NIGHT OF THE CLOCKS.... A Fitting Farewell to Jean Rollin?.... the Master of Gothic Horror You Maybe Haven't Heard Of

Maybe you've heard of Jean Rollin and maybe you haven't. He isn't exactly a secret amongst genre circles. However, it has always shocked me to no end that this director has never been fully embraced by the goth culture. My guess is if a bunch of the younger people in the culture would discover films like REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE or THE IRON ROSE, they'd eat it up.

For those still unaware, Jean Rollin is a French director who has been working since the 1960s. He has worked in various genres, but has thrived in gothic horror. One thing is for sure - when you're watching a Jean Rollin film, you know it. His films are often characterized by gothic and decaying landscapes, fairytale logic, vampirism and erotic underpinnings. Rollin was never a big hit in his home country, but he has developed a fan base outside of France's borders.




Rollin has slowed down in recent years. A few years back, he surprised many with the release of two new projects - TWO ORPHAN VAMPIRES and FIANCE OF DRACULA. Since then, there hasn't been much activity. Now, Rollin may be directing his final film, THE NIGHT OF THE CLOCKS.

Fangoria has the story, along with exclusive photos:

“This is a crazy movie,” says legendary French fear filmmaker Jean Rollin about his latest effort, THE NIGHT OF THE CLOCKS. “But it is also my best.” According to the director, well-known for such highly regarded Eurofare as REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE and LIPS OF BLOOD, his latest venture signifies a more mystical approach to his token Gothic atmospherics. “This movie is about a parallel universe,” he continues. “It is about a young girl who becomes involved in a mystery and learns about a passage to another world. It is a very subtle horror story. It is also likely to be my last film.”

Now 70, Rollin says that this swan song is the perfect way to say goodbye, and thank you, to his legion of supporters. “I include footage from many of my old movies in this,” he reveals. “I would say that this film is everything I have tried to showcase with my others—it brings my entire career full circle. It is a return to the old castles and strange atmosphere of my earlier work. It has more in common with REQUIEM FOR A VAMPIRE than, for instance, THE LIVING DEAD GIRL, which was full of special effects.” Rollin provided Fango the exclusive images above and below from THE NIGHT OF THE CLOCKS; look for more on the movie in a future issue of Fango.

If you haven't checked out a good portion of Rollin's filmography, you're missing something special. Check out his gothic horrors. I cannot promise that everyone will be receptive to his style. But those who are will find a truly original artist at work.

Jean Rollin waits in the wings at Fantasia 2007.

NEW HAMMER FILM HAS BEEN RELEASED... ON MYSPACE?!?!?

Hammer Films is responsible for some of the finest examples of gothic horror in the history of cinema. Their newest film... is not gothic horror. However, the fact that they have a newest film is reason for interest. This is the first film Hammer has done in forty years. The title and theme don't give me goosebumps of joy. It's called BEYOND THE RAVE and is about, you guessed it, vampires at a rave. Huh. The trailer does not look anything like the old Hammer films, so it might be best if we put the glory days of Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Terence Fisher out of our minds. I cannot deny that the film does not look fun however, and that I was not expecting. Take a peek:





Did you see it? Yes, the new Hammer film is being released via MySpace. In fact, the first three episodes seem to already be up. Me, I'm just going to wait for the whole thing to be releaeed on a DVD or something. I don't like my horror in bite-size chunks. I have seen the first ep and things could go either way. The production does look more impoverished than expected and the editing seems to be tailored straight for the ADD crowd. It's quite obvious that this isn't our father's Hammer, but we'll see if the film can stand on its own.

By the way, Adventure Without Shame has a MySpace page as well. You can add us by clicking here.