Les Raisins de la mort (1978)

Director:

Jean Rollin

Writers:

Jean-Pierre Bouyxou (story)
Christian Meunier (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

5 July 1978 (France)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

When the wine flows, the terror begins ...

Plot:

A young woman discovers that the pesticide being sprayed on vineyards is turning people into killer zombies. |

Plot Keywords:

Pesticide | Crucifixion | Pitchfork | Sadism | Chemical

Cast

Marie-Georges Pascal	...	Élisabeth (as Marie George Pascal)
Félix Marten	...	Paul (as Felix Marten)
Serge Marquand	...	Lucien
Mirella Rancelot
Patrice Valota
Patricia Cartier
Michel Herval
Brigitte Lahaie		(as Brigitte Lahaye)
Paul Bisciglia
Olivier Rollin
Françoise Pascal
Evelyne Thomas
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou
Jean Rollin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Guillaume Le Vacher	...	Young living dead (uncredited)
Raphaël Marongiu	...	Dead man in the press (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Rollin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou		story
Christian Meunier		screenplay
Jean Rollin		screenplay
Jean Rollin		story

Produced by
Jean-Marie Ghanassia	....	associate producer
Claude Guedj	....	producer
Christian Ruh	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Philippe Sissman

Cinematography by
Claude Bécognée

Film Editing by
Dominique Saint-Cyr
Christian Stoianovich

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou	....	first assistant director
Christian Meunier	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Henri Humbert	....	sound effects
Claude Panier	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Yannick Josse	....	special effects
Raphaël Marongiu	....	special effects
Alfredo Tiberi	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Charles Jobert	....	assistant camera
Etienne Jourdan	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Noël Guillot	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Lionel Bernier	....	production department
Olivier Rollin	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Films A.B.C.
• Off Production
• Rush Productions

Distributors

• Filmfreak Distributie (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Redemption Films (2004) (UK) (DVD)
• Synapse Films (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Avia Films  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Pesticide (France) (alternative title)
The Grapes of Death (International: English title)
The Raisins of Death (International: English title)
Foltermühle der gefangenen Frauen (West Germany) [de]
Pestizide - Grapes of Death (Germany) (DVD box title) [de]
Pestizide - Stadt der Zombies (Germany) (video box title) [de]
Zombis - Geschändete Frauen (West Germany) (video box title) [de]

Runtime:

Germany:85 min | USA:90 min (uncut version)

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 (2009) (DVD) | West Germany:(Banned) | West Germany:18 (nf) (cut version) | France:-16 | UK:18 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Films A.B.C.

Trivia:

The filming locations had extremely cold temperatures and often the makeup effects would start to freeze on the actors, making it difficult for them appear realistic on camera.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the long zoom in the scene where Élisabeth meets the blind girl at the deserted valley, a man can be seen walking in the distance.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Das geheime Kino (2007)

A winner, but lacking cohesion and tension - surreal.

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 traveling 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.