Fascination

Director Rollin once again plays out his obsessions in this tale of a secret society of women who lure men to their castle for blood ceremonies at midnight. Beautiful French countrysides, gorgeous (frequently nude) women, old castles and erotic horror are what to expect from this exploitation film with aspirations of art. The pace is slow and deliberate with no real escalation of tension as midnight comes and all is revealed. Brigitte Lahaie has real screen presence and is memorable as she stalks a victim carrying a huge scythe. Definitely worth a look as are all of Rollin's films.

Fascination might be one of the better Jean Rollin films. It has a lot of stylish shots and also the plot is somewhat interesting. It has some similarity to José Ramón Larraz' 1974 film "Vampyres" though this is not as as typically vampire film.

I thought the acting was surprisingly good. The two leading female characters and the guy who arrives at the mansion had some nice chemistry both sides trying to be in control of the situation.

My favorite Rollin films are still "Lips of Blood" and perhaps "Requiem for a Vampire" but I recommend this one too if you are interested.

'Fascination' is a very apt title for this spellbinding movie! A typically dreamlike and stylish work from the remarkable Jean Rollin. Yup, it's another lesbian vampire movie (from a decade that produced quite a few!) but Rollin, like Jess Franco, puts his own original touches to it which make it truly unforgettable. Like most of Franco's (and Dario Argento's) output, atmosphere and aesthetics are more important than plot, and the performances of the actors involved are variable. Rollin doesn't seem to be too concerned with creating believable characters, he uses his (beautiful) actresses as striking images moving across a background. His movies are often closer to paintings than your standard Hammer horror. That's why 'Fascination' is so unlike most vampire movies you'll ever see. Inspired and original. Don't miss this one!

A strange love triangle, where you can't quite figure out who's madder. Or more "evil" even. I reckon you may come to one conclusion or the other. You may also be able to see where this is going (not tough to see and no extra points if you do), because it is quite predictable. The main blonde woman/character is quite pretty if I may say so. And whatever that means to you, she is going to undress for this movie (so hopefully you're not easily offended).

Jean Rollins does have a reputation to uphold I reckon. One of them being giving us two female friends. You could conclude some things about his preferences and other things in his life. But he's just having fun. Whether that is something that is fun for you too, is up to you to decide. The end may seem inevitable and yet it's still shocking when it finally comes around .... deservedly or not, it is what it is

I've seen only a handful of Jean Rollin films and I have to say that this one is the best yet. Though still hampered with low budget set-up and stiff acting and stilted dialogue, FASCINATION remains watchable from beginning to end. The concept is excellent and the film never gets off track from its interesting story.

This idea is so good, the film should be remade with a suitable budget and a capable cast of real actors. The whole thing would be quite spectacular. The lesbian sex scene would probably be dropped, which would disappoint Rollin fans but I wouldn't mind seeing a classy version of this film if it meant a few changes from the original.

But in the meantime, make sure to check this film out. It's worth it if you like slightly odd and out-of-character bloody dramas.