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An error has ocurred. Please try again- Including only exclusively Italian gialli and co-productions made by Italian directors.
- Not including co-productions made by foreign directors like 'Death Knocks Twice' (1969), 'The Fox With A Velvet Tail' (1971) or 'Blue Eyes Of The Broken Doll' (1974).
- Also not including Italian giallo/horror hybrids with prevailing supernatural elements like 'Death Smiles On A Murderer' (1973), 'Suspiria' (1977) or 'Dial Help' (1988).
Reviews
La morte vivante (1982)
As close as Rollin ever got to making a compelling horror film
Who would have thought that toxic waste fumes turn dead girls into vampires.
Jean Rollin was a curious beast. Whether you're a fan of his work or not, his style is quite easily recognizable and he's definitely worth checking out at least for 3 films (this one, 'Fascination' (1979) and 'The Iron Rose' (1973, also known as 'The Big Old Wasted Potential').
It's true that it's relatively difficult to compare him to anyone in particular, but in many ways he's a lot like Jess Franco. Just like him, Rollin obviously had a great passion for the act of filmmaking, but not so much for making his creations actually work by giving them some sort of integrity. Among the heaps of mediocre or bad flicks, Franco was able to come with an actually good film every once in a while by trying new things, but Rollin seemed to be repeating the same mistakes over and over again. As one goes through his filmography it's easy to start recognizing certain patterns and quirks. That could be said about almost every director, but Rollin strictly refuses to let go of what sadly makes a lot of his films worse than they could be. Basically all of his horror films follow the same approach:
"Let's hop in the car and take our camera to a random photogenic location in France (a mysterious chateau, a medieval ruin, a secluded villa, a run-down village, an endless cemetary... or all at once!) and make each shot last 3x longer than it should. Also bring a couple of wooden actors and a crowd of average-looking young women to strip down (preferably bunch of blondes, but one or two brunettes will do) and while we're filming, come up with some dull and/or pretencious dialogues for our unlikeable shallow characters and a series of illogical "dream-like" situations overspiced by poorly-handled erotic scenes to make up for the one-page script we forgot at home."
On first look this film may seem like a cheap disposable early 80's trash and it's highly improbable that anyone will choose it as their introduction to Rollin. But surprsingly enough, it actually has a lot to offer. It has significantly more direct approach of storytelling and a decent pacing (most of the time). The special effects are a mixed bag - some look bloody great, some look shoddy as hell, sometimes even during the same scene. The acting is bad as expected, although Francoise Blanchard does a pretty good job in the leading role.
The main plus is that some 15 years after his feature-lenght debut Rollin finally brings something unspeakable to the table - an actually interesting and compelling protagonist! The character of Catherine is a semi-vampire openly disgusted by her new condition and she is presented more like a confused wild animal than a sophisticated seductive blood-sucker, but still with a hint of her former personality and consciousness present. She doesn't talk very much and maybe that's for the best, because every time Jean Rollin's vampires start their wannabe deep philosophical monologues, they instantly come of as laughable idiots and it's impossible to take them seriously or even as a satire.
Most of Rollin's other films would turn out absolutely the same if they were set in the past, but this one would hugely benefit if it was set in the late 19th century or at least shortly before/after the 1st World War. The omnipresent 80's vibe kills any sort of real atmosphere, but maybe just getting rid of the obnoxious, nosy, arrogant and utterly pointless pair of American tourists with way too much screentime would do the trick.
'The Living Dead Girl' is still far from being a great horror film, but it's definitely an above average Rollin horror film, and in certain sense it might as well be his best. It feels a lot more compact than his previous works and the ending is absolutely amazing as it truly underlines the theme of selfishness of love.
Hausu (1977)
Feels like a fever dream written by David Lynch and directed by Mario Bava
"Unusual" or "odd" would be very tame words to describe this movie. It's bizarre, outlandish and sometimes downright insane. But above all, it's unexpectedly entertaining.
This is obviously a very stylized and uncoventional film and it plays by its own rules, presenting a story with a heavy "dream-like" atmosphere. The camerawork and individual set-pieces are awesome, the editing is very fun and the special effects are top-notch for the time period.
It succesfully blends together horror, comedy and even martial arts elements. While that may sound strange (and it is), thanks to its quirky presentation it works very well. Even if you want to check it out purely as a horror fan, you should not be disappointed, because some of the scenes are actually creepy and the whole film has a pretty unsettling vibe.
It's not an unbeatable classic (the first half is noticeably better and there is a bit too much screaming going on during the second half), but it's a true visual marvel and definitely a film that will stick in your mind for one reason or another.
Are You in the House Alone? (1978)
A well-acted TV drama with a pinch of horror
Often misinterpreted as a horror film, "Are You In The House Alone?" is actually more of a slow-paced drama dealing with rape and family issues.
All the characters are sufficiently established and believable and Gail played by Kathleen Beller is easily one the most likeable young female protagonists of 1970's thriller/horror films. The movie provides the viewer with great acting on everybody's part (especially Gail and her parents), natural dialogues and a fairly simple but engaging story.
It's important to note that this is a made for TV movie, so it obviously doesn't exploit any of its darker themes and situations too much, but it still manages to induce a decent amount of unease at certain points. The main focus of the script is put on relationships and there is a number of well-executed scenes between Gail and different people in her life.
If you approach this film with an open mind, not expecting a slasher bloodbath or a rape-revenge mayhem, you won't be disappointed.