Review of The Grapes of Death (1978) by Eric R — 01 Apr 2012

Grapes of Death doesn't waste any time throwing the viewer into this horrific situation where everyone in a small rural town has become zombie type creatures. I really loved how early on in the film the viewer is essentially int he same place as our heroine--confused and freaked out about the madness which is happening around them.

This unsettling mood really continues throughout the entire film, in that we don't really know the cause of the zombification until near the end of the movie. Rollin sure knows how to create an atmosphere, from his moody lighting, subtle camera movements and abudance of closeups, with the french countryside just adding to the atmosphere.

It's a violent film and while the make-up can be a little cheesy I still found it to be pretty damn disgusting across the board, with the green and brown bodily fluids and such. Its a slow paced flick and I did think the film dragged a bit towards the end but I really enjoyed the touch of intimacy which Rollin uses to center this story.