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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jun 15, 2008 22:28:05 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue] [red]Comment allez-vous?[/red]
The lovely nation of France has always been an important part of the horror tradition, but for many years went unnoticed by the casual horror viewer. Over the past few years, however, the power of French Horror has come into the public spotlight with some fine, fine films. As a student of the French culture for many years, and a student of the Horror culture for even more, I could not be happier about the surge of popularity in French Cinema. So, in my small way of honouring it, I'd like to invite you along as I take a trip through the fascinating world of French Horror Cinema.
Pack your wine & cheese, grab your baguette, and let's go!
New reviews will be posted regularly, and the links adjacent will bring you directly to them. Some reviews are off the board from the past, but they're still more than open to discussion. Merci!
[green]Excellente / Très bon:[/green] - Les Diaboliques (1955) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/105633817- Les yeux sans visage (1960) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/109025844- À l'intérieur (2007) - www.imdb.com/title/tt0856288/usercomments-13- Delicatessen (1991) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/thread/105396408- Caché (2005) - tinyurl.com/5woef8- Trouble Every Day (2001) - imdbhorror.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=series&action=display&thread=286&page=1#2331- Maléfique (2002) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/106157509[green] Bon:[/green]- Dead End (2003) - tinyurl.com/deadendroad- Requiem pour un Vampire / Requiem for a Vampire (1971) - imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/106068127- Baby Blood / The Evil Within (1990) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/thread/105396580- Irréversible (2002) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/105462911- Ils - Them (2006) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/post/nm1578334- Frontière(s) (2008) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/thread/105396702Médiocre:- Morgane et ses nymphes / Girl Slaves of Morgana Le Fey (1971) - tinyurl.com/6agdwr- Promenons-nous dans les bois / Deep in the Woods (2000) - imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/106667516- Sheitan (2006) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/106431454- Les Morsures de l'aube' / Love Bites (2001) - tinyurl.com/lovebites[red] Mauvais:[/red] - Le lac des morts vivants / Zombie Lake (1981) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/105399279- Saint Ange / House of Voices (2004) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/105505664[red] Pathétique / Très mauvais:[/red] - L'Abîme des morts vivants / Oasis of the Zombies (1981) - imdbhorror.proboards80.com/index.cgi?board=series&action=display&thread=286&page=1#2232- - - French-language films of foreign production worth noting:- C'est arrivé près de chez vous / Man Bites Dog (1992) - www.imdb.com/name/nm1578334/board/nest/105397739[/blockquote] Requirements for inclusion: Titles must be filmed primarily in France, produced primarily by French production companies, or primarily in the French language. - - - [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France[/red]!-AP3- - - - - - (I started this over on IMDb, obviously, but due to the fact that the majority of the summertime kids have probably never seen a non-American film in their lives, I thought I'd bring it over here so that people with a bit of range in their viewing habits could give their opinions as well.)
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jun 15, 2008 22:30:49 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the, for lack of a better word, classic French zombie flick. . . L'Abîme des morts vivants:Title: 'L'Abîme des morts vivants' / 'Oasis of the Zombies'
Directed by: Jess Franco
Written by: Jess Franco
Release date: 1981
Tagline: n/a
Runtime: 82 minutes
Rating: USA: Unrated
Synopsis: After the murder of his military father (who fought in World War II), a college student and his friends (and a guy old enough to be their professor but is apparently a student or something) embark on a journey to an Oasis in the middle of the desert which apparently holds the treasure of the Nazis: buried gold totaling over $6 million. Unfortunately for the student and his friends, there is more buried (and becoming less buried by the minute) at the Oasis than they expected.
Review: Where to start. . . well, I'd like to think M. Franco for making this film short, at least. I'm glad I didn't have to suffer more than eighty or so minutes through it. Beyond that, there's not much else good to say about it. Like the previously reviewed Zombie Lake (tinyurl.com/69f5wh), Oasis of the Zombies is another failed attempt at a Nazi zombie flick. And, like Zombie Lake, it's just plain bad. Other than a brief (and zombie-less) battle near the beginning, I think I was pretty much entirely bored. I mean, Franco had five- and ten-minute-long series of establishing shots (just random camera shots at trees, buildings, the ground, nothing, etc. . . I think I saw the same image of some soldiers at least four or five times) for apparently no reason. . . it was ridiculous and completely unnecessary except to bulk the film up to a feature length. Most of the film, including those random establishing shots we got so much of, felt like Franco had just discovered the zoom feature of his camera and wanted to make a quick movie so he could use it. We see ONE zombie within the first 40 or so minutes and there is almost no gore and the violence is pretty tame. I will, however, give some respect to the makeup department. The zombie makeup was pretty well done and grotesque, especially the hilarious bug-eyed zombie. . . but that's about the highest praise I can give this film. Also, unlike many Franco flicks, there isn't a single bit of real sex or nudity until about fifty minutes in. In the end, it's just very boring, very poorly made, and contains almost no positive features that would ever, ever warrant a viewing.
[red]Final verdict: 2.5/10. If you're looking for a good classic Nazi zombie flick, you'll do better with Shock Waves. [/red] [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3-
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Tara ntula
Horror Fiend
"...they all come in and they...rip you to pieces."
Posts: 56
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Post by Tara ntula on Jun 16, 2008 1:51:35 GMT -5
I am glad you brought this over here. It's my favorite of your marathon threads. My interest in French cinema went up dramatically since you started this.
(Sorry, nothing intelligent or discussion-worthy to add at this point).
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jun 19, 2008 17:14:41 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the modern French horror. . . Trouble Every Day:Title: 'Trouble Every Day'
Directed by: Claire Denis
Written by: Claire Denis, Jon-Pol Fargeau
Release date: 11 Juillet 2001 (France) / 30 November 2001 (USA)
Tagline: 'The ability to love. The inability to love... The hunger to love.' / 'I love you so much, I could eat you'
Runtime: 101 minutes
Rating: France: -16 / USA: Unrated
Synopsis: On a honeymoon in Paris with his beautiful wife, an American man heads to the home of an exiled medical professional, Léo (Alex Descas), who specializes in the field that Shane (Vincent Gallo) has been involved with: The Human Libido. At Léo's home, Shane meets Léo's wife, Coré (Béatrice Dalle of À l'intérieur), who is kept locked away from the world due to her carnivorous carnal tendencies. The secrets and events that follow will be the most shocking and horrifying of the young couple's lives.
Review: Hearing that this film borders on unlikable due to the subject matter, I had to pounce on the opportunity to view it. Expecting a truly shocking and disturbing French horror. . . I was not disappointed. The depth of exploration of sexuality and cannibalism (and the sexuality OF cannibalism) goes unmatched by any single film I've ever seen. While it's not a film that is particularly enjoyable, as it does reach some limits that are unusual for modern cinema of this style, it's still beautifully made and extremely fascinating. The entire cast delivers at least above-adequate performances, some better than others (include Béatrice Dalle in the 'better' category as usual). Like another recent film of Dalle's, Trouble Every Day features an extremely cringeworthy scene that sent chills up and down my spine. It's not nearly as graphic in a sense of quantity as I'd expected, but the quality of the brutality is what makes the film so effective.
[green]Final verdict: 8/10.[/green] [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3- (Béatrice Dalle in Trouble Every Day)
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jun 25, 2008 10:23:53 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the modern French zombie film. . . They Came Back:Title: 'Les Revenants' / 'They Came Back'
Directed by: Robin Campillo
Written by: Robin Campillo, Brijitte Tijou
Release date: 27 Octobre 2004 (France)
Tagline: 'Why have the dead suddenly returned...'
Runtime: 102 minutes
Rating: Unrated
Synopsis: Thousands of recently deceased rise from the grave without reason or warning and re-enter the world of the living. The dead are unharmed, in good health, and nonthreatening. They're brought to a hospital quarantine to be studied before being released into society. As the dead are deemed safe, the community attempts to readjust to the reentry of thousands of the forgotten into the workforce and their daily lives. Can the community and the dead reconvene properly or will the oddity of the situation and the difficulty in dealing with it be too much for the living?
Review: While certainly more of a fantasy/sci-fi (like a more serious Cocoon, for example), Les Revenants offers some truly chilling and frightening moments, and treats us to a more psychological fear than a visual one. The thought of all of our recently deceased loved ones returning from the grave, while seeming like a pleasant idea at first, still chills me to the core. . . How would we deal with it? What of the return of the bad people: the murderers, the rapists, the paedophiles? Do they return as well? What happens to those convicted of murder? Are there sentences lessened since the murder is now voided when the victim walks among us? It's the questions that haunt us that makes this a horror film, and a damn fine one at that. It's certainly not for everyone, but those looking for a beautifully written and filmed story, about loss and recovery. . . I highly suggest Les Revenants aka They Came Back.
[green]Final verdict: 8/10.[/green] For more French-horror reviews, see the opening post.
[blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3-
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Tara ntula
Horror Fiend
"...they all come in and they...rip you to pieces."
Posts: 56
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Post by Tara ntula on Jun 25, 2008 17:58:31 GMT -5
Nice write-up on They Came Back. I am completely interested. The concept sounds mind boggling and eerie. I’m adding it to the top of my list. Thank you, thank you.
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jul 8, 2008 19:14:16 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the modern thriller. . . Caché :Title: 'Caché ' / 'Hidden'
Directed by: Michael Haneke
Written by: Michael Haneke
Release date: 05 Octobre 2005 (France) / 11 January 2006 (USA)
Tagline: none
Runtime: 117 minutes
Rating: Rated R for brief strong violence.
Synopsis: After receiving a series of strange videos and drawings on their front step, the videos revealing nothing more than stillshots of the outside of their home (or childhood home), a couple (Juliette Binoche, Daniel Auteuil) attempt to solve the mystery of the mysterious voyeur who has been recording their lives. As the story unravels, the couple realizes there may be something more sinister behind the tapes, something brought on by the past.
Review: Michael Haneke (Funny Games) proves, yet again, that he is a master of putting yuppies in peril. This certainly isn't horror in a true sense, but the general sense of foreboding and danger that the film possesses can stand alongside some of the great thrillers of recent times. I'll let it be known: This film is not for everyone. The plot may not seem as deep and interesting at first. . . but that wasn't what Haneke was going for here. The depth goes beyond the film into something more. The realism is what's most interesting and disturbing (just like in Funny Games). The film is slow-moving, but, as said above, the unending tension helps to make it bearable. Juliette Binoche and Daniel Auteuil, as usual, give top-notch performances. The dialogue is impeccably written and Haneke's direction is superb. While, at first, it may seem incomplete to an almost annoying degree. . . let it sink in, take what it means, and accept it. Like it or not: It's special.
[green]Final verdict: 8.75/10.[/green] For more French-horror reviews, see the opening post.
[blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3-
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jul 9, 2008 14:48:55 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the comedy-horror Dead End (2003). . . Title: 'Dead End'
Directed by: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Written by: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Release date: 09 November 2004 (USA - DVD)
Tagline: 'Read the signs'
Runtime: 85 minutes
Rating: Rated R for violence, language, sexual content and some drug use.
Synopsis: Taking a shortcut through the woods on Christmas Eve, a dysfunctional family gets lost in the middle of nowhere. Terror begins when a Woman in White appears and confronts the family. Shortly after, a mysterious black car begins to carry them away, one by one, to their deaths.
Review: Dead End, as far as I've found, is not so much underrated, but underseen. The majority of people I know that have seen it usually very much enjoy it, especially for a film as 'small' as it is. It's a great mixture of what makes the lighter side of horror great. For a film that borders on comedy, it is actually very spooky. The atmosphere of the dark and desolate highway, though filmed in Los Angeles (a place I've never found to describe as 'desolate'), is very creepy and foreboding. The pace and tone of the film, though varying, works well for what Andrea and Canepa wanted for the film. Also, one of the major draws of the film is the realism of the family: the jerk of a son, the overemotional mom, the mid-life crisis dad, the exasperated daughter, and the daughter's loser boyfriend. . . reminds me of my famly, at least. The cast plays all of their roles very well, and they're paired well with the writers' dialogue. It all blends into an enjoyable, entertaining, and intelligent low-budget and low-key horror film that should receive more attention than it presently does.
[green]Final verdict: 7.75/10.[/green] [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3-
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Post by movieboy20 on Jul 10, 2008 20:46:54 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the comedy-horror Dead End (2003). . . Title: 'Dead End'
Directed by: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Written by: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Release date: 09 November 2004 (USA - DVD)
Tagline: 'Read the signs'
Runtime: 85 minutes
Rating: Rated R for violence, language, sexual content and some drug use.
Synopsis: Taking a shortcut through the woods on Christmas Eve, a dysfunctional family gets lost in the middle of nowhere. Terror begins when a Woman in White appears and confronts the family. Shortly after, a mysterious black car begins to carry them away, one by one, to their deaths.
Review: Dead End, as far as I've found, is not so much underrated, but underseen. The majority of people I know that have seen it usually very much enjoy it, especially for a film as 'small' as it is. It's a great mixture of what makes the lighter side of horror great. For a film that borders on comedy, it is actually very spooky. The atmosphere of the dark and desolate highway, though filmed in Los Angeles (a place I've never found to describe as 'desolate'), is very creepy and foreboding. The pace and tone of the film, though varying, works well for what Andrea and Canepa wanted for the film. Also, one of the major draws of the film is the realism of the family: the jerk of a son, the overemotional mom, the mid-life crisis dad, the exasperated daughter, and the daughter's loser boyfriend. . . reminds me of my famly, at least. The cast plays all of their roles very well, and they're paired well with the writers' dialogue. It all blends into an enjoyable, entertaining, and intelligent low-budget and low-key horror film that should receive more attention than it presently does.
[green]Final verdict: 7.75/10.[/green] [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3- I loved Dead End, Ray Wise was (as always) badass and it's very mind bending and scary. There are also a couple of laughs thrown in here and there. 8.5/10, an excellent horror film.
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Post by In the Mouth of Shattered on Jul 17, 2008 11:38:08 GMT -5
[blue] Bonjour, mes amis![/blue][red] Comment allez-vous?[/red]
Today's installment is the vampire thriller Love Bites (2001). . . Title: 'Les Morsures de l'aube' / 'Love Bites'
Directed by: Antoine de Caunes
Written by: Laurent Chalumeau
Release date: 21 Mars 2001 (France) / 14 February 2006 (USA - DVD)
Tagline: 'Do you believe in vampires?' / 'Vous y croyez vous aux vampires?'
Runtime: 95 minutes
Rating: France: -12; US: Unrated
Synopsis: Asia Argento stars as Violaine Charlier in this 'vampire' thriller. Antonio (Guillaume Canet) is a mooch, living off his wealthier and more successful friends for everything he needs and wants. To make some extra money, he's hired by a rich businessman (Jean-Marie Winling) to track down the supposed vampire Jordan (Orazio Massaro). Moving place to place in search, Antonio meets Violaine, Jordan's sister. From there, the trouble only escalates into a new high for Antonio.
Review: Sadly, the DVD cover was more interesting than the actual film. I know, that's not uncommon, but the sexy Asia Argento wearing a cut-up latex outfit with some S&M-looking people behind her? That screams "BUY ME." Luckily, I picked it up for only a few dollars, and Asia did look particularly good. She's about the only reason to bother with this. While the premise is good and the French truly know how to make a great vampire movie. . . this simply did not work. There was, at most, ten minutes of vampires in the entire film, and the majority of it was made up Guillaume Canet's character mooching and Asia Argento's character being hot. It wasn't poorly made, just nothing special. Not entirely intriguing and I had to fight to keep attention numerous times. There's very little, if any, horror elements to the film, and it's more of a dramedy than anything else. Very little mystery, very few thrills, and nothing really great about it. Unless you're a die-hard Asia Argento fan, I wouldn't bother with this one.
Final verdict: 5.5/10. [blue]Vive[/blue] La [red]France![/red] -AP3- Postscript: Discussions Rock!
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