Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)  

Annie Brilland (a.k.a. Annie Belle) in Lèvres de sang (1975)

she passed away in January 31, 2024.

Film/DVD Review:

Tout le monde il en a deux (original title)

Bacchanales Sexuelles; Fly Me The French Way

SYNAPSE FILMS NTSC DVD

1.66:1 Anamorphic widescreen transfer

Original French language audio

English subtitles

Mono

Chapter Selections

103 minutes

2002 release

According to the notes on the back of this DVD box this is the full version of a film cut by almost 30 minutes for its US release. I haven't seen this shorter cut on video and don't know if it has ever appeared on disc of online or had a North American theatrical release.

Valerie (Joelle Coeur) and her friend Sophie (Britt Anders) move into her cousin's apartment while he is away on business in America for six months. The two share an intimate relationship and the first 20 minutes of so feature an extended lesbian encounter between them. Suddenly, two women in cat burglar tights and masks break into the apartment and kidnap Sophie, taking her to the rural castle of Malvina (Israeli actress Brigette Borghese). It turns out that Valerie's cousin, a free lance journalist, has taken some photos of cult activities at the chateau and is blackmailing Malvina. Sophie knows nothing about this but is ordered tortured for further information by Malvina. Valerie finds out where her friend is being held and goes to investigate. Meanwhile, Malvina's agent, disguised as a maid, visits the apartment to steal the incriminating photos. A new cult candidate (Annie Belle/Brilland LIPS OF BLOOD) is also in the process of being initiated into the cult. Numerous complications, sensual liaisons, disguises, break-ins, tortures, cat fights and other sado-erotic events unfold before Malvina's evil empire is destroyed and the heroines escape.

Brunette Joelle Coeur made an impression as the sadistic Tina in Rollin's surrealist pirate movie, DEMONIACS (1973) as well as his "Michel Gentil" signed soft-core of the same year, JEUNE FILLES IMPUDIQUES. She also demonstrates a talent for rough house comedy. This is probably the best of Rollin's "for the money only" soft-core titles, in terms of production values, plot interest and pacing. At least there's an element of Rivette-like complot. It's actually quite amusing in the way it complicates its erotic passages by interrupting them with surprise entrances and exits by villains out to get what they want from Valerie and co. Two French maids are on hand, which one is real and which the secret agent? Why is the Valerie's bath water bright blue? What else do the cult do except plan orgies and punish offenders? It's all paced with such dispatch and shot with artful poise that logic isn't an issue here, it's a disposable distraction from the fun. A witty, energetic music score by "Rex Hilton", his only credited film score, boosts the action and sense of comic book style parody. This film functions as its own erotic "Cinesex" style photo-novel of the era. The film is perhaps a bit overlong at over 100 minutes but it has an internal energy which really rivets attention even during the extended erotica, sometimes shot in extreme close-up, with some obviously simulated hard-core moments.

The Castel twins float through the action in costumes which suggest a Fantomas scenario or Franju's JUDEX (1963). Yes, this is an erotic exploitation film but Rollin imbues it with a distinct sense of Fantastique, as only he can. The formidable Brigitte Borghese (born Tamar Elkayam in 1955 in Israel, died on Febuary 9, 2013) was an actress who fits very well into the Fantastique realm, as she did in Rollin's LES TROITTOIRS DE BANGKOK (1984), and played the female lead, as the terrorist Britta in N.G. Mount's OPERATION LAS VEGAS (1990)*. She debuted in Menahem Golan's 1969 MARGO SHELI and made other adult features before appearing in TOUT LE MONDE IL EN A DEUX. She also appeared in the fanta-horror TENDRE DRACULA (1974), with Peter Cushing and Rollin's NE PRENDS PAS LES POULETS PUR DES PIGEONS, Chickens pretending to be pigeons?! She also appeared in Mount's TREPANATOR (1992) and LE SYNDROME D'EDGAR POE (1995). She worked on several unfinished N.G. Mount projects through the 1990s, including BROOKLYN COP.

Rollin went on to make about a dozen more of these pseudonymous erotic features, as well as the appalling LE LAC DES MORTS VIVANTS/ZOMBIE LAKE(1980), in order to finance his "serious" horror films such as LIPS OF BLOOD, FASCINATION and LES DEUX ORPHELINES VAMPIRES.

*N.G. Mount is Norbert Moutier, the former owner of a Parisian video store, in which he collected and sold cult videos for years. Some scenes in his features were shot in the basement of the video store. He is reportedly retired in Orleans, France. Thanks to Pete Tombs and Lucas Balbo.

(C) Robert Monell,2017

GialloMusica loves Annie Belle

Annie Brilland (born 10 December 1956) is a French actress and social worker. Her acting career began in 1974 and throughout the seventies, has had a series of varied roles in both French and Italian cinema, working with such directors as Jean Rollin,Ruggero Deodato and Joe D'Amato.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDrLePIkSM8

“Vampirism is a terrible affliction.”

Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)

Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)

Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)

Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)

Lèvres de sang (Jean Rollin, 1975)