THE GRAPES OF DEATH

(A.k.a. LES RAISINS DE LA MORT)

Hailing from 1978 and clearly indebted to Romero's seminal horror film of some 10 years earlier, THE GRAPES OF DEATH opens with farmer's hand Kowalski rotivating his crop, coughing from the fumes he's spraying as he goes about his job. As he returns to the farmhouse, Kowalski collapses and complains about having a headache and neck pains. The farmer emerges from his slumber and unsympathetically orders the farm hand back to work. Bastard.

But as a prologue this is quite effective. Without much of note happening, our suspicion is aroused regarding the fumes emitted from the pesticide being used on the farmer's grape field. And, hey, the film's called THE GRAPES OF DEATH.

Once the stylish red opening titles are over (although they misspell co-star Brigitte Lahaie's surname as Lahaye), the action shifts to two girls travelling together on an empty train. Elizabeth (the very pretty Marie-Georges Pascal) is on her way to the French town of Roubelais - renowned for its vineyard! - to meet her beau Michael. The other girl, Brigitte, is headed for Spain.

Brigitte is slain in the bathroom (offscreen) at one of the train's stops, and Elizabeth is forced to flee the train when she bumps into the now decomposing Kowalski. She scarpers through well-shot smoggy French countryside for a few minutes before stumbling upon a farmhouse hosted by a curiously silent and unwelcoming father-and-daughter combo. She recounts her recent train-bound troubles to the couple, who listen intently yet impassive.

Welcomed to stay a while, the daughter ushers Elizabeth to her bedroom. As she pulls back the quilt in her bedroom, Elizabeth discovers the corpse of the farm's matriarch, her throat having been sliced open. The farmer's wife immediately grabs Elizabeth and tells her the farmer has gone.

As in all good exploitation flicks, any escape attempted within the first third of the film is thwarted and retaliated against with some scene of unconscionable violence. Lingering shots of a pitchfork in the daughter's stomach deliver the goods on this occasion.

Elizabeth flees the farmhouse and, while stealing the farmer's car, is begged by the farmer to end his undead torment by running him over. She obliges.

We then get more footage of the beautiful French countryside as Elizabeth flees some more, disturbing another pus-ridden zombie lurking amid some interesting ruins. Eventually Elizabeth meets blind girl Lucy (Mirella Rancelot) who directs her to the nearest village. Unfortunately for the pair of them, by the time they arrive there the village is filled with bloody corpses, smoke-filled air and ominous piano on the soundtrack.

It's interesting to note that at this point in the film, the zombies change character. Up till this point they've appeared intelligent and quite sympathetic - more diseased than homicidal. Suddenly they appear wooden and stilted, much more traditional in the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD sense.

Without giving too much away, Elizabeth finds the village to be over-run with zombies. She finds sanctuary with the odd Brigitte Lahaie who claims to be the only normal villager left. But is she all that she seems? Who will save the day? Will Elizabeth ever be reunited with Michael?

It's unfair to give anything more away. Suffice it to say the action steps up a gear or two in the final third, with plot taking a backburner to gore of an enjoyably crude calibre (look out for a show-stopping topless crucifixion scene which climaxes with a decapitation that warrants a 2nd viewing. There's even a brief love scene between the above severed head and a corpse that is amusingly novel).

The last half-hour of this film is non-stop action, offering explosions, more French countryside (!), an anti-Fascist speech, gunshot violence and an ambiguous ending. Oh yes, and there's even a vague explanation of just what the Hell is going on.

GRAPES OF DEATH is an enjoyable film that most gorehounds would find an agreeable way to spend 90 minutes. It is reminiscent of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD and THE LIVING DEAD AT THE MANCHESTER MORGUE, but has its own style that separates itself from these two classics. For a Rollin film, the nudity quotient is relatively low and the violence is ramped up. The story's structure is unusually strong, and for once there's a healthy flow of dialogue evident throughout. In other words, though who are alienated by the director's dreamier efforts are more likely to warm to this pacier, though no less keenly photographed and poetic offering.

Redemption’s partnership with Kino Lorber continues to honour the memory of French genre legend Jean Rollin with another sterling HD presentation of one his key works.

THE GRAPES OF DEATH is presented fully uncut on this region-free blu-ray in its original 1.66:1 aspect ratio. Newly struck from an original 35mm negative, the transfer is a largely clean one. There are a few minor specks here and there but it’s nothing to worry over. Blacks are nicely solid throughout, while colours are the strongest they’ve ever been for this title on domestic release. Close-up shots excel in terms of detail – this, along with the bolder colours, is where the HD transfer really trumps the Synapse DVD of old – though softness is still evident in more distant, tracking shots. But as a whole this is pleasingly filmic proposition, and one that offers a credible picture upgrade from standard definition.

French audio comes in a sturdy LPCM 2.0 mix which manages the balance of music and dialogue well. Optional English subtitles are well-written and easy to read.

The disc opens to an animated main menu page. From there, pop-up menus include a scene-selection menu allowing access to the film via 12 chapters.

Of the extras proffered, the most substantial is a 49-minute chat with Rollin recorded at the prestigious Fantasia Film Festival in 2007. Rollin appears to be in decent health at the time (he died in December 2010) and extremely relaxed as he speaks enthusiastically about his cinema in general, its influences in French literature and culture, and his own beginnings working in the comic world. He goes on to discuss the success of early colleagues and peers, and gushes over how one of my personal favourite films – VALERIE AND HER WEEK OF WONDERS – influenced much of his work. In French with English subtitles, this is ugly to look at but - with subjects ranging from Rollin being compared to Mario Mercier, to him not getting on with actress Sylvia Boudon - wonderfully enlightening nevertheless.

We also get a 2-minute video introduction to the film from its director, and an original theatrical trailer. This is accompanied by the original trailers for THE LIVING DEAD GIRL, ZOMBIE LAKE, FASCINATION, NIGHT OF THE HUNTED and TWO ORPHAN VAMPIRES.

Finally, this impressive set is rounded off by a 12-page colour booklet containing liner notes from Tim Lucas. Lucas covers GRAPES and NIGHT OF THE HUNTED in his writing, reasoning that both films are linked by the fact they were influenced by Rollin’s time spent making pornos between directing his earlier vampire films and these works. As ever, Lucas’ words provide excellent and entertaining food for thought.

Another great cult horror film of the 1970s gets a great upgrade to blu-ray.

Review by Stuart Willis