I Spit On Your Grave
Adaptations of books have a history of being derided by the author, but few are as dramatic an example as J’irai cracher sur vos tombes. Minutes into the premiere screening, the author dropped dead.
Read moreTag Archives: France
Eyes Without a Face
A fan of silent serials and a precursor to the French Nouvelle Vague, Georges Franju was inspired by the early thrillers of Louis Feuillade when he made the haunting, at times shocking, story of a disfigured woman, a driven scientist, and the horror of physical beauty.
Read moreYpotron
Ypotron is an airy espionage adventure with sci-fi elements and no interest in its own plot, so enamored is it instead with low-budget globe-trotting and extremely large hats.
Read moreBand of Outsiders
It’s time for a Jean-luc Godard review, but where as I struggled with exactly what I should say in regards to Breathless, partially because it seems one of the most written-about films this side of Zombie Lake (which seems to be one of the most reviewed movies on the internet), when it comes to Band of Outsiders, my problem is
Read moreClothilde: Queen of the French Swinging Mademoiselle
At the height of the Yeh Yeh Girl craze, here were many girls compelled by external forces to seek fame. Yet, as the brief and quite odd career of Clothilde demonstrates, the results were not always bad.
Read moreDeath is Nimble, Death is Quick
Like most Kommissar X films, Death is Nimble, Death is Quick does not make a whole lot of sense. What matters is that there are enough audacious set pieces and comical business to keep us from caring.
Read moreFantomas
If I rack my brain, I can come up with an English language corollary by which to describe Fantomas. But that doesn’t change my perception that there is something irreducibly French about the character. Certainly, Sax Rohmer’s Fu Manchu is similar, in that he is one of those rare examples of a villain serving as the central figure and driving
Read more