Plot: What’s it about?
I want to make it clear from the start, this disc is not available in American stores, as it is a British release and is meant for PAL televisions. But with the wave of region free players out there, I know a ton of U.S. horror nuts have been drooling over this disc, which can even be played on an X-Box, since it has no region code attached. So don’t ask about this one at Wal-Mart, as it is only available via The Dark Side, Britain’s best selling horror magazine and you can order it from their website (http://www.ebony.co.uk/darkside/dvd.htm). This is the first release from The Dark Side and it is a double dose of Jean Rollin’s vampiric efforts. As both of these movies are available in Region 1 editions, I want to run over the important stuff here, since fans of Rollin will want to own both this disc and the U.S. edition of Requiem for a Vampire. This is because a short scene has been cut due to British censors, while the U.S. disc is uncut & uncensored. But with new anamorphic transfers, plus a wealth of supplemental materials, The Dark Side’s disc is well worth the coast & effort, so make sure to check out the site for details.
1. Requiem for a Vampire- After the death of one of their fellow fugitives, two young women begin a run from the authorities. The girls have even tracked down disguises, though the clown costumes don’t do their gorgeous figures justice. A trek into the woods lead them to an open grave, but that isn’t as imposing as the massive castle they soon encounter. It seems as though the castle is abandon, but there is a decomposing corpse in the basement, as well as some other inhabitants the girls are unaware of. But soon the castle’s vampiric residents emerge and take the outsiders into the depths of the dungeon. There the ladies meet a male castle dweller (Phillipe Gaste), an old vampire in his waning days who seeks to refresh his bloodline to ensure future generations of bloodsuckers. His fellow vampire Erica (Dominique Toussaint) will serve to assist him, with her first action to sink her teeth into this nubile young visitors. The girls have no desire to endure the kind of sexual torture ahead of them, but is an escape even possible?
2. Fascination- The old saying claims there’s honor among thieves, but for one band of criminals, it turns out to be far from the truth. When one of them, Mark (Jean-Marie Lemaire) pulls a double-cross on his fellow crooks, he takes to the streets and seeks refuge for a time. He soon runs into two beautiful women, Eva (Brigitte Lahaie) and Elisabeth (Franca Mai), who take him back to their chateau. Aside from their gorgeous bodies and beautiful faces, the girls have intense seductive charms, whether through simple looks or their saucy comments. But they have a darker side also, as they are part of a cult of female vampires, who have become bored with common life and sent out the two hotties to fetch some fresh meat. The vampires want to indulge their sexual desires and feast on goblets of fine blood, but Mark takes a negative stance. But with a chateau of pissed off lesbian vampires against him, does he stand a chance?
Video: How does it look?
Requiem for a Vampire and Fascination are both presented in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen, as intended. I assume the same prints were used as seen in the American releases, since they look to be in the same condition and the same source was used, Salvation. But since the U.S. discs weren’t anamorphic, this gives an instant edge to these treatments. As these are both low budget, fairly obscure horror movies, the image isn’t pristine, but all in all, I think these films have been well treated here. The prints have some damage and softness is always an issue, but the softness adds to the visuals, at least in my opinion. The colors seem bright enough, though time has faded them somewhat, while contrast is smooth and acceptable. This is right on par with the U.S. versions, though of course, the anamorphic enhancement pushes this release above those, which sport normal letterbox editions.
Audio: How does it sound?
The original French soundtracks have been preserved for both pictures, via more than capable mono options. As these are older, low budget movies with older, low budget soundtracks, don’t expect much beyond basic presentations. But as the materials have held up well, there isn’t much hiss or distortion to mention, these seem to be the same audio tracks from the U.S. versions, which makes sense. The dialogue is clean and the music is as good as mono allows, while the vampiric sound effects come through crystal clear also. You can also enable an English language track on Requiem for a Vampire, while both films offer optional English subtitles, in case you’ll need those at some point.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Now this is where this disc really shines, as The Dark Side has included some terrific supplements here. The most substantial extras are three featurettes, all of which are worthwhile and add immense value to this release. The superb Eurotika special Virgins and Vampires runs about half an hour, with extensive interviews with Rollin and clips from his various pictures. This is almost like an A&E biography episode, as it is well crafted and has a lot of insight, but also has a nice amount of style and a polished presentation. The second piece clocks in at just over thirty minutes and like Virgins and Vampires, Bloody Lips & Iron Kisses is a collection of interviews and film clips, a must see for Rollin devotees. As if those two weren’t enough, we’re given thirty-two minutes of additional interviews, as Rollin and sex goddess Brigitte Lahaie share their memories and look back on these unusual, powerful pictures. This disc also includes still photos (promotional & production), an adult aimed selection of Lahaie photos, a shorter interview with Lahaie, and theatrical trailers for both movies. In addition, you’ll find several hidden features if you explore the disc a little and of course, they’re not too hard to locate.
