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The Shiver of the Vampires (aka Le Frisson des Vampires)

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Le Frisson des Vampires (English title: The Shiver of the Vampires) is a 1971 French erotic horror film directed by cult filmmaker Jean Rollin. It was his third vampire movie.

Having had many VHS and DVD releases, many of them on UK label Redemption, the definitive version of the film was released in the USA 2012 by Redemption/Kino Lorber as part of a five-disc Jean Rollin Blu-ray collection, along with La Rose de FerFascinationLa Vampire Nue, and Lèvres de Sang.

Two newlyweds, Isle and Antoine, are on their honeymoon, on their way to visit Isle’s two cousins. Unfortunately, they discover that her cousins died the day before. Nonetheless, they go to the chateau where they lived anyway. They are greeted by two female Renfields who show them to a room.

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Isle goes to the cemetery to visit the graves of her cousins, and a woman named Isabelle tells Isle that she was about to get married to both of her cousins, but in a way she was already their brides. Isle decides to sleep alone on that night because she is upset. While getting ready for bed a woman emerges from the grandfather clock. She introduces herself as Isolde and takes Isle back to the cemetery where she bites Isle in the neck. Antoine, feeling lonely, goes to see Isle, but finds that she isn’t in her room. He searches the castle and comes to the chapel where it seems a human sacrifice is taking place. Two of the participants turn out to be Isle’s cousins and explain they must kill the woman or she will become like them — vampires. Antoine goes back to find Isle in her room and isn’t sure whether it was all a dream…

Wikipedia | IMDb | Watch uncensored trailer (nudity)

‘Rollin was a loveably scrappy underdog, and what he lacked in originality and budget he made up with imagination and sheer oddity. Shiver of the Vampires is easily one of his most visually interesting efforts. The set design alone is brilliantly kooky–see the wacko, wax-covered fishbowl with a skull in it–and Rollin goes wild with his cinematographer Jean-Jacques Renon, casting many scenes in bold washes of color. It’s surreal and psychedelic, doubly so when you factor in the film’s minor-key prog rock score, which gives Shiver a lead over the Hammer films, at least in terms of pure hipness.’ Casey Broadwater, Blu-ray.com

Shiver of the Vampires is a movie that works more as a treat for the eyes and the soul, rather than the brain. There doesn’t appear to be a deeper meaning to any of it, and it might seem that things happen in the film for no reason. Everything feels like a strange dream and on that level it works really well. This dream-like atmosphere is further enhanced by the use of some unusual primary lighting effects, the kind that Italian directors like Bava and Argento have also used to great effect. While many of Rollin’s movies are quite colorful, Shiver of the Vampires differs in the way that he uses the color to bath the locations in red. It’s a nice touch that sets the gothic castle apart from other horror movies that make use of similar settings.’ Ian Jane, DVDTalk.com

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Shiver of the Vampires finds Rollin continuing to test thematic tools he’d revisit over and over (and over) again throughout his career. There are the ubiquitous female twins, the lesbian vampiress, the modern abandoned castle, numerous graveyard scenes, crazy lighting schemes, and numerous invented rituals. It all sounds very dark, but the film is really a blast. The vampire cousins, who seem much too old to be cousins of our bride, are fantastic characters, well drawn and exuberant, whose presence makes the film more fun than it has any right to be.’ Charlie Hobbs, TwitchFillm.com

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Thanks to Wrong Side of the Art for some of the images above



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