Clouzot's Diabolique

[Mike Howlett]

I'm happy to say that my wife got me this for my birthday last week... a viewing is coming soon!

[Ian Jane]

It's a very different type of story but it builds nicely the same way Wages does. You'll dig it.

[Horace Cordier]

That's a good mix. Have you seen it before Horace?

No. It looks killer though. I love WAGES OF FEAR and this one has quite the rep.

[Mike Howlett]

I only just got around to DORM THAT DRIPPED BLOOD! I'll grab this one soon!

[Ian Jane]

You're not too far behind, it just streeted today.

[Mike Howlett]

A long time favorite. I have yet to grab the BD.

[Ian Jane]

[Ian Jane]

Such cool poster art for this movie.

[Alison Jane]

When are we going to Horaces's to watch BD Twilight Zone?

[Ian Jane]

That's a good mix. Have you seen it before Horace?

[Horace Cordier]

My Blu arrived yesterday and I was planning on watching it then but got sidetracked when I popped in my Japanese NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Blu to check something and wound up watching the whole film.

Oops!

I think I will do DIABOLIQUE with some TWILIGHT ZONE SEASON 4 Blu mixed in for tonight. Its a black and white fiesta!

[Alison Jane]

Slow moving at times but enjoyable and worth it overall.

[Ian Jane]

Watched this one last night for the first time since I was in high school and forgot how much I enjoy it. In hindsight the ending is a bit on the predictable side and you can kinda see where it's all headed, this does dull the impact of the ending a bit, but what a wonderfully shot and acted thriller it still is. Awesome performances by both Simone Signoret and Vera Clouzot and fantastic camerawork.

The murder scene still holds up as a really macabre sequence - there are shots in that sequence that are pretty damn creepy even by today's standards. This holds true for the big reveal at the end too, some great camerawork makes it creepier than it would be otherwise.

I also picked up on a lot more sexual tension this time around as I didn't really notice lesbian overtones in the movie the first time I watched it.



Criterion's new Blu-ray is, not too surprisingly, really nice. Good transfer (you can see Vera Clouzot's nipples through her nightgown now which I thought was pretty shocking for a movie made in 1955), clean audio, lots of extras.

The only other Clouzot film I think I've seen is Wages of Fear, which was also super awesome. I think I need to check out more of his work.