The Grapes of Death – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: France, 1978
Director: Jean Rollin
Writers: Jean-Pierre Bouyxou, Jean Rollin, Christian Meunier
Cast: Marie-Georges Pascal, Félix Marten, Serge Marquand, Mirella Rancelot, Patrice Valota, Patricia Cartier, Michel Herval, Paul Bisciglia, Brigitte Lahaie

Release Date: April 27th, 2026 (UK), April 28th, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 90 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: 18 (UK), NR (USA)
Sound: LPCM Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"A young woman, Élizabeth (Pascal), travels deep into wine-making country only to find the locals bearing horrific signs of an infection and behaving violently. Teaming up with Paul (Marten) and Lucien (Marquand), she discovers a deadly pesticide is transforming those who drink the local wine into murderous zombies." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “The Grapes of Death was scanned, restored and color corrected in 4K HDR at Silver Salt Restoration, London, using original 35mm negative film materials. Phoenix image-processing tools were used to remove many thousands of instances of dirt, eliminate scratches and other imperfections, as well as repair damaged and missing frames. No grain management, edge enhancement or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

The Grapes of Death comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 82.2 GB

Feature: 63.6 GB

The source used for this transfer looks exceptional. Image clarity, depth, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated and at times vivid, and grain remains intact; the image always looks organic.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. This audio track is in great shape. Dialog always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image galleries: original promotional materials (56 images—stills/press book/home video art/posters) and behind the scenes (19 images), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in French and removable English subtitles), a German theatrical trailer (2 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), a career-spanning German documentary about Jean Rollin titled Bloody Lips and Iron Roses (34 minutes 35 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a documentary on the making of The Grapes of Death titled In Vino Veritas, featuring Jean Rollin’s personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette, co-writer Jean-Pierre Bouyxou, Jean Rollin, actress Brigitte Lahaie, and key collaborator Natalie Perrey (32 minutes, Dolby Digital stereo French and English with removable English subtitles), a new presentation of a 2002 interview with Jean Rollin and Brigitte Lahaie (23 minutes 42 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Jean Rollin in conversation at Montreal’s Fantasia Film Festival (49 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with removable English subtitles), Jean Rollin Introduces ‘The Grapes of Death’ (2 minutes 34 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a critical appreciation by author and film historian Stephen Thrower titled Experiment in Terror (35 minutes 9 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles for French film clips), an audio commentary with Jeremy Richey, author of Sylvia Kristel: From ‘Emmanuelle’, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled From Jean Rollin to Michel Gentil and Back: The Road to The Grapes of Death written by Elizabeth Purchell, an extract from the film’s pressbook, an archival introduction to The Grapes of Death by Jean Rollin, an archival interview with Brigitte Lahaie conducted by Shimano, an archival essay titled Jean Rollin and Terror: Return to The Grapes of Death written by Paul Hegarty, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Directed by Jean Rollin, a filmmaker whose career spanned five decades. His films are known for their fantasy and erotic elements. Notable films he directed are The Iron Rose, Lips of Blood, and The Night of the Hunted.

Toxic pesticides sprayed on a nearby vineyard turn the residents of a rural village into flesh-eating zombies.

After Lips of Blood, Jean Rollin would spend the next three years making only hardcore sex films under the alias Michel Gentil. In the latter half of the 1970s, he only directed two non-hardcore sex films, The Grapes of Death and Fascination. The Grapes of Death not only marked a return to the horror genre, but also served as a significant shift for Jean Rollin, marking the beginning of the next phase of his career.

While The Grapes of Death has moments that are reminiscent of Jean Rollin’s poetic cinematic side, the result is arguably his most straightforward horror film. In its early stages of development, The Grapes of Death was going to be a disaster-themed film, and Jean Rollin only made the shift to a horror film after realizing that genre offered a better chance of being a financial success. Although The Grapes of Death shifted from an eco-disaster film to a horror film, Jean Rollin retained the social commentary for the final film, particularly focusing on themes of environmental degradation and its impact on society. While watching The Grapes of Death, I couldn't help but think of Night of the Living Dead; several moments in the film closely resemble scenes from that classic.

All around, the cast all deliver performances that exceed expectations. The most memorable performance is Brigitte Lahaie (The Night of the Hunted); she portrays a housekeeper who's locked herself in her employer's home. Somehow, she has avoided contamination while the disease has affected everyone else in the village. At one point, her character, dressed only in a nightgown, walks through the village with a Doberman and a flashlight, creating the film's most striking moment. Marie-Georges Pascal delivers another noteworthy performance, playing Élisabeth, a woman wandering the countryside after someone attacks her on a train.

The Grapes of Death, like all of Jean Rollin’s films, relies heavily on atmosphere and minimal exposition. The narrative does a superb job drawing you in and holding your attention while it builds to a bleak, nihilistic finale. When it comes to onscreen carnage, The Grapes of Death is easily Jean Rollin’s most violent film. The gore effects are surprisingly strong and hold up extremely well. Philippe Sissman’s score is another area where The Grapes of Death excels; his minimal electronic score helps reinforce the mood. Ultimately, The Grapes of Death is a well-crafted horror film and Jean Rollin’s most accessible work.

The Grapes of Death makes its way to 4K UHD via a definitive release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer