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Average Rollin, but compelling and hypnotic none the less
The regular moviegoer - perhaps most mainstream audiences today - may not be the least bit familiar with the name Jean Rollin, but in the realm of low-budget, supernatural cinema he has a loyal, albeit small cult following. A very unique director in his own right, he's most commonly known for his many efforts in the horror genre (in particular his vampire movies) in which he effortlessly combines vicious occurrences with strong sensuality and frank, picturesque nudity. But even though the stories are often rather gruesome, Rollins extremely laid-back direction and his frequent use of long scenes with little or no dialogue as well as music, lend an almost poetic, dreamlike quality to the proceedings - and that is also evident in his vampire-less ghost outing in question, Les Démoniaques.
For once again, ambience and enigmatic atmosphere is the name of the game. There is something irresistible and haunting about the way he orchestrates gloomy set-pieces and fills the gothic, surreal imagery with dark, occult eroticism - undeniably Rollins strongest asset and this distinctive style is what really sets him apart as a visual director, besides making his movies one-of-a-kind. And it's a good thing that he for the most part emphasizes mood at the expense of plot, since he isn't exactly James Joyce when it comes to writing. Considering Rollins usually sparse storylines, the lack of any real logic is quite amazing and whenever the mannered actors try to utter whatever lines they're given, one almost wishes they would shut up, disrobe and have some sex instead.
But unfortunately Rollin has a fondness for homespun philosophy and monologues that are obviously intended as earnest and sincere but more often than not come off as pompous or pretentious, at best. However, these verbal shortcomings are not enough to outweigh the aforementioned virtues, and incidentally the gorgeous, alluring French sex siren Joëlle Coeur, who in fact turns in a game and seductive performance, is a joy to behold and makes for a great, sadistic (and often scantily clad) villainess by the name of Tina. She, along with her three other companions, The Captain (John Rico), Bosco (Willy Braque) and Paul (Paul Bisciglia) makes a living of luring ships into dangerous waters, causing them to go aground and subsequently salvaging the loot.
One night two survivors, a couple of young girls dressed in white (well cast Lieva Lone and tall model Patricia Hermenier, whose only film appearance this was for both concerned), barely manage to swim ashore after a shipwreck, but to no use it seems, because on land they're met by the pirates who initially rape them - with Tina as a cheerful (and uncommonly ecstatic) spectator - and then leave them for dead. But somehow the two victims come back to life, and with the aid of a friendly female clown they're lead to a nearby ruin where an evil spirit dwells. Determined on retribution against the four perpetrators they set this incarcerated, masculine demon free, and in a ceremonious ritual he grants the two girls the power to strike back by sleeping with them (the best way, really). There is a catch, though - they only have 24 hours to set things right and their henchmen are no easy match.
Thematically a horror movie, Les Démoniaques actually distinguishes itself by playing more like a sinister and tragic fairytale. It has an air of melancholy throughout, much courtesy of Lone and Hermeniers suitably sad facial expressions in their non-speaking parts, but also due to Rollins handling of one of his recurring themes and common trademarks, the isolation and loneliness of his protagonists, which is further underlined by the deliberate, lethargic pacing. Perhaps in a scene or two the narrative tends to be a bit on the meandering side, but the cinematography is so evocative and mesmerizing it's hard to make a serious objection. In terms of the lyrical approach to the subject matter, there's a certain similarity to some of Argento's works, especially Suspiria and Phenomena come to mind, but unlike these two, Les Démoniaques simply isn't scary at all and almost completely devoid of gory make-up effects.
Those looking for a throat slicing, limb cutting, eye gouging, blood-spattering extravaganza will therefore be sorely disappointed. Though overlong by approximately 10 minutes and not as accomplished as some of Rollins other efforts (La Morte Vivante (1982), Réquiem pour un Vampire (1971) and Lèvres de sang (1975), all released by Encore in the near future, but with the latter in particular being a personal favorite), this tranquil, expressionistic film is however a perfectly acceptable (and rare) example of technically well made, aesthetic and eroticized horror that, despite its apparent made-on-a-shoestring origins, is much more compelling than most other entries in the genre.
René Pedersen, October 16th, 2005
Picture: 8/10
To the best of my knowledge this release from Encore marks the first time that Les Démoniaques has been given an anamorphically enhanced widescreen transfer on DVD - and in short, it looks amazing. Apart from a few scenes being a tad on the soft side (most likely a flaw in the original negative), the image is beautiful and sharp throughout, boasting a high level of detail as well as deep blacks, vivid colors and natural looking flesh tones. There are some minor specks and scratches here and there, but otherwise the picture is free from visible print damage, compression artefacts and edge enhancement. The aspect ratio of the film is 1.78:1.
Sound: 4/10
The original French soundtrack is presented here in Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, unfortunately it doesn't fare as well as the picture. Bear in mind that this movie was made some 32 years ago and probably without the best recording equipment, the track really isn't that bad, but nor is it particularly good. Although not distorted or muddy in any way, the sound lacks definition and crispness and appears a bit too dark overall as well, and while the dynamic range is at least acceptable, there's some minor, but constant hissing in the background besides some crackling here and there which stings a bit in the ears during the louder moments. Certainly endurable, just go easy on the amplifiers volume control.
Extras: 10/10
If you're able to take your eyes off the simply stunning and wildly attractive slipcase art work then pull out and unfold the equally impressive digipack inside and you will find a movie-only DVD plus two additional discs with supplemental material. On the first disc there's a 48 minute video feature containing selected scenes from Les Démoniaques with audio commentary by the director Jean Rollin. Although speaking English with a heavy French accent he proves to be very pleasant company and has some funny, informative and revealing stories to tell, among other things about the frequently difficult production where some shots were hit-and-miss, his admiration of the statuesque leading lady Joëlle Coeur and his extremely troublesome relationship with the unpredictable, whining model actress. Next up is a 12 minute interview (in French with English subtitles) with one of the leading men, Willy Braque, and while it's always funny to see and hear actors reminisce about movies, especially after so many years have passed, he has very little to say other than how well he worked together with Rollin and how good friends they still are. Rounding off disc two is the theatrical trailer. For all the flesh-hounds out there, the second extras disc is scorching. Four rather explicit - and lengthy - deleted sex scenes are included (the first two even feature male genitalia as well as gyno shots), and in order to place the new footage in a context, each clip starts off with a scene from the main feature. Scene 1 (3.40 min) shows a waitress with some bar costumer, while Scene 2 (6.37 min), Scene 3 (6.22 min) and Scene 4 (1.52 min) are all with Joëlle Coeur. Needless to say, fans of hers won't be disappointed. By the way, the hardcore sequence in the last scene is an insert and most likely performed by another actress. Since these never before seen outtakes look just as great as the main feature itself and are anamorphically enhanced, it could have been fun if an option had been included, offering the viewer the possibility to watch the movie with or without the cut footage using the seamless branching technique - even if the running time would be boosted and the movie most likely would loose some of its momentum as well as poetic impact. But this is by no means a complaint - just a minor, insignificant aphorism. A slide show with stills from the movie is provided and finally Rollins second short film, Les Pays Loins from 1965 (16 minutes, in French with English subtitles), is found, with optional audio commentary by Rollin. Last, but not least, an awesome 62-page booklet (in English) has been put lovingly together, where Rollin recounts a lot of details (many not included in the Les Démoniaques audio commentary) about the production in general, the casting and the shooting of certain scenes. Furthermore there's a long interview with Rollin where he provides a lot of background information on his career, his movies and different influences. A Rollin filmography is located on the last pages. The booklet is crammed with b/w and color pictures - a mixture of private photos, publicity shots and stills from many of Rollins films.
An awe-inspiring, expertly produced package by Encore, presenting the best looking version of Les Démoniaques on the market to date - and with a fair amount of fabulous extras to boot, fans of Rollin are strongly advised to pick up this limited release in a hurry. Can't wait for Encores next title, Réquiem pour un Vampire.
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