One of the finest horror directors of our generation has passed on.

http://www.fearnet.com/news/b21245_r...1938_2010.html

"Various sites (including Fangoria) are reporting that French horror filmmaker Jean Rollin has passed away at the age of 72. Rollin was the writer/director of over 50 erotic/horror films including titles like Two Orphan Vampires, Living Dead Girl, Fascination, Grapes of Death, Lips of Blood and The Nude Vampire. More below, including a collection of trailers.

Unfortunately for Rollin, his work was never really elevated beyond the world of euro-sleaze which was the predominant style of horror entertainment being imported from overseas at the time. Movies that gratuitously displayed images of nudity, sex and violence meant to titillate, disturb and sell... nothing else.

Rollin's work however is worth so much more than that. True that by today's standards some of his films may come across as low rent and cheesy I've always appreciated his films for being dreamlike, subdued, erotic and most of all, entertaining. Much like the work of Dario Argento who was able to make violence in film a thing of beauty, Jean Rollin's films were often poetic and transcended exploitation."

Not a good day for directors.

i read that initially as Jean Reno

Rip

RIP

One of the more artsier Euro-Horror filmakers. Love his stuff, Lèvres de sang (Lips of Blood) is my favorite. All the gothic visuals and atmosphere of his vampire films are beautiful (castles, cemeteries, fog, music, beaches and of course the women). He sure knew how to make the best of a low budget.

I always loved the concept of Rollin more than his movies per se, but this is the first RIP thread in a while that caught me by surprise and makes me feel sad.

R.I.P Jean Rollin

guess i'll finally get around to watch NIGHT OF THE HUNTED

RIP. I need to see more of his stuff, no reason I haven't.

Sucks to hear about this. I think I mentioned this here before, but I got off to to a very shaky start with Rollin (First-time viewings of *Zombie Lake and Schoolgirl Hitchhikers are bound to have that effect) but then all of a sudden, I went on a spectacular streak of his films (Night of the Hunted,Grapes of Death,Living Dead Girl,Caged Virgins) I'll echo what inri222 said.

*Although I later heard Rollin actually had little to do with the directing of that film.