Rating: 
Summary: A winner, but lacking cohesion and tension - surreal.
Review: Fans of Jean Rollin will not be disappointed. This film capitalizes on many of the staples that make his films unique. There is a pretty gal travelling all over the french countryside facing peril, atmospheric and lingering cinematography, a quirky soundtrack, breasts, a tragic love story, and plenty of surprises to keep viewers guessing. Add the special appearance by the lovely Brigitte Lahaie and you've got a winner, but certainly lacking the cohesion (though wildly subversive and surreal -- though not so bizarre as Jess Franco's pictures) and tension of some of his more successful ventures like La Morte Vivante (The Living Dead Girl), Requiem for a Vampire, The Shiver of the Vampires and others.
Rating:
Summary: A winner, but lacking cohesion and tension - surreal.
Review: Fans of Jean Rollin will not be disappointed. This film capitalizes on many of the staples that make his films unique. There is a pretty gal travelling all over the french countryside facing peril, atmospheric and lingering cinematography, a quirky soundtrack, breasts, a tragic love story, and plenty of surprises to keep viewers guessing. Add the special appearance by the lovely Brigitte Lahaie and you've got a winner, but certainly lacking the cohesion (though wildly subversive and surreal -- though not so bizarre as Jess Franco's pictures) and tension of some of his more successful ventures like La Morte Vivante (The Living Dead Girl), Requiem for a Vampire, The Shiver of the Vampires and others.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing Zombie Flick
Review: GRAPES OF DEATH is not your typical zombie film. It is very different from every other zombie flick. Although some have compared it to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD...it really does not resemble NOTLD beyond it being about zombies.
I found GRAPES OF DEATH slow but not unappealing. It reminded me of an art film basically. It is definately an 'auteur' type of production.
At times it is confusing but I think Jean Rollin was trying for something more than just standard fare.
Rating: 
Summary: Zombie poetry...
Review: Grapes of Death, it seems, has often been treated as the red-headed stepchild of Jean Rollin's non-porno output, and this it totally undeserved. While the film obviously is not quite as interesting or individual as Fascination or Night of the Hunted, it is a worthy addition to the zombie genre.A young woman is happily chatting with a friend on an empty train moving across the French countryside. A man enters at a stop, and sits down. Every time the woman looks up from her newspaper, a small sore on the man's face seems to grow larger and larger. Suddenly, the man's face is enveloped in pus and blood, and he attacks! The woman escapes the train into the countryside, only to discover that everyone has been taken by this terrible disease. The rest of the film is not as much a straight narrative as a series of small adventures involving the woman and others whom she meets, like a mysterious farm family, a blind girl, a mysterious woman (played by Rollin regular Brigitte Lahaie in a typically great, slightly over-the-top performance), and two beer-drinking avengers. If there is any real problem with the film, it's that the entire thing sort of meanders about. The small stories are interesting, and Rollin almost effortlessly creates a beautifully shot atmosphere, but one can't help but feeling somewhat unsatisfied by the end. Still, as far as dreamlike zombie (and yes, it's a zombie film even if the people aren't dead) horror goes, this is up there with Fulci's better efforts. Synapse has done well with the dvd. The picture is in the original French, subtitled into english. The print is wonderful, and the transfer is great! Also included is a text biography and filmography for Rollin, the French trailer, a German trailer, stills, (very good) liner notes with a poster image on front, and a 35-minute interview with Rollin and Lahaie. The interview is very interesting, although it's about the duo's entire career together... in fact, Grapes of Death is covered in under two minutes! Still, it's a nice package and a good opportunity to discover a lesser-known but equally worthy Rollin film.
Rating:
Summary: Starts strong and fades, but still pretty good overall
Review: I saw this movie on kind of a whim- the name intrigued me, I like zombie movies, and i found the notion of tainted wine turning people into zombies extremely amusing. That, and the director, Jean Rollin, is of some repute and I'd heard a few good things about it. so I figured why not. Well, if turned out to be well worth seeing, and easily surpassed my expectations. The first half of this movie is totally 5 star material, and while it fades quite a bit in the second half, it's still an entertaining, interesting film, which nicely extends the notions of what a zombie film can be.
Lots of people have accussed this movie of being 'slow' and this isn't exactly true. The horror begins almost immediately, with only 2 brief scenes before Elizabeth and her friend are attacked, and she's alone in the french countryside, which is now populated by inebriated zombies.(well actually, I don't think they have to drink all that much to get infected) I suppose, however, that, most of the time, not all that much is happening but that doesn't make it 'slow': that's what the movie is about. This is horror of atmosphere and situation, more than gore or violence horror.(Though it does have some gore) If you don't like atmospheric horror, you'll probably want to skip this one, but it's definitely good at what it does. Unlike so many 70's-80's eurohorror films, this film is very low-key. There is very little music, and it is visually fairly naturalistic visually, avoiding elaborate sets and lurid lighting.(Though it is shot in a fairly elegant manner) The overall feel of much of the film is rather like 'Night of the Living Dead', although they aren't all that similar in an absolute sense. It is a rather creepy film, if not out and out scary.(Though I'm almost never really scared by horror films anymore, and that's never really what I was looking for, anyway) The first horror scene, where Elisabeth watches as a man becomes steadily more infected, and then attacks her is quite effective, as is the initially low-key encounter in the first house she comes across. The very best scene in the film is much later however. One character is grabbed and appears to be being choked by a crazed man/zombie. Instead of showing us this, however, the camera simply pans over the zombie crowd which is watching with complete passivity. It's an extraordingarily effective shot. It's hard to go into specifics, as there isn't much variation from then on, as she and various others just hide and run from the crazed zombie-like townspeople. The second half loses much of the menace of the first half, and the very final act is kinda weak, but it's strong enough overall to recommend. There also appears to be some incredibly ham-fisted social commentary late in the film, as two characters talk about fascism and nuclear power and the military which is apparently related to zombies. This is a fairly jarring scene, but it's also kinda amusing.
It is debatable whether or not this truly qualifies as a zombie film. I think it does, however, though it definitely strays far from the standard conventions a lot of the time. Here, the infection effects people in different ways- some people are reduced to essentially mindless zombies, whereas others remain fairly lucid much of the time, but with random and uncontrollable murderous impulses. They're covered with extremely disgusting, if utterly fake looking pustules, many of which are seen to be open and running. This film has what has got to be the grossest thing I've ever seen in a film: An infected man with a huge sore on his forehead tries to get into a car where Elisabeth is by smashing his forehead against it, rubbing his hideous sore all over it, and covering it with yellow sludge. There's some gore as well, most notably a spectacularly fake, but quite juicy decapitation and an impalement by pitchfork.
This is a quality horror film, and definitely worth a look for anyone who likes atmospheric horror and zombies.
Rating:
Summary: a wink or a nod to mr. romero
Review: i will give this film 4 stars because i think this film had a great deal of potential around the time it was released & looks ogood overall. i can't give it five stars because it's not the greatest zombie film ever made unfortunately. several reviewers here have suggested that grapes of death reminds them of george a romero & i can agree to some extent. our heroine in this film does remind me of our barbara in night of the living dead in that she is on the run from these so-called zombies & is seeking shelter or help wherever she can find it. unlike night of the living dead or dawn of the dead, these zombies do not eat people. they simply attack you & murder you in some VERY gruesome ways. in one scene, a zombie nails his wife or loved one to the front door of their apartment & then proceeds to chop of her head in a very gruesome but well-done montage. this is perhaps one of the most graphic scenes you'll see in the film. he later on kisses her as one of the reviewers has already implied. i think rollin was trying to make another statemnt here iwht this film as teh whole film does have that sort-of apocalyptic feel to it & we shiver on the inside when we think of how the world can go crazy at any given moment when we start to attack one another. maybe jean rollin is showing us how quickly our attitudes change in time of battle or war & just how quickly we retaliate when faced with sudden changes. although i've never seen anyone turn into a zmobie after drinking red wine, this film did send a shiver up my spine. that opening scene where people are spraying the grapes with pesticides is extremely disturbing after we realize that these chemicals could easily harm anyone man or animal. lastly, i believe jean rollin was greatly influenced by george a romero & thus he placed his vampires aside to give us a few zombie films like grapes of death or living dead girl. although i prefer lving dead girl, grapes of death is worth a look. unpleasant dreams!
Rating:
Summary: a wink or a nod to mr. romero
Review: i will give this film 4 stars because i think this film had a great deal of potential around the time it was released & looks ogood overall. i can't give it five stars because it's not the greatest zombie film ever made unfortunately. several reviewers here have suggested that grapes of death reminds them of george a romero & i can agree to some extent. our heroine in this film does remind me of our barbara in night of the living dead in that she is on the run from these so-called zombies & is seeking shelter or help wherever she can find it. unlike night of the living dead or dawn of the dead, these zombies do not eat people. they simply attack you & murder you in some VERY gruesome ways. in one scene, a zombie nails his wife or loved one to the front door of their apartment & then proceeds to chop of her head in a very gruesome but well-done montage. this is perhaps one of the most graphic scenes you'll see in the film. he later on kisses her as one of the reviewers has already implied. i think rollin was trying to make another statemnt here iwht this film as teh whole film does have that sort-of apocalyptic feel to it & we shiver on the inside when we think of how the world can go crazy at any given moment when we start to attack one another. maybe jean rollin is showing us how quickly our attitudes change in time of battle or war & just how quickly we retaliate when faced with sudden changes. although i've never seen anyone turn into a zmobie after drinking red wine, this film did send a shiver up my spine. that opening scene where people are spraying the grapes with pesticides is extremely disturbing after we realize that these chemicals could easily harm anyone man or animal. lastly, i believe jean rollin was greatly influenced by george a romero & thus he placed his vampires aside to give us a few zombie films like grapes of death or living dead girl. although i prefer lving dead girl, grapes of death is worth a look. unpleasant dreams!
Rating: 
Summary: Grapes of Death
Review: I'm unfamiliar with Rollin's work, but found this entry to be fascinating. To say this is a zombie movie would put it too simply. There is a mystique about this movie, a very apocalypic quality that held my attention throughout. Yes, the music's a bit cheesy and it's not very gory, but it's a must-have by those who appreciate old, overseas horror. This movie took me in a good direction, and I hope it takes you in the direction of your billfold, because this will always be welcome in my DVD collection, as it should be in yours.
Rating:
Summary: let's make out with severed heads! :)
Review: Movie starts when some morons are spraying pesticide all over the grapes that are used for making wine. Then the peasents drink the wine (supposively) and slowly turn into psychotic zombies. Then it goes to a woman who jumps out of a train and finds herself in a town filled with zombies and a blind lady. Then she meets two guys who are killing the zombies. Then they go to a house and eat bread, then the chick reunites with her boyfriend in which is turning into a zombie and one of the guys kills him and that idiotic broad kills the guy and the other guy. THE END! Whoever compared this movie to NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD is a moron. This movie is completely different. It's gore is a bit above average, the story is original and decent. It's very good for what it is, but this movie can get boring from time to time.
(some zombies) most entertaining part: when a zombie was making out with a severed head.
Rating:
Summary: When preying on humans, the red or the white wine?
Review: Only having seen three of Jean Rollin's films, I will not attempt to give you any insight into this interesting French director. My opinion of this film is the same as the other two I have seen by him: occasionally boring, yet well done with some good bloody moments. Out of the three I've seen, this is a little less exciting than The Living Dead Girl, yet less dull than The Night of the Hunted. The story is pretty straightforward: a girl is attacked by a zombie on a train, leaves the train, then roams the French countryside looking for people who can help her with the ever-increasing zombie problem. The Grapes of Death title refers to wine made from pesticide-laced grapes, which is responsible for turning people into the zombies. It's different than, say, your typical Romero or Fulci zombiefest in that the people turn into the living dead gradually. It'll be just a hand decaying at first, for example, and the FX showing this and the other gore scenes are pretty effective. The people are conscious of what is happening to them, which is pretty horrible considering what dead tissue must feel like. Don't expect the blood n' guts level of your typical zombie flick though, this movie works because of the atmosphere, realism, and, of course, Rollin's use of beautiful French women. I would say that if you are a huge fan of the Evil Dead series, Dead Alive, or other over-the-top violent gore films, Grapes of Death might be a little slow for your taste. But if you like low budget movies, arty French films, or just something different than a typical horror movie you might really enjoy it. It doesn't resort to cheap scare tactics at all, and the dialogue (subtitled) is pretty intelligently written. The provincial beauty of the French landscape is not really that scary, and there is not much music that I remember, as opposed to some of the Italian horrors of this era that feature blasting electronic scores. If you can describe a movie as a "quiet, peaceful bloodbath" then that would be my summary of Grapes of Death.
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