Le frisson des vampires

Unforgettable Rollin extravaganza, daring to go for effects other directors would dismiss as cheesy, and pulling them off. On one level, it seems pure exploitation, with its somnolent virgins and lesbian vampires; but it is the prospective male viewer that the film targets - his representative on screen is reduced to an impotent observer, finally breaking down into helpless madness. Rollin's style is as delirious as ever, fantastic French Gothic sets, seeping red filter, dreamlike pace, bewilderingly inventive soundtrack, resonant set-pieces and unmissably pretentious dialogue. It's easier to follow than THE RAPE OF THE VAMPIRE.

Another Jean Rollin vampire flick. The formula for these seems to be; paper-thin plot, beautiful cinematography, and lots of gratuitous, female nudity. The cast are pretty poor (one of the girls does bear a resemblance to Sharon Tate, whilst one of the guys is a dead ringer for Tate's husband Roman Polanski, who appeared with her in his Dance of the Vampires (aka The Fearless Vampire Killers) four years earlier). The music, by French group Acanthus (who also recorded under the name Unity (22); other than that I can't find anything on them) has a prog rock feel; it's okay, but it jars with the heavily gothic imagery. On top of that, this was pretty poorly dubbed into English; I'd sooner have had subtitles. There are some spectacular visuals - especially in and around a chateau and a graveyard - but that's it. Nice to look at, but not a lot else. 5/10.

I guess the infamous Jean Rolin has made way crazier movies. Movies that were more shocking. Still if you watch this, do not expect this to be without any bite (yes you'll get at least one pun with my reviews - I don't even charge for them).

For a 50 year old movie it is decently made. There is a lot of nudity and a fair amount of blood. That being said, do not expect this to be anything ultra in any direction. Blood and other things do look quite fake (though since this was the 70s, I assume there was no body enhancement with the females ... or males for that matter). Story is pretty simple, the french audio track is ok - not that I understood any of what they were saying (subtitles are a great gift).

Predictable sleaze, for fans of the "genre" or Rolling maybe worth a look ... otherwise this feels even more drained than it was back then (a pun a day ...)

"Les Frissons des Vampires" can't be considered, in the strict sense, a horror film, because there are no suspense and/or scares waiting for the viewer. What the film has to offer is atmosphere, plenty of atmosphere. The plot is thin: a couple arrives in a castle, in order to pay the fiancée's two cousins, a visit (they were once brave vampire hunters, but one night they fell in battle, and became afterwards enthusiastic vampires). These cousins, together with their team (two beautiful servant maids and a solemn vampire girl that emerges out of the most unexpected places), prowl around the innocent guests. This stuff could lead to a really suspenseful film, but I guess that was not Jean Rollin's intention.

The lighting effects create beautiful night colors. Every new night, bathed in a different color - the castle - a visual leitmotif. The conversations are frequently literary (especially the two philosopher vampire cousins) and a self-parody - not to be taken seriously. Delicate camera movements, strange angle shots, various colored lights flooding landscape, castle and graveyard.... the idyllic prog rock of Acanthus..... the fog grows and spreads in wonderland.

We should relearn to watch films. "Les Frissons des Vampires" is slow-paced - maybe if you just relax and don't hang too much on the story, you may experience the film - enjoy its gorgeous colors effects, its poetic-humoristic dialogues (spoken in French, a very sweet language) and its bizarre atmosphere.

Welcome to the fantasy world of Jean Rollin. Give free reins to your senses and imagination. Dive in.

Ultra low-budget outing from French sex director Rollin has even less plot and an even deadlier pace than his previous films, LE VIOL DU VAMPIRE (1967) and LA VAMPIRE NUE (1969). A newly-wed couple travel to a castle to meet the bride's cousins. It turns out they are vampires with a harem of bloodsuckers. Cheesy, pretentious with lots of nudity and almost no violence at all. Psychedelic rock score is ultra-bad. What you get is an attempt at creating atmosphere (fog, colorful lighting) and Rollin's trademark before-sunrise coast-finale. Stay away unless you are a die-hard fan.