By Melissa Antoinette Garza
I miss when vampire movies were done right! When I drown myself in the 70s, I know I’m getting lots of sex, gore and insanity brought to me by the most kick-ass femme fatale leads of all time.
Virgins (yep, go with it) Marie (Marie-Pierre Castel) and Michelle (Mireille Dargent) are on the run and in a shootout. We don’t know why, but the duo are dressed as gorgeous clowns so I presume bank robbery or child birthday party gone VERY wrong. When the driver is shot and killed, the girls burn the body and the car.
They make an escape on foot and discover a dilapidated house. A hauntingly sweet score plays as the girls change out of their costumes and into some cut outfits. They come across a large house and steal a motorbike. I don’t care who you are, two cute gals, in short skirts, stealing a motorcycle is delightful!
Marie, a blonde hottie in a bright red number with matching snacks lures a food truck vendor into the woods for a chase and near romp, while Michelle thieves some goods. To see Marie’s complete disinterest and boredom while the food guy works her body is hilarious. She gets away from him and returns to Michelle – someone she has far greater chemistry with, and the two head back out with food in their tummies and on the back of the bike they stole. I love them. I don’t care what they did. They could have been shooting at nuns in the beginning. I’m sure they had their reasons and you can’t convince me that they didn’t! This is the reason that I could never serve on a jury. Warning to all prosecutors out there, make sure criminals are ugly!
Meanwhile, the ladies takes refuge in a cemetery, but try to run off when they hear the voices of the gravediggers. Michelle, in a rush, falls in an open grave. Marie hides but watches in horror as her girlfriend is nearly buried alive. Marie pulls Michelle up and helps her to her feet. Damn, those men suck! Those gals were cold and were going to have to do something to keep each other warm, but then those damn diligent workers just couldn’t wait to bury the dead. He wasn’t going anywhere! Give those ladies a little time.
The girls get spooked by odd noises and bats. They walk like Hansel and Gretel, slowly, apprehensively and without a shared word between them. They approach a motte-and-bailey style castle and a foreboding warning in the air makes them simultaneously caress their own necks.
Michelle and Marie move down the stoned path to the entrance where they find lit torches, red drapes and a decked out fur blanket to have fun on top of. They get naked and try, but they soon find out they’re not alone.
They get dressed and head downstairs with handguns. There, they come face to face with a corpse. The first voice we hear since the gravediggers is poor Marie who screams in horror. They run out and come across another room where a display of skeletons are seemingly performing a black mass. They are not alone however. On the piano is Erika (Dominique) a delectable vamp, with shoulder length brown hair in a maroon cape. When the girls see her fangs they run only to be confronted by her when she comes up from a trapped door below.
They shoot at her, but it does nothing. This goddess of the night has a fabulous fashion sense and owns the scene with her bravado and flare. Erika leads them to a group of barbarian men who jump on the gals like animals. They’re gross! I don’t like them. Thankfully, Louise (Louise Dhour) another dame vamp, shows up and with a whip and gets the brutes away. Erika tries to bite Michelle and Marie, but they run into the darkness.
Back in the graveyard, the women try to find a way out, but they are soon surrounded. The brutes, Erika and Louise are joined by a gorgeous older male vampire, Le vieux (Michel Delesalle) who is the last of his bloodline. Le vieux guides the women back to a dungeon on the grounds where some real sick stuff is going on.
Red lights with a hint of green and a darkly carnival-esque musical score sets the atmosphere to the most brazenly sick and gratuitous scene in the flick – and it lasts forever!
Semi-nude women stand chained to the walls as the ugly brutes resurface to sexually exploit them. The female vamp takes advantage of one of the girls too, but that is far less disturbing than what these gross ogres force upon the ladies. It is the definition of 70s sleaze and grit, but is anyone surprised by that? The lighting and music are great, but just be prepared to sit thru some pretty heavy assaults.
At one point a woman has forced sexual relations with a bat and that wasn’t as bad as what came before it, so, just don’t say I didn’t warn you. Those triggered either steer clear of this or be ready to FF.
Meanwhile, Le vieux bites the girls to preserve his bloodline, but they have to stay virgins….because, that’s a thing. They are sent to track down and bring back new victims.
Michelle gets pretty adjusted to the thought of living forever, but Marie ends up sexing down Frederic (Philippe Gaste), a guy she just happens to meet. She tells him that it may be her only chance ever to have sex. She moderately enjoys it though I definitely prefer her with Michelle.
Michelle does her part and takes down the guy she was with so that wounded he wanders to Erika and the castle for help. When Michelle gets back she feeds on the victim and later comes across Marie who lies and says she didn’t find anyone to kill.
They bring the ladies out to be properly deflowered by Le vieux where Marie’s betrayal is exposed to all except Michelle. The vamps and brutes seek out Frederic while Michelle chains Marie up and whips her out of desperation for the truth. The ordeal hurts Michelle as much as it does Marie. She’s scared that she’s going to be killed, but Michelle desperately loves Marie. She is hurt and fearful of what it means regarding their virgin vamp pact, but she doesn’t really want to hurt Marie. If you haven’t guessed yet, I’m on #TeamMichelleMarie. If those crazy kids can’t work it out, what hope is there for the rest of us?
In the end, Le vieux must make a choice as to what to do with the rebellious sexy scamps.
This is one of my personal favorites. It’s a movie that is so often censored and complained about that duplicate shots were done; one of with Castel completely naked and one of her in a bra and panties. I hate censorship. It’s ridiculous. She was getting whipped in it and they just want to make sure she’s clothed during the beating. God these assholes have issues with sex.
REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE was written and directed by Jean Rollin. That should come as no surprise to those familiar with his work. He’s brilliant at his craft and damn those who condemned him for it. Exploitation/Sexploitation movies have their place and it’s a warm place in my heart.
The movie is all visuals and music. There is so little dialogue. The acting is marvelous, the sex appeal is thru the roof and the setting is spectacular. It’s an artistic expression that delves into aspects of the macabre that most shy away from. Jean Rollin didn’t and I’m glad that his entire vision is available absent of any holier-than-thou meddling from censor critic assholes.
This is on YOUTUBE in its original language of French or on AMAZON PRIME via SHUDDER for free. There’s a 7 day free trial offer for those thriftier sorts out there. That said, this is a flick to own and one that can be watched and enjoyed many times.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
