Fascination (1979 film)
| Fascination | |
|---|---|
 Original poster | |
| Directed by | Jean Rollin |
| Produced by | Christine Renaud |
| Written by | Jean Rollin |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Philippe D'Aram |
| Edited by | Dominique Saint-Cyr |
| Distributed by |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 80 minutes |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
Fascination is a 1979 French horror film directed by Jean Rollin.
Plot
In April 1905 a group of fashionable Parisian women arrive at an abattoir to drink the blood of an ox as a way to cure anemia.
Nearby a man named Mark, a thief, escapes from four other thieves. He is planning on heading to London with a bag of gold coins, but for the time being must take refuge in a mansion, looked after by two bisexual chambermaids, Elizabeth and Eva, who are awaiting the arrival of the Marchioness and her servants. The women are not at all scared believing Mark is taking them hostage, in fact, they find him attractive. Elizabeth gets jealous when Eva sleeps with Mark. The thieves wait outside to kill Mark, so Eva goes out to hand over the gold, but while two of them count, the woman takes Eva's dress and the man sleeps with her in the stables, so Eva kills them all. The Marchioness later arrives with her servants and they hold a party in which Mark is the only male, so he gets all the attention. When midnight comes, it is revealed that the women habitually lure people into the castle and drink their blood. Elizabeth helps Mark escape, so they hide out in the stables and the servants eat Eva alive. Mark confesses that he loves Elizabeth, whereas she admits that she never loved him and kills him. Elizabeth and the Marchioness go into the sunrise together.
Cast
- Franca Maï as Elizabeth
- Brigitte Lahaie as Eva
- Jean-Pierre Lemaire as Mark
- Fanny Magier as Hélène
- Muriel Montosse as Anita
- Sophie Noel as Sylvie
- Evelyne Thomas as Dominique
- Agnes Bert as herself
- Cyril Val as Un Apache (credited as Alain Plumey)
- Myriam Watteau as La Femme Apache
- Joe De Palmer as Un Apache (credited as Joe De Lara)
- Jacquel Sansoul
Home media
A VHS edition of Fascination was released in the UK by Salvation in 2000. Image Entertainment released it on DVD in the US in 1999,[1] and Redemption Films released it on 28 October 2008 in its original aspect ratio, with special features including a trailer and stills gallery.[2] Redemption released it on DVD again in 2012.[3] It was released in the UK on 19 July 2004 in the original aspect ratio, minus the opening credits. Special features included the theatrical trailer, a stills gallery and a filmography. Kino Lorber released it on Blu-ray in 2012 in a five disc Blu-ray collection, along with La Rose de Fer, La Vampire Nue, Le Frisson des Vampires and Lèvres de Sang.[4]
Reception
Reviewing the film on Blu-ray, Charlie Hobbs of Twitch Film wrote, "Upon my first viewing of this film, I found myself struggling a little bit to remain engaged at first, however, around the halfway point, the film picks up significantly and the third act is a thing of beauty."[5] Budd Wilkins of Slant Magazine, who reviewed the film as part of the five-disc set, wrote, "In Fascination, more than any other film in the set, the sexuality is staged in a manner befitting French erotica".[6]
References
- ↑ Fagan, Gregory P. (1999-11-01). "DISC ALERT.(video recording news includes seven boxed 'Nightmare on Elm Street' films)(Brief Article)". Playboy. Retrieved 2015-05-11 – via Highbeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
- ↑ Spurlin, Thomas (2008-10-28). "Fascination". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- ↑ Dahlke, Kurt (2012-01-15). "Fascination". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- ↑ Barrett, Michael (2012-02-16). "The Films of Jean Rollin". PopMatters. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- ↑ Hobbs, Charlie (2012-01-23). "Jean Rollin on Blu-ray: FASCINATION Review". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2015-05-11.
- ↑ Wilkins, Budd (2012-01-27). "Flesh and Blood: The Cinema of Jean Rollin". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2015-05-11.