La morte vivante

I hate to admit it, but I like the idea of Jean Rollin more than the reality of sitting through one of his films. It's not that I don't appreciate what he's doing. I do. He has a unique world view and holds a special place in the world of "fantastique" cinema that is indisputable.

Still, I find his films a little boring.

Case in point THE LIVING DEAD GIRL springs from a simple and fascinating concept of a dead woman, who must drink blood to survive, returning to a château to be with an old friend.

As fascinating as the concept is, Rollin doesn't do a whole lot with it. He serves up plenty of atmosphere, imbues his material with a subtle eroticism and draws a superb performance from the beautiful Francoise Blanchard. What else do you want? you may ask. I'm not sure. I wanted more to happen, I guess. I wanted Rollin to jettison the boring bits and replace them with his signature set pieces.

It's been described as "savage", an adjective I wouldn't use myself. It's also been described as "dreamy". For the most part that's true. My frustration is with the film's uneven tone. Why couldn't it remain "dreamy" right through? You do need patience and a little forgiveness to enjoy Rollin.

I still wouldn't miss anything he's done. He's one of us.

(This Film Rates a B+ ) A dead girl comes back to life and requires blood to stay alive, zombie/vampire like. She reunites with her childhood "girlfriend" who truly loves her and will do anything to understand and help them be together. While one believes she is alive, the other believes she is dead. This film is pretty crude at times with more of a 1970's feel than 1982. There some laughable moments throughout; Are French people really bad kissers or is it just horrible acting? How about the girl getting a blood squirt to the face at the 29:45 minute mark or her dramatic death down the stairs. There are plenty of good gore effects plus a creepy yet soothing and psychopathic emotional element to the film/story line. The script is decent and often times poetic. Predictable, over dramatized but savoy. The set/scenery are foreign and fantastic plus the cinematography has some brilliant artistic moments. T&A are present. And that ending!

I have only seen three Jean Rollin movies (the other two being 'La Vampire Nue' and 'Fascination'). Each made in a different decade, each one a vampire movie of some kind, but each different in approach and theme. All three are fascinating movies, hard to compare with any other horror director's output. While Rollin's work bears certain superficial resemblances to some of Jess Franco's, particularly the emphasis on mood, style and eroticism, each director is his own man. Rollin's movies, though as much exploitation films as Franco's, are not as camp or trashy. I hesitate to call them "art films", but in their own eccentric way they almost are.

'The Living Dead Girl' concerns the resurrection of a French heiress via a spill of "toxic waste". As much a zombie as a vampire, at least initially, she must relentlessly feed on blood to survive. In other director's hands the premise would then go into a familiar direction. Rollin however, takes into stranger territory of loyalty, love and guilt. The movie contains plenty of gore and a reasonably amount of nudity, but overall it will probably not be exactly what you expected. That's what makes it so damn interesting! Watch this without any preconceived ideas about what a vampire movie should or should not be and you will be in for a unique trip! Hats off once again to Jean Rollin for a totally unique experience.

This is an interesting film on several levels. It is not full of top notch acting, but it is different and I like that.

First, some sleaze-bags are dumping chemical waste in an underground burial vault that dates from the 12th century. A tremor releases gases and awakens our living dead girl (Françoise Blanchard). She wanders into the castle above, which happens to have been her home when she died two years ago.

Now, the realtor (Dominique Treillou) brings her boyfriend for a weekend of fun. Surprise! Our living dead girl needs some blood to survive. Now, is she a zombie or a vampire? She doesn't bite, but tears the flesh apart, but she doesn't eat the flesh either; she drinks them dry. Topic for discussion.

What I like about European films is that they have no problems with full frontal. They also use very healthy actresses, not some skinny starlet. Gorgeous bodies are on display in this film.

There isn't much story here. The film has constant flashbacks to the childhood of the zombie and her friend Hélène (Marina Pierro). Hélène comes to the castle after a phone call to see if her friend is alive. At first she doesn't understand, but is soon getting her fresh meat to drink dry.

The living dead girl just wants to die, but Hélène wants to keep her alive. One is never sure if there is more to this relationship than childhood friendship, but there is only one possible ending to it.

Really should be seen by all zombie lovers for a different take on the subject.

This Jean Rollin feature is an erotic horror about a woman who returns from the dead due to an accident involving an earthquake and toxic chemicals. She is The Living Dead Girl and she has a vampire like taste for blood. She is drawn back to her 'blood sister' Helene, who in turn finds victims for her.

This is another melancholic and downbeat effort from Rollin. Once again his vampire is a tragic one. She did not choose her fate. She feels guilt at her subsequent actions and is repulsed by them. We feel sorry for her. The film is also about friendship and loyalty. The bond between the two girls is effectively a pact that goes beyond the grave. One of the defining features of The Living Dead Girl is its goriness. It is very bloody by Rollin's standards, so in this respect it may be a little more accessible to a wider horror audience. But then again, aside from this, it's strictly business as usual. There are the usual selection of paper thin characters, weak dialogue and low production values; while the story emphasises things that are atypical for a standard horror film, such as a melancholic 'monster' and some poetic imagery. Examples of the latter would include scenes of the girl wandering through fields in a white night dress and the night time river scene. As usual Rollin does ensure the film looks interesting. There are some nice French countryside locations and a picturesque villa. While the atmosphere is moody throughout, with some delicate musical accompaniment on the soundtrack. It is a little odd though having an American couple in the movie. This, no doubt was a way of trying to sell the film easier overseas. But like all other Rollin films these characters are uninteresting, Rollin seems to be only interested in his female vampires/villains. It isn't without faults; it does drag in places but like others from the director would probably improve on re-watches. The film does, however, wrap up in one of the most effectively haunting endings Rollin ever conceived.