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(aka "The Rape of the Vampire" or "Viol du Vampire" or "Reine des vampires" or "Queen of the Vampires")
directed by Jean Rollin
France 1967
Three strangers arrive at a chateau inhabited by four women believed to be vampires. But are they vampires or are they under the hypnotic machinations of an old man? Rollin shot the first part of this film as a short subject to be billed with an American vampire film bought by a distributor that just over an hour (it too was designed for double billing). His producers were impressed with what he accomplished with next to nothing and asked him to expand the film to feature length. Thus, the first half hour (part one) is an intriguing short that makes the most of its found locations, make-shift production design, and available lighting (and a very early example of a turntable effect around two arguing actors to heighten the intensity of the scene). The second half (which necessitates resurrecting several of the characters that were killed at the end of the first and introduces the Queen of the Vampires played by Jacqueline Seiger (who was an instructor at Felix Guattari's anti-psychology clinic at the time). Lacking the structure of the first part, the near-plotless remaining hour allows Rollin to cram in an entire serial's worth of car chases, mad doctors, vampires, fist fights, and gun fire as well as several more arresting - and iconic in the Rollin oeuvre - images to bring the short to feature length. Part 2 features also Olivier Martin (the protagonist of Rollin's LE VAMPIRE NUE - forthcoming from Redemption USA) and, despite his large role in the part, an uncredited Jean-Loup Philippe (co-writer and star of Rollin's LEVRES DE SANG).
Posters
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Theatrical Release:
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Comparison:
Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL
Big thanks to Eric Cotenas for all the Screen Caps!
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)
| DVD Box Covers |
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| Distribution |
Image Entertainment Region 1 - NTSC |
Encore Region 0 - PAL |
| Runtime | 1:30:42 (4% PAL speedup) | 1:30:42 (4% PAL speedup) |
| Video |
1.62:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
1.78:1 Aspect Ratio
16X9 enhanced |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate:
Image Entertainment
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Bitrate:
Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set)
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| Audio | French Dolby Digital 1.0 mono |
French Dolby Digital 2.0 mono |
| Subtitles | English, none | English, Dutch, German, none |
| Features |
Release Information: Studio: Image Entertainment Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
Chapters 16 |
Release Information: Studio: Encore Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details:
DVD Release Date: 20
October 2007 Chapters 8 |
| Comments: |
Although the OAR is 1.66:1, the new Encore DVD is letterboxed at anamorphic 1.78:1 yet nothing seems to be missing from the image. In fact, the Encore transfer reveals a sliver more info on the sides and is sharper thanks to the higher resolution inherent in 16:9 transfers. The image has actually been stretched slightly from 1.66:1. The effect is not damaging in long and medium shots but faces look squat in close-up (especially the bewitching Ms. Seiger as the Queen of the Vampires who far outclasses anything Anne Rice could come up with). Anamorphic 1.66:1 should not be an alien concept to any company that cares about preserving films. The lavish extras for such a marginal film (and their 6 previous Rollin releases) suggest that they do indeed care about them.
Interviews are provided with "La Reine des Vampires"
Jaqueline Sieger, composer (of part 2) Francois Tusques, and
co-writer Alain-Yves Boujour. The interview with Sieger was
shot in Rollin's apartment and he makes an appearance. She
mentions that she made most of her own costumes (inspired by
some of poster artist Philippe Druillet's artwork). The
feature length audio commentary is subtitled in English
(some of the previous releases have had Rollin doing
selected scene commentary in English). "The Story of la Nuit
des Horlanges" is an interview piece on Rollin's latest film
(also known as La Nuit Transfigurée). |
DVD Menus
(Image Entertainment - Region 1 -
NTSC - LEFT vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region
0 - PAL - RIGHT)
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Screen Captures
(Image
Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited
Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
Subtitle sample
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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(Image Entertainment - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP vs. Encore (Limited Edition 2 Disc Set) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
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Report Card:
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