The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 7, 2026

Jean Rollin's "The Grapes of Death" (1978) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Jean Rollin; recent documentary; new program with critic Stephen Thrower; vintage promotional materials for the film; and more. In French, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

It is not unreasonable to compare Jean Rollin’s The Grapes of Death to George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Both were made with small budgets but turned out big, important films in their respective countries. (The Grapes of Death is widely considered the first gore film produced in France). Both were made in the countryside. While the former was shot in black-and-white and the latter in color, both channel similar noirish material, plenty of which is countered by contrasting material with a very similar documentary simplicity. The Grapes of Death and Night of the Living Dead have an equally strong crossover appeal. They have plenty of fans who are not seasoned horror aficionados.

However, it is unreasonable to expect that The Grapes of Death would impress every fan of Night of the Living Dead. (The reverse scenario is practically guaranteed). It is not because The Grapes of Death was shot in French. Like all Rollin films, The Grapes of Death has a very unique ambiance that effectively places it in a category of its own. For some, this ambiance, which is difficult to describe as horror specific, quite simply isn’t the special magnet that Rollin fans routinely describe.

In The Grapes of Death, Rollin trades his beloved vampires for zombies. Sort of. In a quiet corner of the French countryside, several farmers fall ill while spraying a large vineyard with toxic pesticides and then, as their bodies begin rotting, evolve into violent leper-like creatures. When a city girl (Marie George Pascal) arrives in the area to reunite with her boyfriend, a young farmer, she is attacked by the leper-like creatures and forced to improvise to stay alive.

While its reputation as a genuine shocker is well-deserved, The Grapes of Death is difficult to place among Rollin’s best films. For example, it properly bends reality to justify the graphic visuals, but introduces only partially intriguing characters. It visits a picturesque rural playground, recognizes its potential, and then produces only a few sequences where its beauty becomes a factor. The surreal is nowhere near as prominent as it is in Rollin’s best films.

Ironically, the parts of the narrative where it feels like Rollin should have done significantly more are also the ones that are responsible for the most memorable contrasts. As in Night of the Living Death, armed farmers appear to confront the leper-like creatures, and their logical behavior becomes an effective litmus test. The somewhat awkward finale produces the only effective gut punch, too.

The Grapes of Death was the first genre film adult star Brigitte Lahaie made with Rollin. While her part is small and mismanaged, Lahaie still looks quite good, which is likely the reason Rollin used her several more times in other films. Two of these films, Fascination and The Night of the Hunted, are representative of everything that makes Rollin’s work special and effective.

Indicator/Powerhouse Films’ release presents an exclusive 4K restoration of The Grapes of Death, sourced from the original camera negative.

The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Indicator/Powerhouse Films' 4K Blu-ray release does not have a Blu-ray copy of the film. If you need one, consider grabbing this release for your library.

Please note that all screencaptures are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray.

The 4K Blu-ray release presents an exclusive 4K restoration of The Grapes of Death, sourced from the original camera negative. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with HDR.

I have a couple of different releases of The Grapes of Death in my library. The only high-definition release is this Blu-ray release, produced by the Redemption label in 2013. I used it to perform only a few quick comparisons because the improvements in quality I saw on the native 4K presentation were too many and too big.

In native 4K, close-ups and wider panoramic vistas boast significantly better delineation, clarity, and depth. On a large screen, it is very easy to recognize and appreciate the benefits of the consistently excellent density levels as well. The previous 1080p presentation of the film is quite nice, but it has some unmissable density fluctuations that are essentially eliminated now. Image stability is outstanding. The entire 4K restoration is wonderfully graded as well. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set and balanced, giving the film a terrific fresh and authentic period appearance. I did not notice any anomalies. The HDR grade is effective as well. The expanded color gamut adds richness in areas where it is needed, but without exaggerating the native contrasts or unnaturally shifting the color temperature of the visuals, causing inconsistencies or anomalies. The entire film looks spotless as well.

The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: French LPCM 1.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The Grapes of Death uses music and noises to enhance its atmosphere. However, its soundtrack is impossible to praise. As mentioned elsewhere, there is quite a bit of footage that has borderline documentary appearance, incorporating various organic sounds and noises. The graphic footage does not produce any memorable dynamic contrasts. The French dialogue is clear, slightly uneven at times, but still very easy to follow. The English translation is outstanding. Also, I like the size of the English subtitles a lot.

The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - presented here is a filmed archival introduction by Jean Rollin. In English. (3 min).

• In Vino Veritas - this new documentary explores the conception and production of The Grapes of Death. Included in it are clips from archival and recent interviews with Jean Rollin, co-writer Jean-Pierre Bouyxou, Brigitte Lahaie, and Natalie Perrey. The documentary was produced by Rollin's personal assistant, Daniel Gouyette. In French and English, with English subtitles where necessary. (32 min).

• Jean Rollin and Brigitte Lahaie: Poetic Visions - presented here is a newly enhanced version of an archival interview with Jean Rollin and Brigitte Lahaie, conducted on February 12, 1999. Rollin and Lahaie discuss their collaboration on several different films, directed by Rollin. In English. (24 min).

• Jean Rollin in Conversation - presented here is an archival interview with Jean Rollin, conducted by Frederick Durand and Patrick Lambert on July 16, 2007, before the world premiere of The Night of the Clocks at the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal. Rollin discusses his exploration of several literary sources. as well as themes and characters from them that appeared in his films. Rollin explains why some of his films, like The Shiver of the Vampires, have not aged well. In French, with English subtitles. (50 min).

• Bloody Lips and Iron Roses - in this archival documentary, Jean Rollin discusses the evolution of his career and reveals how several of his more popular films came to exist. The documentary was produced by Ivo Scheloske in 2002. In English. (35 min).

• Stephen Thrower: Experiment in Terroir - in this new program, critic Stephen Thrower discusses The Grapes of Death, strengths and style, and placement in Jean Rollin's body of work. In English. (36 min).

• Trailer One - presented here is a remastered vintage theatrical trailer for The Grapes of Death. In French, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Trailer Two - presented here is a vintage German theatrical trailer for The Grapes of Death. In German, with English subtitles. (3 min).

• Image Galleries -
  
  1. Original Promotional Materials
  2. Behind the Scenes

• Commentary - his new audio commentary was recorded by Jeremy Richey, author of Sylvia Kristel: From Emmanuelle to Chabrol.

• Book - exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Elizabeth Purchell, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, an archival interview with Brigitte Lahaie, an archival essay by Paul Hegarty, an extract from the film's pressbook, and technical credits.

The Grapes of Death 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Jean Rollin blames multiple classic American horror films for his lasting love affair with genre cinema. However, his films, the good and the bad, are in a category of their own, bending reality and producing thrills that usually make them attractive to a very particular group of genre film aficionados. The Grapes of Death has the strongest crossover appeal of all Rollin films. It has plenty in common with George Romero's Night of the Living Dead, but it is definitely not a French copycat. The Grapes of Death was the first of several collaborations between Rollin and adult star Brigitte Lahaie. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' release presents an outstanding exclusive new 4K restoration of it, sourced from its original camera negative. However, it does not have a Blu-ray copy of the 4K restoration. RECOMMENDED.