Scarecrow-88 Four pirates(..labeled "wreckers" for they draw ships with light crashing into the shore to pillage them)ruthlessly rape and assault two blond young women as they walk to shore, appearing from the darkness in nothing but gowns. Soon the Captain(John Rico), already insane, is haunted by ghostly apparitions of those two girls they left for dead on the shore. Yet, somehow, the girls survive fending off yet another proposed attack by the pirates, making their way to the "haunted ruins" which holds a demonic presence, imprisoned by two guardians who can give them the power they seek in weakness needed for revenge.I really enjoyed this one, even if I was often left with my jaw open wondering what the hell was going on. I couldn't help but snicker when the twins make to the haunted ruins and are greeted by the female clown. Many would probably throw their hands up at that, but I couldn't help but love such an audacious move by Rollin to throw a modern image inside a film representing pirates. I loved the brothel pub hybrid with patrons fondling the gals as our clairvoyant Madam plays the piano when she isn't foretelling doom. I like how over-the-top the pirates are, even Tina(..let me stop for a moment and gain my composure)who Rollin films in nearly every scene naked, delighting in her devilish ways. Take, for instance, the Captain who lifts his mug to drink with beer spilling out all over himself, or Bosco(Willy Braque), always morose until he begins to trash the fisherman's bar and brothel.The film is Joelle Coeur for me. There's one image I'll always have to summon every now and then. Rollin's camera eyeballs a naked Coeur with her arms stretched to the heavens after their conquest and corruption of the innocence of two girls who had just lost everything. The camera slowly pulls away as she stands, enjoying every minute of the atrocities committed. How Coeur can't help herself as her men ravage their bodies, tearing their already shredded gowns, in a state of ecstasy. She craves this type of cruel activity, embellishes the evil they partake in. The wrecking is child's play compared to the rape and destruction of innocence.I liked how Rollin gets his skeleton and bat in the film, by using them as "decoration" in the brothel-pub. Oh, and I loved that winged creature statue in the brothel-pub as well(..I believe Rollin shoots one of the girl's apparitions next to it when they haunt the Captain).The ruins left me in a state of bliss, particularly how Rollin shoots the female clown guiding the girls to the "crypt-watcher"(..he looks like a Russian czar, or something)down those massive steps. And, when the girls remove their shirts making their way to the prisoner's cell to release him.. One of my favorite techniques established by Rollin is how he follows his female beauties, either naked or clothed under a gown or shirt(..just long enough to cover their crotch), holding a candle to guide themselves, as they make their way to a specific destination.I also liked how the final sequence ends with water engulfing the main characters. Oh, and my favorite scene, besides the bedroom sequence where the Captain is fondling a bird he'd later rip into as Coeur slowly gets naked, is a certain character's death as a piano plays on it's own.

macabro357 Hell, it's even worse than Rollin's later film TWO ORPHAN VAMPIRES (1997), and that's pretty bad. The only redeeming thing about this film is looking at luscious Joelle Coeur's naked body. She did a few other unremarkable films in the 1970s and then promptly disappeared. Coeur couldn't act worth a damm, but she sure was great to look at.Anyway, two blond-haired girls are shipwrecked on shore and are raped and murdered by the scavengers who lured their ship up on the rocks with lights. There's just a lot of rolling around on the ground and it didn't look very violent to me.Their spirits make a pact with the devil(?) who doesn't even look like a devil in some old church ruin near the shore. There's also a mime or woman in a clown suit who serves no purpose at all.The story is flaccid and hackneyed, the acting is awful (the worst I've ever seen for a French film), and the sets are too bright. There's nothing scary or interesting going on at all except for Tina (Joelle Coeur) taking off her clothes and prancing around nude all the time. Oh yes, she has a soft-core sex scene with the lead scavenger captain (John Rico) who looks old enough to be her father.It has all the feel of a bad Jess Franco film. Terrible.1 out of 10

ragnarok2001 Dear oh dear. It might be easy to take cheap swipes at M. Rollin, but this looks likes such an amateurish effort. Terrible acting, contrived and sloppy action, meandering plot, cheap props. I hate to twist the knife, but it certainly breathes new life into the expression "Z-grade".The video blurb looked so promising - two girls raped by wreckers, take refuge in an abandoned abbey where they make a pact with the Devil to seek revenge. But Jean Rollin seems determined to disappoint. Way too much time is spent on watching people walking long distances, or labouring blindingly obvious plot developments (the psychic brothel madam excels at this!)There is not nearly enough skin to compensate for having to sit through this, though some spiritied sex scenes do capture the attention. The biggest draw of the film for me was the female member of the wrecker gang (character Tina). I wish I knew who the actress was. Gorgeous, spirited, and great without clothes! Shame she can't act, but I may excuse her. I have a soft spot for beautiful girls who get sexually aroused by wicked deeds.Bizarre points include the Devil's two attendants - a female clown, and a Rasputin look-a-like. And never did so much plaster statuary give its life for a movie!In summary, only rent this video for the gorgeous female wrecker, fast forward through the rest.

Eegah Guy I have a problem with Jean Rollin films. Despite all the stylish surrealism, great French locations and nudity I still find his films incredibly boring. I do appreciate Rollin's persistence of vision throughout his string of poetic sex/horror exploitation films through the 70s (clowns, castles, twins, beaches) but my mind begins to wander during his films and this is no exception. The plot follows a dream logic known only to the director with too much time spent watching these sailors fight, rape or just sit in a bar. The one female in the sailor gang really does inject some gusto into the her part though.