Jean Rollin, the king of erotic horror gives us his spin on the zombie genre with Grapes of Death AKA Les Raisins de la Morte. While not an example of Rollin's finest, even at its worst Grapes of Death holds its own. Grapes of Death has just enough of Rollin's finest touches to please. Keep in mind this film is not textbook Rollin, and my least favorite of his films. However, any Rollin is good Rollin as far as I'm concerned, and Synapse must feel the same way as evident from their presentation of Les Raisins de la Morte.

The story is simple really. A young girl traveling the countryside discovers that the locals are being transformed into raging lunatics. What starts out as a rash slowly transforms the residents of this quiet town into bloodthirsty butchers. We soon learn that the answer may lie in the local winery, and pesticides that were used during the previous harvest.

Jean Rollin is one of my favorite directors, and for good reason. He is always able to get top-notch performances out of all of his actors, he knows how to set up and execute a shot flawlessly, and Rollin's choice of locations need to be seen to be believed. Not to mention, Rollin's films are always full of the most beautiful French women you have ever seen. Grapes of Death is a slight departure from the usual Rollin fare in that it is much less complicated and more straight forward than a lot of his other work. Basically what we have here is a straightforward horror film, and Rollin doesn't ease up on the red stuff. There is impalement by pitchfork, a juicy beheading, gougings, and plenty of leprosy like sores all over the bodies that inhabit this town, and more! I don't think this film is a good starting point for Rollin newbies, in that it is very different from his many other films. Rollin fans on the other hand owe it to themselves to pick up this film for many reasons including the flawless presentation of the feature itself.

Synapse presents Grapes of Death in a 16X9 enhanced widescreen presentation, and the film looks simply outstanding. There is barely minimal print damage in a few scenes, but nothing more than the occasional speckle. Colors are sharp and vibrant; the outdoor scenes will knock your socks off. The Dolby Digital Mono soundtrack is even more impressive with crystal clear dialogue, music cues and sound effects. There is no distortion, no hiss, no pops or jumps, the audio is a miracle in itself.

Extras include a trailer, Rollin BIO and filmography, liner notes, and stills slide show. Also included is an incredible interview with both Rollin and star Brigitte Lahaie (my favorite frequent Rollin collaborator). The interview cuts between Rollin and Lahaie and features footage from a few other Rollin films. Both speak in English with thick accents so you do have to listen closely. Lahaie looks as good as ever, and Rollin just seems like such a nice guy, one has to wonder where this "dark side" of his comes from. The interview is fantastic, and is a testament to Rollin's long-standing career within the genre, he should be very proud of himself.

Anyone who claims to be a fan of Rollin's work needs to pick up this DVD. There was so much TLC put into this package it boggles the mind. Synapse Films has done an incredible job of bringing Rollin to the mainstream, and the fact that they worked very close with the director on this presentation is evident the whole way through. I look forward to Synapse Films next Rollin DVD, Fly Me the French Way, bring it on!