The Living Dead Girl (1982) User Reviews

Requires viewer patience and forgiveness

[fertilecelluloid · 7/10 · 27 December 2004]

I hate to admit it, but I like the idea of Jean Rollin more than the reality of sitting through one of his films. It's not that I don't appreciate what he's doing. I do. He has a unique world view and holds a special place in the world of "fantastique" cinema that is indisputable.

Still, I find his films a little boring.

Case in point THE LIVING DEAD GIRL springs from a simple and fascinating concept of a dead woman, who must drink blood to survive, returning to a château to be with an old friend.

As fascinating as the concept is, Rollin doesn't do a whole lot with it. He serves up plenty of atmosphere, imbues his material with a subtle eroticism and draws a superb performance from the beautiful Francoise Blanchard. What else do you want? you may ask. I'm not sure. I wanted more to happen, I guess. I wanted Rollin to jettison the boring bits and replace them with his signature set pieces.

It's been described as "savage", an adjective I wouldn't use myself. It's also been described as "dreamy". For the most part that's true. My frustration is with the film's uneven tone. Why couldn't it remain "dreamy" right through? You do need patience and a little forgiveness to enjoy Rollin.

I still wouldn't miss anything he's done. He's one of us.

One of Jean Rollin's best efforts

[callanvass · 7/10 · 22 February 2014]

Two childhood friends Catherine & Helene make a pact to always be together. Catherine dies and they forced to split. A toxic spill manages to bring Catherine back from the dead, turning her into a monster. Catherine reunites with her to help Catherine with her insatiable need for blood. Leave it to Jean Rollin to turn a subject like zombies into something erotic and artsy. I liked this one. It's leisurely paced like most Rollin films, but it's very interesting. The bond between Catherine and Helene is very strong and you are able to feel like they truly love one another. There are dull moments. We get many shots of Catherine wandering the halls that may get tiresome for people, but they have meaning in this one. Watching Catherine reminisce over childhood photos of her and Helene was saddening and riveting with the way it was done. Also, the slow build of Catherine's insatiable hunger for blood was well done, giving Catherine a bit of a human side to her. There is great photography as well. This movie is pretty gory. We get extremely gory puncture throats that gush blood all over the place. A woman is burned alive, somebody gets a foreign object in their head, eyes are gouged out, and more. The best part is the ending. It's a tragic gore fest. I won't spoil it, but it is both saddening and enjoyable. The acting is pretty good for this sort of thing. Marina Pierro is great as the supporter of Catherine. The show belongs to the lovely Francoise Blanchard. She gave a memorable performance with her beauty. My only real complaint is the version I watched alternated between subtitles and English dubbing

Final Thoughts: You probably won't find many better films of Rollins than this, if any. For a guy that is known for his boring eroticism, he made a gem with this one. It's tragic, interesting, and beautiful. I recommend it. This one actually has a decent story

7.2/10

A Rollin film with lots of added gore

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 17 March 2013]

This Jean Rollin feature is an erotic horror about a woman who returns from the dead due to an accident involving an earthquake and toxic chemicals. She is The Living Dead Girl and she has a vampire like taste for blood. She is drawn back to her 'blood sister' Helene, who in turn finds victims for her.

This is another melancholic and downbeat effort from Rollin. Once again his vampire is a tragic one. She did not choose her fate. She feels guilt at her subsequent actions and is repulsed by them. We feel sorry for her. The film is also about friendship and loyalty. The bond between the two girls is effectively a pact that goes beyond the grave. One of the defining features of The Living Dead Girl is its goriness. It is very bloody by Rollin's standards, so in this respect it may be a little more accessible to a wider horror audience. But then again, aside from this, it's strictly business as usual. There are the usual selection of paper thin characters, weak dialogue and low production values; while the story emphasises things that are atypical for a standard horror film, such as a melancholic 'monster' and some poetic imagery. Examples of the latter would include scenes of the girl wandering through fields in a white night dress and the night time river scene. As usual Rollin does ensure the film looks interesting. There are some nice French countryside locations and a picturesque villa. While the atmosphere is moody throughout, with some delicate musical accompaniment on the soundtrack. It is a little odd though having an American couple in the movie. This, no doubt was a way of trying to sell the film easier overseas. But like all other Rollin films these characters are uninteresting, Rollin seems to be only interested in his female vampires/villains. It isn't without faults; it does drag in places but like others from the director would probably improve on re-watches. The film does, however, wrap up in one of the most effectively haunting endings Rollin ever conceived.

Living Dead Girl

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 3 May 2007]

Grisly, potent shocker from Jean Rollin regarding how a dead young lady of two years, the body surprisingly fresh without rot during that time(?), is revived from a spilled can of toxic waste, put there by some corpse looters, after a minor earthquake. She has vampire mentalities(..not to mention terrifying fingernails which can tear into flesh with ease) meaning this uncontrollable thirst for flesh and blood from human beings..the girl, Catherine(Françoise Blanchard), calls the evil inside. A "blood sister", Helene(Marina Pierro)did not know her best friend from childhood had been dead and after a phone call leading to Catherine's discovery(hearing the sound box playing music both listened to as children)she races to the villa to see about her. What Helene sees is a bloody mess, several unfortunates who became blood donors to Catherine's unhinged feeding time. Helene will slowly grow obsessed with keeping her beloved "sister" alive doing whatever it takes, meaning luring those unaware of what awaits them, to become victims for Catherine. A photographer, Barbara(Carina Barone)sees Catherine walking in a daze upon leaving her crypt and takes a snapshot. That snapshot fascinates her..the image that compels her to seek out the identity of Catherine might seal her fate. Perhaps, Barbara's husband(Mike Marshall)will be able to keep her from harm before it's too late. Or, will Barbara's obsession with learning more about Catherine, and taking more pictures of her, lead to a gruesome demise. What the people around this villa need to worry about is Helene's mad desire to find fresh bodies for her Catherine.

The most important story element, and what I feel is the most haunting aspect, is that as days go by Catherine is realizing the monster she becomes when the evil hunger returns. She wishes to be put away and begs for Helene to see this through. The idea of losing her friend a second time, and not being able to come to terms with the fact that Catherine is dead, I think Helene is the tragic character of the film. Friendship and love seem to be very powerful emotional drives within this plot while Rollin often cuts into this with a furious rage when he shows Catherine's eating habits. She just doesn't suck blood with any form of sophistication, but tears into her meal like a crazed, starving animal. And, believe me, the feasting is extremely unsettling as we watch the flesh of throats, arms, and stomachs ripped with vengeance by Catherine who seems out of control with her senses with the primal urge to munch operating in overdrive. The direction is rather straight-forward, I felt, and followed a projected path. It ended about the way I imagined it would. The ending leaves only despair for the victim who just wishes for the blood lust and torment to leave her.

Living Dead Girl

[Michael_Elliott · 28 February 2008]

Living Dead Girl, The (1982)

*** (out of 4)

French horror film from director Jean Rollin, which mixes tons of sex and nudity with plenty of the red stuff. After some toxic waste falls on her grave, a young woman returns with a hunger for blood. This is probably the best place for a newbie to Rollin to start as this perfectly captures the atmosphere of his best movies but also throws in plenty of over the top gore scenes, which will probably make a casual viewer sick. As with other Rollin films, there's plenty of beautiful women getting naked but the film does move at a snail's pace, which will probably put some to sleep.

Disappointing, after a promising start.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 5/10 · 9 July 2011]

No doubt the lovers of the genre will absolutely love the start of this movie and prepare themselves for lots of more great and fun things to come. However this doesn't ever really happen, which in the long run makes this movie a bit of a disappointment.

It's funny how the French seemed to be 10 years behind with these sort of movies. It's the type of horror that was popular in Italy in the '70's. The sort of horror that is being extremely gory and violent and features lots of sex and nudity as well. This movie is build up exactly in the same way as one of those Italian '70's productions and also features all of the 'classic' genre ingredients.

Yes, there really is quite a lot of gore in this movie, which should definitely please the fans and was also the reason why I still am able to consider this movie to be a watchable one. There is really some hardcore stuff in this movie, which you perhaps would normally only see in a zombie-flick, for instance.

I only wished the movie worked out better and more intriguing with its story and characters. There is no real 'conflict' that needs to get resolved. No villain, no hero and the gore and violence is not enough to raise this movie to an higher level, or make it an effectively entertaining one.

Obviously a movie for genre lovers only, even though chances are they will also end up somewhat disappointment but at least the movie still has some redeeming qualities for them in it.

5/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

DAMMIT GREG, I'M AN ACTRESS NOT A PHOTOGRAPHER

[nogodnomasters · 6/10 · 17 June 2019]

The film starts out like many zombie films: toxic waste, graves, accident. Oops, we now have zombies. In this case we just have one zombie, Catherine Valmont (Françoise Blanchard). It just so happens drinking human blood and not brains makes her more alive. With the aid of her childhood friend, she gets all the blood she needs, unfortunately Catherine also develops a conscience.

The film moves along interesting enough and then hits a low spot as it struggles with a photographer who never stops, drops, and rolls. It creates an interesting enough situation, but then confines the activity to one location and just a few cardboard characters. The dead Girl needed some life.

Parental Guide: Sex and nudity.

living dead from boredom girl......

[Thullin13 · 5/10 · 30 March 2019]

Well i must say the living dead girl works so much better as a song(rob zombie) cause i just watched the 1982 jean claude movie and damn it was boring, and unfortunately so because it had potential. With its beautiful french countryside shots and dreamy atmosphere, and lead dead hottie Françoise Blanchard actually had some decent acting going on there. The plot slightly flirts with character depth at times, hinting at the psychological and moral awarness of said dead girl living lol

Well off to watch cannibal women in the avocado jungle of death.....which the title alone is more entertaining than the movie i watched

Unique, predictable yet emotionally charged gore fest

[abduktionsphanomen471 · 8/10 · 3 October 2021]

(This Film Rates a B+ ) A dead girl comes back to life and requires blood to stay alive, zombie/vampire like. She reunites with her childhood "girlfriend" who truly loves her and will do anything to understand and help them be together. While one believes she is alive, the other believes she is dead. This film is pretty crude at times with more of a 1970's feel than 1982. There some laughable moments throughout; Are French people really bad kissers or is it just horrible acting? How about the girl getting a blood squirt to the face at the 29:45 minute mark or her dramatic death down the stairs. There are plenty of good gore effects plus a creepy yet soothing and psychopathic emotional element to the film/story line. The script is decent and often times poetic. Predictable, over dramatized but savoy. The set/scenery are foreign and fantastic plus the cinematography has some brilliant artistic moments. T&A are present. And that ending!

Zombies? No, just one.

[lastliberal · 6/10 · 17 October 2008]

This is an interesting film on several levels. It is not full of top notch acting, but it is different and I like that.

First, some sleaze-bags are dumping chemical waste in an underground burial vault that dates from the 12th century. A tremor releases gases and awakens our living dead girl (Françoise Blanchard). She wanders into the castle above, which happens to have been her home when she died two years ago.

Now, the realtor (Dominique Treillou) brings her boyfriend for a weekend of fun. Surprise! Our living dead girl needs some blood to survive. Now, is she a zombie or a vampire? She doesn't bite, but tears the flesh apart, but she doesn't eat the flesh either; she drinks them dry. Topic for discussion.

What I like about European films is that they have no problems with full frontal. They also use very healthy actresses, not some skinny starlet. Gorgeous bodies are on display in this film.

There isn't much story here. The film has constant flashbacks to the childhood of the zombie and her friend Hélène (Marina Pierro). Hélène comes to the castle after a phone call to see if her friend is alive. At first she doesn't understand, but is soon getting her fresh meat to drink dry.

The living dead girl just wants to die, but Hélène wants to keep her alive. One is never sure if there is more to this relationship than childhood friendship, but there is only one possible ending to it.

Really should be seen by all zombie lovers for a different take on the subject.

The sweetest flesh is that of your lesbian soulmate

[Vomitron_G · 4/10 · 7 November 2007]

Even with this being the first and only Jean Rollin movie I've watched so far (and having viewed a couple of trailers from his other efforts), I feel like I already have a pretty good idea of what this Frenchman stands for. While Rollin clearly is in the same league that produces – what many call – Euro-Trash movies, I think he is at least one step above Über-Euro-hack Jess Franco. Rollin at least has something Franco never had: The man's got style.

LA MORTE VIVANTE (AKA THE LIVING DEAD GIRL) tries to be a lot of things. One could say it's got some sort or 'arty' semblance or contains poetic visuals (e.g. after Catherine sets free the wounded girl from the catacombs, look at the exterior shot where she stumbles towards the water – the way it is lit, the red boat in contrast with the green grass, the shadows separating that scenery from the concrete of the castle-wall on the right, her white dress reflecting in the shimmering water, the violin playing on the soundtrack). Of course, there's a lot of female nudity at display throughout the whole movie (and for the girls: there's even a male generously providing a glimpse at his ding-dong too). However, Rollin somehow manages to give it an 'arty' touch (e.g. after Hélène discovered the bodies of the dead couple, she walks in on a naked Catherine playing the piano – just look at the shot where she's sitting naked behind the piano, her back facing Hélène), while in any given Franco movie you can't do anything but pass it off as cheap sleaze.

But all the possible merits this movie has, can't prevent you from feeling you are indeed watching a trashy Euro-Horror flick. The acting is barely tolerable, the editing is rather rudimentary and on top of that, the pacing becomes a bore sometimes. From the two main female characters, only Françoise Blanchard (as Catherine Valmont, the Living Dead Girl) manages to do a decent job. Her performance can easily be described as eerie, disturbing and captivating. Marina Pierro (as her life-long friend Hélène) on the other hand, fails to deliver. She comes off as uninspired and emotionless. During close-ups, it even looks like she's heavily drugged. Her gazing eyes made it look like she was on morphine during the entire shoot of the film. I might have gone a bit easier on the girl if she would've at least shown her voluptuous roundings unclothed, but she even failed to deliver that. The subplot with the foreign couple (both amateur-photographers in their role, and poor actors in the movie too) doesn't even lead to anything. In fact, they're quite annoying: All they do is argue about everything up until the point you just wish they'd break up and disappear from the movie. Well, actually… Them being in the movie does lead to something. While you might think that, with all their investigating, they will play a pivotal role in the plot, all they accomplish in the end is… getting themselves killed. Which leads us to the next thing this movie has to offer: The gore. Bloody gruesome activities happen on a regular base in LA MORTE VIVANTE. And while the blood-splattering, eye-popping, gut-munching, skull-splitting (by axe), throat-ripping (etc.) is all very enjoyable, the on-screen execution of the effects often leave a lot to be desired (i.e. you can see just a little too easy that it's all fake).

So, yes, there's not much in this movie that really works well. Except for the drama-part between the two girls (and that's a strange thing to say for a sleazy gore-flick). The relationship between the two of them, and how it evolves, is very interesting and keeps me from calling the movie over-all boring. It's intriguing how things change between them, even in such a manner that by the time the movie ends, the roles of protagonist and antagonist have somewhat shifted. Catherine needs blood and kills, yes. But when the story progresses, she develops a severe aversion towards her actions. She becomes repulsed by them, so much even that she doesn't want to live (or should I say "be undead") anymore. Hélène, on the other hand starts providing her with fresh victims and near the end even starts killing anybody who comes too close to discovering their secret. So the drama between the girls is what almost makes this a good movie. That, and the ending. Now, I myself saw it coming even before the first act of the film was finished. The ending's predictability could be a big 'thumbs down' for the movie in general, but I must say I didn't feel all that negative about it. The execution of that final scene (starting from the events at the water, the shocking gore footage – for once looking realistic, Blanchard's performance, to the final frozen frame) is what saved the ending. And then the end-credits scroll the screen while a darkly ominous drone colours the soundtrack.

A solid ending to a rather weak movie featuring one of the most ridiculous opening-sequences ever in horror history (which I failed to mention earlier in this review).

Excellent erotic shocker.

[HumanoidOfFlesh · 10/10 · 3 October 2003]

Jean Rollin's "La Morte Vivante"/"The Living Dead Girl" is an excellent erotic ultra-gory vampire tale and I like it very much.The film has some wonderful atmosphere and some striking images of eternal painful life.There is plenty of graphic gore to satisfy fans of extreme horror.Along with all of the gore there is a large amount of beautiful naked women running around.Rollin's trademark photography is naturally here but this film is much gorier than his other films that I've seen.Francoise Blanchard who plays bloodthirsty Catherine is incredibly beautiful.Overall,I enjoyed this film and you should too if you like zombie/vampire cinema.There is also an unofficial sequel to this one called "The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls"(1987).

A Good Idea That Deserved Better

[OgreVI · 6/10 · 31 January 2006]

I expect that Rollin, when he made this film, was just trying to make a few bucks off teenage boys with a plain old breast-and-blood flick. And really, that's all this is. Certainly every cast member gets naked at one time or another, and certainly there's plenty of blood, though the gore is never really overwhelming. Also, the script is pretty poorly written. I mean, it's inaccurate to say that the story is full of plot holes…the story itself is basically one big plot hole, starting with the first scene and continuing the length of the picture. I spent a lot of the time staring at the screen saying, "What? But, but…what?" What sets this film apart, though, what makes it worth watching, is the interesting transition taking place in the relationship between the main characters, which intimates a depth of story that Rollin probably didn't intend. The story is that Catherine (the Living Dead Girl in question) has to kill and feed on her victims, and with each victim she grows more nearly alive. But the interesting thing is that, as Catherine becomes more nearly human, she becomes more and more horrified with what she's become and what she's compelled to do. Meanwhile, her friend and protector Helene, at first revolted by the change in her friend, becomes more and more inured to the horror she and Catherine are perpetrating. It's interesting that, as Catherine becomes more and more human, Helene becomes more and more monstrous. To me, the dynamic between the two main characters is an idea that deserves a better exploration than this movie is able (or willing) to give. I would love to see someone like David Cronenberg rewrite and remake this movie; I believe it could be a horror classic with the right people behind it.

Rollin's most visceral horror film

[Eegah Guy · 5/10 · 29 March 2001]

This film has great moments but has some serious flaws. The gore is juicy and plentiful and the French countryside and chateau locations are gorgeous but this film is seriously hampered by the intrusion of a couple of really boring and annoying Americans who are mystified by this strange undead woman. I was happy to see this couple finally get killed off when they get too curious. This is basically the tragic tale of a bond of friendship that lasts beyond the grave. Moments of effective drama are placed next to scenes of stupid comic relief that this film becomes an exercise in frustration thinking about how good it could have been. The ending is particularly haunting.

A Tale of Two Friends

[suspiria10 · 10 February 2004]

When two bumbling knuckleheads decide to rob the graves of a crypt where they go to dump barrels of toxic waste in, they quickly are in over their heads. An earth tremor spills one of the barrels onto the coffin of the deceased Catherine. After she shakes off her two year sabbatical in the catacombs she awakens to an insatiable lust for blood that quickly does in those poor goons. She goes back to the castle of her youth to reclaim her memories and for a light snack or two. When Helene, Catherine's childhood blood sister, races back to the castle to help Catherine she quickly learns that the pairs childhood vow to follow each other in to death will soon be fulfilled.

La Morte Vivante (Living Dead Girl) is considered to be one of Rollin's most commercial efforts. This being one of the first Rollin flicks that I've seen I can't really compare this to any of his others, that said I will say that his plain but adequate filming style goes about things in a leisurely paced fashion but comes alive at the right moments. This simple tale of two friends has a few gory moments and a generous helping of skin to satisfy most people who crave those things. The acting is good for the most part. Françoise Blanchard does a good job as the living dead girl. She even shows off an occasionally convincing dramatic moment when her character breaks down towards the end. Marina Pierro plays Catherine's friend Helene. It's not the best written part ever but she does what she needs with what she was given. . I would like to know why is it that she would call her best bud, two years after her death. But her character's devotion to her friend is pretty much the dead heart of this living dead girl.

In the end you have a rather simple tale that expands a little bit out of its' rather typical vampire / zombie roots. The film is plainly shot with an occasional flare and the sets, while convincing, are not as neat as they could have been. Is that one of the most boring mausoleums or is it me? Not horribly bad….but not totally engaging either.

"I emptied these bodies of blood so it would flow in mine." Not too bad but probably not for everyone.

[poolandrews · 6/10 · 18 December 2005]

La Morte Vivante, or The Living Dead Girl as it's more commonly known as to English speaking audiences, starts with three men in a white van pulling up outside the Valmont family Castle where they unload some barrels of toxic waste. They take the barrels into some catacombs beneath the Castle & dump them there, one of the guys suggests that they venture into the Valmont Family tomb, open the coffins up & steal any jewellery. While doing so a small Earth tremor cause one of the barrels to topple over & leak it's contents, the fumes fill the tomb & brings the corpse of Catherine Valmont (Francoise Blanchard) back to life & Catherine proceeds to kills the three men. Catherine heads upstairs into the Castle & starts to remember her childhood friend Helene (Marina Pierro) while touching a sentimental music box. Catherine phones Helene & plays the tune from the music box to her which instantly reminds her of Catherine so Helene sets off for Valmont Castle. Meanwhile Greg (Mike Marshall) & Barbara (Carina Barone), two American's on holiday, spot Catherine & thinking she looks weird Barbara takes some photo's of her, back at the nearby village Barbara ask's some locals who she is & they all claim that she died over two years ago. Back at Valmont Castle & Helene turns up to find Catherine & two dead bodies, Helene quickly discovers that Catherine needs to drink fresh blood to survive & decides to help Catherine in her quest for victims...

This French production was co-written & directed by Jean Rollin & is OK but is maybe a bit weird for most people's taste's. The script by Rollin & Jacques Ralf moves along at a nice pace & isn't too boring. The basic premise is decent enough & had plenty of potential with with a re-animated flesh eating blood drinking zombie roaming around but in the hands of Rollin he turns it into a tragic love story. Catherine knows what she is & is guilt ridden, she tries to regain her humanity but in the end can't & it all ends in tears with a very downbeat climax, she doesn't like what she is but can't do anything about it & Rollin manages to create some sympathy for her. La Morte Vivante was shot partly in both English & French so expect subtitles although the dialogue is very sparse & minimal as Rollin, as usual, likes to tell the story through images.

Anyone familiar with French director Rollin's work will not be surprised that La Morte Vivante is full of surreal images, plenty of interesting locations, some nicely lit scenes & has a nice elegance about it. Rollin doesn't forget about the gore either, a man has his eyes poked out, people have their throats ripped open & torn out, there are graphic scenes of bodily mutilation & blood drinking along with a girl being tied up & tortured. There is a fair amount of nudity as well.

Technically La Morte Vivante looks basic but is generally well made. The special make-up effects aren't that realistic but at least there's lots of blood. The acting is variable but Blanchard does a pretty good job at expressing emotion & most of the ladies are easy on the eyes.

La Morte Vivantes is an OK horror film with some good gore, a slightly deeper & involving story than one might expect & it passes an hour and a half easily enough. However there are very few meaningful character's, it's a bit shallow & the subtitles may put some people off. Obviously an absolute must for Rollin & Euro horror fans alike but other more casual viewers may be advised to give it a miss.

Okay but slow going

[Maciste_Brother · 4/10 · 10 June 2003]

LIVING DEAD GIRL was my first Jean Rollin experience and I have to say that I somewhat enjoyed it. The production values, from the actors to the sets to the FX, ranged from average to below average. The direction though was glacially slow and for many moments, my attention drifted to other things than the movie, which ain't a good thing.

Some scenes are haunting and the look of the movie is a nice change from the usual horror movies but I never really got involved with the plight of the two girls. I don't know why but I thought the two lead actresses were a bit too aloof. Overall, LDG is okay but you need to fast forward through many long and dull moments. And some of the FX are really terrible, even for such a low budget effort.

"The Living Dead Girl" - A Hauntingly Beautiful Masterpiece

[dshannon1042 · 7/10 · 1 November 2023]

"The Living Dead Girl" is a mesmerizing cinematic gem that transcends traditional horror conventions, offering a hauntingly beautiful and thought-provoking experience. Directed by the talented Jean Rollin, this French horror film redefines the genre, offering a unique blend of horror, fantasy, and drama.

The film opens with a powerful and emotionally charged scene, as the audience is introduced to Catherine, a character who awakens from a decades-long slumber to find herself transformed into a living dead girl. The sense of melancholy and tragedy that surrounds her predicament immediately captivates viewers, drawing them into her world.

What makes "The Living Dead Girl" truly remarkable is its ability to evoke empathy for a character who is, by nature, a supernatural creature. The film delves deep into the existential crisis of Catherine, as she grapples with her newfound existence and her insatiable thirst for blood. It's a compelling exploration of the human condition, wrapped in a visually stunning and eerie narrative.

Jean Rollin's direction is nothing short of visionary. He creates a surreal, dreamlike atmosphere that envelops the entire film, from the eerie château setting to the hauntingly beautiful landscapes of the French countryside. The cinematography is exquisite, with each frame resembling a macabre work of art. The film's use of color and lighting is particularly striking, creating a visually arresting experience that lingers in the memory long after the credits roll.

The performances in "The Living Dead Girl" are equally impressive. Francoise Blanchard delivers a haunting and captivating portrayal of Catherine, showcasing her remarkable range as an actress. The supporting cast complements her performance perfectly, adding depth and authenticity to the characters.

The film's score, composed by Philippe d'Aram, is a hauntingly beautiful accompaniment that enhances the emotional impact of the story. It adds a layer of complexity to the film's atmosphere, drawing the audience deeper into the enigmatic world of the living dead girl.

"The Living Dead Girl" is not your typical horror film. It's a profound exploration of the human experience, wrapped in a visually arresting, atmospheric, and emotionally charged package. It challenges the audience to empathize with a character who defies the boundaries of life and death. Jean Rollin's masterpiece is a testament to the power of cinema to transcend genres and leave a lasting impact on those who dare to explore its depths. If you're looking for a horror film that will haunt your dreams and stay with you long after it's over, "The Living Dead Girl" is a must-see.

Poor

[adriangr · 4/10 · 29 June 2014]

I'm rather a latecomer to this movie, as I don't seek out Jean Rollin movies (based on what little I have seen), but as this is supposed to be something of a classic of it's type, I gave it a go - but it is certainly not converting me into a fan.

The slim story sees a dead girl named Catherine unexpectedly revived in her coffin when disturbed by grave robbers. She quickly attacks one of them, and then seemingly in a daze, makes her way rather unsteadily back to an empty castle which is her former home. Her newly living status comes to the attention of her former best friend Helene, who seems to think the best course of action is to keep Catherine hidden in the empty mansion, rather than seek help - even despite the realisation that her friend craves the taste of fresh blood!

I was really expecting something more stylish from this movie due to it's reputation, but I have to say I think it's really poorly made. Jean Rollin was no genius, if movies like this are the evidence. Several shots are out of focus, the acting is poor, the dialogue stilted and the gore effects are downright terrible. You can clearly see the tubes that squirt blood from a throat in one shot, and the bag that Catherine is squeezing in her hand to squirt gore from a stomach wound in another. All Rollin seems to be interested in is keeping his actresses nude, for as often and as long as possible. The two leads are both very attractive, and the ornate mansion is very picturesque, but that doesn't mean that Jean Rollin is using any talent to show that off. Anyone who is not part of the main cast is so obviously an amateur, and the direction of scenes involving extras is terrible - they continually stare directly at the camera, in almost every shot. I guess the lighting is pretty enough in daytime scenes, but at night, everything is floodlit by flat, harsh industrial lighting. And the castle's underground vaults seem to have enough light to grow tomatoes in!

I also read that the portrayal of the relationship between the two women is strong enough to carry the film, but again, I don't think this is true either. As Catherine becomes more and more aware of what she is, things get more interesting, and there are moments that hint at some depth, but these are few. In conclusion, I am amazed that people rate this movie so highly. I think it is average at best. It has a lot of nudity, which seems to please a lot of viewers, but having acting and special effects that are as downright poor is they are here, strips this effort of any redeeming value.

Wow what a wild ride

[Eric-239 · 9/10 · 25 August 1999]

This is a very interesting film. I honestly felt I was bored through a large portion of this movie but I could not stop watching. I was wrong I was not bored I was fascinated and intrigued a feeling very rare in the world of modern film watching. So rare I did not recognize the feeling until well into he film. This is truly gripping and ultimately tragic horror film. HIGHLY recommended.

It Death Jim, But Not As We Know It.

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 7/10 · 2 July 2022]

Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of The Living Dead Girl; here's the breakdown of my ratings:

Story: 1.25 Direction: 1.25 Pace: 1.25 Acting: 1.25 Enjoyment: 1.50

TOTAL: 6.50 out of 10.00

It's great to see Jean Rollin back on form with The Living Dead Girl, especially after rewatching Zombie Lake (no wonder he directed it under a pseudonym), but it still doesn't beat his classic The Grapes Of Death.

The principal element I loved about this story was the graceful metamorphosis into a love story. We start with a couple of hoodlums stashing their illegal haul of toxic waste in the catacombs of an abandoned chateau. However, the crypts are not completely forsaken. A couple of stiffs still dwell in their darkness. Catherine Valmont and her Mother reside and recline in their coffins. While the goons stack the barrels of deadly crap, a small earthquake shakes the foundations and topples their towers of toxins. The spillage causes Catherine to rise out of her sepulchre. Being undead comes with some strange desires. Catherine needs fresh blood. The lovely claret she can only find in the veins of the two thugs rambling around her family's tunnels. Once she's satiated, she strolls through her expansive garden. She is caught on film by a couple of vacationing Americans, and, the mystery begins. But this isn't your average undead blood-drinking story. Rollin slowly takes the viewer through Catherine's childhood with the use of regained memories. It would appear that the more blood she drinks more humanity returns to her. And through subtle turns and twists, Catherine remembers not only her childhood friend, Helene but also the loving blood pact they made. But as her human side resurfaces, will she be able to cope with the monster she's become, and will Helene still love her? How Rollin handles these questions and their answers give a modest horror movie a smidgen of astuteness, raising it above the usual run-of-the-mill silver screen screamers.

Moreover, Rollin's back on form with his cinematography, though he still falls short of masters like Argento and Fulci. Nevertheless, he manages to deliver one of the best iconic death scenes. After the Estate Agent invites her boyfriend round to the big house for a night of carnal pleasure, they are attacked by the undead Catherine. The agent stumbles away and collapses on the chateau's front stone steps, naked. Then you see the dark shadow of Catherine appear in the doorway. She meanders outside, looks at the prone body, and then drops to her knees and feasts. A minute later, Helene drives in and bathes the gruesome scene in gold light from her headlights. It's a gorgeous sequence. Intelligently thought-out and beautifully captured. Though many shots are finely composed, none quite hit the prominence of this one. The finale comes close, though, and it packs the required punch of power the scene demands. But not every image is perfect. There's a lot of average and below-average filming in the movie. For example, there's the spectacle of the village celebration. The footage looks to be filmed on cheap stock using a cheaper camera. It's very amateurish and horrid. Though it's only on the screen for a few seconds, it's nasty enough to be memorable. But on the whole, the cinematography is pretty solid.

The cast is okay. What irked me the most was Francoise Blanchard's portrayal of Catherine Valmont. She can be damned good when she has lines to recite, but when silent, fails to be scary or even eerie - and she's abundantly mute at the start of the film. She is superb at the vacant thousand-yard stare, but there's nothing spooky about this Living Dead Girl. If Blanchard had taken this route, it would have injected extra potency into the story - it is, after all, a horror.

I would gladly recommend The Living Dead Girl to every horror fan and newbie around the globe. It's entertaining, intelligent, and thought-provoking. It's a decent film for a Friday Fright Night double bill, particularly on a cold and dark winter's night.

Now pass the claret and settle down because it's time to review my Absolute Horror list and see where I ranked The Living Dead Girl.

Take Care & Stay Well.

A complete waste of time

[alex files · 1/10 · 24 November 2000]

Any college student could do better. It feels like Jean Rollin did a one take anything goes. It's one of the worst acting and story line I ever saw. The nudity is only there to compensate for the lack of a story.

Great zombie love story

[The_Void · 9/10 · 26 May 2005]

Prior to my viewing of 'The Living Dead Girl', my only taste of the master of erotic vampire films, Jean Rollin, was the low quality and overall less than brilliant 'Lips of Blood', and because of that I wasn't expecting great things from this movie. However, to my surprise this is a surprisingly good movie! The Living Dead Girl hinges somewhere between a love story (between two women, no less) and a very gory zombie flick and while it could easily have gone wrong, Rollin has created a film that will both shock, amuse and even touch you, and that's not something that can be said of many zombie movies! The plot is like an early blueprint for the underrated second sequel to Return of the Living Dead, and it follows a toxic spill that brings a dead heiress back from the dead. Naturally, being a zombie she brutally murders everyone in the vicinity, but it gets really interesting when we find out that before death, she and a friend were very close, and now that the heiress is back from the dead; the old friendship can be rekindled.

On a technical level, The Living Dead Girl isn't all that great, but considering the low quality of the picture, it's not all that bad either. The script is rather trite, and the film is also rather oddly paced, as it starts off like any other silly zombie movie, only to mature into something much more interesting later on, which may annoy some viewers. The acting is surprisingly decent, which is good because one doesn't watch this sort of movie for great performances, so when there is one or two, it's a treat. The characters are definitely underdone, but the actresses make the best of them. Rollin makes best use of the actresses too, with numerous nude scenes, which help the erotic element of the movie no end. The lesbian undertones also help to up the sleaze level, which is fine with me! Finally, there's the gore, which is both striking and excellently done. Despite being over the top, it still manages to be realistic and the French director has proved that he isn't one to hold back the bloodthirstiness of a movie with this picture. On the whole, it's not for everyone...but if you like erotic horror sleaze with lots of blood and nudity; see this movie!

Her Personal Living Dead Girl

[LanceBrave · 6/10 · 11 November 2013]

"The Living Dead Girl" is generally considered one of Jean Rollins' more accessible efforts and the prime jumping-in place by no less an authority then Fangoria magazine. Initial reaction? I liked it, kind of. It's not hard to see why the filmmaker has a cult following. He mixes copious female nudity, bright spurting blood, genuine artistic flare and enough campiness to make it interesting. The set-up is silly. Some random French crooks are burying toxic waste beneath a local castle. The barrel is knocked over through sheer incompetence and, for reasons never further elaborated upon, revives the astonishingly well-preserved corpse of a young girl. She goes about jabbing the guys' eyes out and feasting upon their bodies.

Catherine, the titular Living Dead Girl, is the childhood BFF of the woman living in the castle, Helene. The two were so devoted to one another that they made a blood-pact to stay together forever. So when Helene sees Catherine revived, she's overjoyed. And what's a quasi-lesbian lover to do besides supply living flesh for her zombie girlfriend? The movie quickly devolves into set-pieces of Helene tricking woman (always woman) back to the castle, killing them, and feeding them to her personal living dead girl.

There's a subplot involving an American couple vacationing in the country side. The guy is forcing his girlfriend into photography against her wishes. He generally acts like a jerk, doing everything to undermine her interests. After capturing Catherine on camera, the lady gets intrigued by the mystery. This story line ends up being unnecessary. Both characters are (hilariously) dispatched before the proper ending. The focus is definitely on the relationship between the two women which is framed as a tragic love story.

As exploitation sleaze, "The Living Dead Girl" provides. There's three sets of breasts displayed and almost as much full-frontal. Every bit is easy on the eyes, especially Francoise Blanchard, whom Rollin can't wait to get naked. You've got a naked young girl, with an almost perfect behind, covered with spurting blood. I can appreciate that.

The arty side shows through a number of times. A scene of blood rolling down the stairs, cut with an image of a bat fluttering, is lyrical. Blood dripping on a music box and Helene washing her girlfriend are also pretty images. Rollin's visual flair goes hand-in-hand with his self-serious pretensions. Catherine starts out as a drooling retard. After teaching her one measly word, the Living Dead Girl is immediately verbose, frequently discussing how she's evil and unnatural. This is a big jump. The fact that Blanchard is a better body then an actress doesn't help. A scene of her moaning to the sky in agony, unnecessarily echoed, is hilarious. The extended finale of her feasting on a body, chomping on fingers like potato chips while weeping uncontrollably, is more likely to evoke laughter then the intended pathos. Marina Pierro is a better actress but can't quite sell it either. The movie seems sincere and some of that transcends the shortcomings, but it's never as strong as the writer wanted it to be.

"The Living Dead Girl" does drag in its latter half. A mixture of camp, gore, visual flashiness, and blatant T&A is something I should have loved. Yet the film is undermined by a number of limitations, some of them budgetary, some of them creative.

no erotic, no horror - just boring

[renkforce · 1/10 · 28 June 2001]

i expected to see a good horror movie, when i bought "the living dead girl" but i was disappointed. the dialogues are boring, the plot is unimaginative, the camera stands somewhere in the corner without dramatic.the whole movie is long-winded. the special fx are ridiculous and the erotic-factor is zero, just some naked women standing around.