger, Anna, whom he meets at a party. However, strange things start to happen and Anna may be hiding something.

It is an interesting and admirable idea to make a horror film based on mood and character rather than gore and nudity. It is much harder as fear has to be conjured up from seemingly innocent things. Horror films of this nature require more build-up and convincing drama so that they can turn it into something frightening later. The drama must be convincing so that the fear spawned out if it is also genuine.

"Habit" tries to get at just that, but it doesn't quite make it though. Certain sequences are really drawn out and by the end almost anyone could feel the fact that the film could be brisker instead of the drawn out hour and fifty minutes. For one the several nightmare sequences are well done, but they aren't really connected and the mysterious aura around Anna doesn't seem complete. However, despite the film's shortcomings it doesn't pad itself with sucker punches and cheap thrills. The sex scenes in particular are non-stylized yet strangely erotic.

Good honest try with no cop-out, but still not all it could have been. --- 6/10

Not Rated. The sexual content makes this one for audiences 16+