Jean Rollin Posters: Le Viol Du Vampire (The Rape of the Vampire)

The stunning original posters for The Rape of the Vampire designed by Phillipe Druillet.

Jean Rollin Posters: La Vampire Nue (Original French Design)

Jean Rollin Posters: Le Frisson des Vampires (French Poster)

The stunning French Poster for Le Frisson des Vampires (Thrill of the Vampires) featuring the artwork of famed Phillipe Druillet.

Jean Rollin Posters: Le Frisson de Vampires (Alternate Design)

While nowhere near as striking as the original French design, I am quite fond of this minimal alternate poster for Le Frisson des Vampire (Thrill of the Vampires).

Jean Rollin Posters: Requiem for a Vampire

Sadly Requiem for a Vampire, one of Jean Rollin's most beautiful and poetic films, was represented by this misleading and exploitative poster design. I will keep searching for others.

The Hidden Cinema of Jean Rollin: Jeunes Filles Impudiques (1973)

A typical Jean Rollin filmography will list only twenty or so films but, in actuality, this is not really the case. Starting in 1973 Rollin began shooting certain films under the pseudonyms of Michel Gentil and later as Robert Xavier. These films, numbering in the dozens, are cheap mostly adult fair that Rollin himself admits were made strictly for money. While none of them are up to par with Rollin's 'official' work, I want Fascination to be as comprehensive as possible so I will be including posts on these films, at least the few that I have in my collection so far. I can't imagine a Jean Rollin page that doesn't mention a striking and incredibly Rollinesque work like 1975's Phantasmes or, the film that this post will cover, 1973's Jeunes Filles Impudiques.

The first 'Michel Gentil' production, Jeunes Filles Impudiques (sometimes known as High School or Schoolgirl Hitchhikers), began to take shape while Rollin was shooting Requiem for a Vampire. Rollin recalled to Peter Blumenstock in Virgins and Vampires and Video Watchdog that producer, "Lionel (Wallmann) obliged me to put some sex scenes in Requiem-during the dungeon sequence. I told him that I wasn't too fond of that kind of thing, and he answered, "But you do that kind of thing very well. If we made an entire film like that, I bet it would be successful. You may not like it, but you know how to do it." Rollin continued with, 'Okay, I'll do it, but I won't invest any of my own money into it.' Well he raised the money, we made the film and he was right." Hence, the first Michel Gentil film was born and shooting commenced right after Requiem wrapped.

Outside of its obvious importance in Jean Rollin's canon as the first 'Gentil' film, Jeunes Filles Impudiques's also marks the first time Rollin worked with the stunning French actress Joelle Coeur, a talented and extremely charismatic figure who would prove to be one of Rollin's most memorable performers in 1974's Demoniacs. There will be much more to come on Coeur here in the near future.

Jeunes Filles Impudiques is an admittedly slight film. It looks to only really operate as a soft core sex film and it does so quite well. Seasoned Rollin fans though will notice that this is very much a 'Jean Rollin picture'. The opening images of our two lead female characters walking alone and stumbling on a seemingly abandoned mansion will immediately remind fans of some of Rollin's most iconic work (including the masterful film he had just completed) as will the camera's obsession with the antiquities of the house. Jeunes Filles Impudiques might just be a shot on the cheap quickie sex film, but there is a lot more to it than that. From the unmistakable photography and lighting of Jean Jacques Renon (working here as Oscar Lapin) to the playful score by Pierre Raph, Jeunes Filles Impudiques is a fascinating little entry in Rollin's filmography and its a shame that a decent uncut print is so hard to come by.

The incredibly slight plot, which feels like it might have been sketched out in one long alcohol fueled evening, concerns two hikers who get caught up with a band of jewel thieves who have taken over a villa in the French countryside. Filled with Rollin's trademark unexpected camera angles (one particular shot through a mirror early on is a model of how to shoot a low budget film quickly without sacrificing any style), infectiously goofy gunfights and a fun nonsensical ending that feels like everyone just shrugging any semblance of story off, Jeunes Filles Impudiques is one of the most purely entertaining films Rollin shot in this period.

Working with the haunting Coeur (who is just so endlessly delightful here) is Gilda Arancio (who would later work on Rollin's unfortunate Zombie Lake in 1981), Francoise Brincourt, Pierre Julien, fetching Marie Helene Regne and Rollin regular Willy Braque (whom, like Coeur is making his first appearance for his most famous director here). Most surprising and pleasing is the fact that Rollin himself pops up towards the end in an unbilled cameo sharing some screen time with Coeur.

Jeunes Filles Impudiques isn't any sort of grand masterpiece but it never aims for any such lofty goal. It would be an easy film to pick apart, but why bother? It's an entertaining little offering from a period in film history that was able to produce a cheap picture like this, in an incredibly short time, that is still filled with a certain amount of style and personal vision. Simply put, it's just not the kind of film being made anymore.

Rollin's first Michel Gentil film is easiest to find in America on the 20 film collection The Grindhouse Experience. Unfortunately this full frame English dubbed version is cut and missing just under ten minutes (this is also the only version I have ever seen so I can't comment on what's missing).

The Grindhouse print is filled with splices, scracthes and imperfections...in other words it looks exactly like what you would think a low budget sex film from this period would look like. Quality issues aside, it is still easy to admire Rollin's shooting style and Renon's sometimes trippy photography with this version, and fans shouldn't hesitate to put down the money for this (iffy) public domain set.


I'm quite fond of Jeunes Filles Impudiques. Refreshingly engaging in its silliness it must have provided Rollin a little relief in the short period he had before he shot what would prove to be one of his heaviest and haunting films, The Iron Rose. Hopefully an uncut pristine print of Jeunes Filles Impudiques will appear one day, until then track it down where you can.

Jean Rollin Posters: The Iron Rose (French Version)

Here is the French design for The Iron Rose. I hope to have an alternate one up soon as well.

Jean Rollin Posters: The Iron Rose (Alternate Version)

Thanks so much to Adam over at the terrific November Sparrow for sharing this incredibly rare poster of The Iron Rose with Fascination. I had never seen it before and I think it is far superior to the more common version I posted earlier. Thanks again to Adam for sharing it.

Jean Rollin Posters: Les Demoniaques

I hope to post some alternate designs soon but, in the meantime, here is the most commonly known design for The Demoniacs.

Jean Rollin Posters: The Demoniacs (Rare French Version)

Clifford at the always excellent Zines was nice enough to send me this scan of his own rare poster design for The Demoniacs. Thanks so much Clifford for the picture, and now everyone head over to the awesome Zines.



Also, please excuse my recent slowness in posting. I am in the process of moving and am extremely busy with it. Things will hopefully be back to normal speed in the next week or so.

Jean Rollin Poster Designs: Lips of Blood

Here are three versions of the stunning Philippe Druillet designed poster for Lips of Blood.

Jean Rollin Posters: The Grapes of Death

Here are two very different poster designs for The Grapes of Death.

Jean Rollin Posters: The Seduction of Amy (American Release of Phantasmes)

A kind reader recently sent me this very rare American one-sheet advertising the American version of Rollin's Phantasmes, and I am of course very happy to post it here.

Jean Rollin Posters: Douces Penetrations

Wow, this incredible rare poster just appeared at eBay. Here is the link to the auction.

Tomb it May Concern on Zombie Lake

David over at the always amazing Tomb it May Concern as some terrific rare materials from Zombie Lake that everyone should check out. Here is the link to one of the postings, but hang out there awhile as he has goodies galore that can take hours out of a Euro-Cult lovers day....

Rare Rollin Poster on eBay

Here is the link to this rare Finnish Poster of The Nude Vampire.

Jean Rollin Posters: La morte vivante (The Living Dead Girl)

Jean Rollin Promotional Materials: Les Trottoirs de Bangkok (The Sidewalks of Bangkok)

Here are some assorted promotional materials for Rollin's The Sidewalks of Bangkok, including some lobby cards, home video dseigns and the poster.

Jean Rollin Posters Ne prends pas les poulets pour des pigeons (1985)

File this under rare. Here is the original poster for the 1985 film, Ne prends pas les poulets pour des pigeons, that Rollin shot under the Michel Gentil pseudonym just after he had completed The Sidewalks of Bangkok. I have not seen this film and have no info on it except to say that it was released in France on VHS years ago. Rollin himself had this to say to Peter Blumenstock in the pages of Virgins and Vampires and Video Watchdog 31 on this rare item:

"I really did it (direct it.) Jean-Claude Benhamou was the producer, writer and lead actor, so now, he sometimes seems to confuse things and claims to have directed as well. That said, it was completely his story. It was only a technical direction. I only did what he wanted me to do, because I didn't really care."

Jean Rollin Posters and Home Video Designs: The Sidewalks of Bangkok (Large Resolution)

A kind reader just provided me these two high quality scans of promotional material for The Sidewalks of Bangkok.