The Living Dead Girl (1982) La morte vivante (original title)

Director:

Jean Rollin

Writers:

Jean Rollin
Jacques Ralf

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A toxic spill revives a beautiful, dead heiress who, with the help of her childhood friend, must quench her insatiable thirst for blood. |

Plot Keywords:

Blood | Throat Ripping | Female Rear Nudity | Fair | Female Frontal Nudity

Cast

Marina Pierro	...	Hélène
Françoise Blanchard	...	Catherine Valmont
Mike Marshall	...	Greg
Carina Barone	...	Barbara Simon
Fanny Magier	...	6th Victim
Patricia Besnard-Rousseau
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jean Berel
Jean-Pierre Bouyxou	...	Burglar
Véronique Carpentier
Jean Cherlian	...	Second burglar
Delphine Lapointe
Jacques Marbeuf
Sandrine Morel	...	Teenage Catherine Valmont
Lise Overman
Véronique Pinson
Laurence Royer
Sam Selsky	...	Old American Man In The House Of Catherine
Dominique Treillou	...	A Victim
Alain Petit	...	Third burglar (uncredited)
Jean Rollin	...	Salesman (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Rollin

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jacques Ralf
Jean Rollin

Produced by
Joe de Palmer	....	co-producer (uncredited)
Sam Selsky	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Philippe d' Aram

Cinematography by
Max Monteillet

Film Editing by
Janette Kronegger

Makeup Department
Eric Pierre	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Lionel Wallmann	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Dominique Treillou	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Jacky Dufour	....	sound effects
Henri Graff	....	sound mixer

Special Effects by
Benoît Lestang	....	special effects

Stunts
François Bourdillon	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Gilles Falavigna	....	electrician
Pierre Leblond	....	still photographer
Daniel Mahé	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Christine Belbec	....	dresser

Other crew
Dominique Anglesi	....	production secretary
Helene Poulet	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Films A.B.C.
• Les Films Aleriaz
• Les Films du Yaka

Distributors

• Another World Entertainment (2007) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Astro Distribution (1998) (Germany) (VHS)
• Cinéthèque (????) (France) (VHS)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2012) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"La morte vivante" - France (original title)
"Zombie Queen" - Japan (English title) (video title)

Runtime:

Australia:86 min | Germany:85 min

Country:

France

Language:

French | English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R | UK:18 (cut) | West Germany:(Banned)

Company:

Films A.B.C.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Barbara and Greg are arguing in the field, Barbara throws one of her camera at Greg and walks away. A few seconds later when Barbara sees Catherine Valmont, she starts to take pictures of her with the other camera around her neck, not the one she threw at Greg.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Eurotika!: Vampires and Virgins (#1.1)" (1999)

Lots of blood, lots of screaming, not nearly enough flesh!

OK, a trawl through my past user comments will reveal that I am really interested in this genre of movies for purely purient interest. Having said that, I do know a good film when I see one. While Holywood rarely produces these, neither does Jean Rollin.

I simply cannot understand how some people can give films such as these high marks. Different strokes obviously. To be fair, this is the best produced Rollin film (out of three) that I have seen, but the others were pretty bad, so that is no commendation. Can bad acting, sloppy plotting and woeful gore effects really be that easily ignored?

The story revolves around a girl brought back from the dead who needs blood to sustain herself, her childhood friend's efforts to meet her need, and a French-American's efforts to expose what is going on. The story is threadbare and doesn't go anywhere. Everyone but the vampire girl bleed profusely by the film's end, but to no effect. Little horror, only litres of fake blood and latex gore.

Worst of all, there is little nudity or sex action to compensate. The opportunity of a lesbian relationship (de rigueur I would have thought!) between the vampire and her girlfriend is not realised, and there is only one sex scene. Isn't this the reason thats these films are made?!? I can think of no other. The other Rollin films I have seen (earlier than this one) are worse overall, but manage to compensate by some spirited flesh action.

And have I mentioned the screaming that occurs throughout the film? It's a wonder my neighbours haven't called the police.

So to those who rate this film highly, purporting it to be some kind of arty French tour de force: I have seen films which are the real thing, and it is an insult to competant French directors to make any comparison with Rollin.