[FASCINATION screens Friday October 30th at 8:30 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review by Bob Ignizio
Like LIPS OF BLOOD and
LIVING DEAD GIRL, this is one of the
more coherent films from French director Jean Rollin. Mark (Jean-Marie Lemaire), a thief, takes
refuge from his former partners in a mansion.
The building is inhabited by two women who claim to be the
servants. In reality they are part of a
cult of blood drinkers. One of the
women, Eva (Brigitte Lahaie), plans to turn Mark into the main course for her
and her friends. However Elisabeth
(Franca Mai) takes a liking to Mark and wants to save him.
Plot isn’t usually Rollin’s main focus, but the story in FASCINATION is actually pretty
interesting and boasts a nice twist at the end.
Rollin’s trademark visual style is still apparent, but it’s somewhat
toned down compared to his earlier works.
There’s also a little more sexual content, a necessary concession to the
trends of the time, though not the full-on hardcore material that some of
Rollin’s later films would include. It’s not exactly horror, and not exactly
erotica, and not exactly an art film, but a little bit of all of the above. 3 out of 4 stars.
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