#Adrien Beau

[ozu-teapot]

Le Vourdalak | Adrien Beau | 2023

[pierppasolini]

Le Vourdalak (2023) // dir. Adrien Beau

[dare-g]

The Vourdalak (2023)

[fourorfivemovements]

Films Watched in 2024: 89. Le Vourdalak/The Vourdalak (2023) - Dir. Adrien Beau

[filmap]

Le Vourdalak Adrien Beau. 2023

Chapel ️ Prieuré du Sauvage, 12510 Druelle Balsac, France See in map

See in imdb

[much-ado-abt-evrythng]

uhm. holy shit. go watch “the vourdalak” (directed by adrien beau) if you can (showing in some theaters in the us atm at least). if you like puppetry rather than cgi, vampire lore, AND ON TOP OF THAT A SHIT TON OF QUEER SUBTEXT AND OVERTONES(!!!????) then you had best SCOOT UR BOOT ON OVER TO A THEATER‼️ its so surreal and weird and beautiful and sad oh my god. at the very least, spread the word about it because it deserves SO much attention 🖤

[moviemosaics]

The Vourdalak

directed by Adrien Beau, 2023

[bombegranate-art]

Halloween Month Drawing Challenge Day 4 is the Vourdalak! Marker on sketch paper.

🩸🩸🩸

[sloshed-cinema]

Le Vourdalak (2023)

Who would win in a fight, elderly Boris Karloff or a puppet? Adrien Beau’s take on the Aleksey Tolstoy novella follows the same path as the central chapter in the Mario Bava anthology film Black Sabbath, recounting the tale of a French nobleman encountering a family preyed upon by the ghastly vourdalak, their own father returned from the grave to drink their blood. But this French adaptation makes an interesting creative choice: this undead iteration of the patriarch Gorcha isn’t a man but rather a puppet. The gaunt, emaciated figure of this elderly man features skeletal fingers and a face ravaged by time, milky eyes and exposed teeth fluctuating between rage and a sort of extreme exhaustion. This gives an even more frightening presence to the creature, its movements stilted and frail, yet threatening nonetheless. Gorcha’s family all react differently to the return of their not-father, from Jegor’s drunken denial to Anja’s grief-stricken apathy to Sdenka and Piotr’s fear and mistrust. The visiting Marquis d’Urfé is out of sorts here, confused by both the landscape and local customs. As with the likes of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, vampirism is presented as a clash between the cultural sensibilities of Western and Eastern Europe. But here, d’Urfé is abroad, a Frenchman visiting Serbia. Wars and ethnic clashes haunt the periphery, from battles between the locals and invading Turks, to the perhaps unwanted presence of the Frenchman in this area. Where Dracula is presented as an Other invading British polite society, here the vourdalak’s proclivity for the blood of loved ones speaks to annihilation from within. This is borne out of trauma and a blind adherence to patriarchal structure even when it’s completely apparent that said patriarch is making terrible decisions.

D’Urfé himself is almost comically inept at dealing with any of the problems he encounters during his trials and tribulations confronting the vourdalak Gorcha. Powdered and polite, he doesn’t know how to navigate his strange surroundings. Attempting to help the young child Vlad who is being lured by the vampiric creature, the Frenchman just ends up getting bitch-slapped by a puppet and knocked unconscious. He manages, by some strange stroke of luck, to kill the vourdalak (only after engaging in some fucking and sucking), but unlike the novella, he succumbs to his wounds. Despite all of the experiences of the court, he’s ill equipped to face such evils.

THE RULES

SIP

Someone says 'Gorcha'.

d'Urfé introduces himself to someone.

Someone makes the Sign of the Cross.

A type of family member is named (ie: father, mother, etc).

BIG DRINK

A dream sequence ends.

Chewing noises are heard.

[fearsmagazine]

THE VOURDALAK - Review

DISTRIBUTOR: Oscilloscope Laboratories

SYNOPSIS: In a remote countryside, the Marquis d'Urfé, a noble emissary of the King of France, is ambushed and forsaken. Seeking shelter, he stumbles upon an isolated manor with an eerie atmosphere. The family, hesitant to offer hospitality, displays peculiar behavior as they anxiously await the imminent return of their patriarch, Gorcha. However, what initially appears as mere oddity swiftly escalates into a full-blown nightmare when Gorcha returns, bearing a haunting transformation that raises questions about his true nature.

Based on “La Famille du Vourdalak" by Aleksei K. Tolstoy, THE VOURDALAK, predates Bram Stoker’s “Dracula" by over half a century.

REVIEW: In Mario Bava's 1963 film "Black Sabbath," starring screen legend Boris Karloff, the "I Wurdalak" segment draws inspiration from the same story that forms the premise of THE VOURDALAK. Surprisingly, the story originated in Russian and wasn't translated into French until approximately seven decades later. It's noteworthy to mention that the word "vourdalak," derived from Slavic and Balkan folklore, may have initially referred to werewolves before becoming associated with vampires.

Filmmaker Adrien Beau brings Tolstoy's story to life, incorporating many of its elements with some contemporary flair. While it diverges from the original prose, Beau compresses time and incorporates several of Tolstoy's themes, creating a rich tapestry of folklore, superstition, patriarchy, and elements of 1900 French polite society and Serbian culture. Reminiscent of Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories, the tale follows a noble emissary who seeks help and is given an ominous warning as he is sent out into the forest and told not to stray off the road. Outside his comfort zone, the nobleman confronts his beliefs and becomes a victim of his own desire. Beau remains faithful to Tolstoy's tale until the climax, where he introduces contemporary vampire themes through the Marquis d'Urfé's challenge. The dialogue and interactions authentically feel period.

In this film, the production values may be simplistic, but the costumes, particularly the Marquis d'Urfé's hair and makeup, effectively establish the period of the story. The actors' movements and the structure of the dialogue further contribute to the period atmosphere. Despite being shot in color, the framing and editing techniques evoke the classic monster movies of the 1930s and 1940s.

Adrien Beau's puppet design stands out, reminiscent of Max Schreck with a touch of zombie. The combination of the performance and Beau's voicing of the character creates a chilling effect..

The cinematography is both beautiful and breathtaking, creating a distinct atmosphere, especially during the daylight sequence and even more effective at night.

Martin Le Nouvel and Maïa Xifaras' score blends period-sounding movements with an effective genre score, enhancing the atmosphere, emotions, and performances of the characters.

The captivating ensemble cast elevates this film to a must-watch. Kacey Mottet Klein portrays the Marquis, a character resembling a 19th-century Ash. He has some panache, but his bumbling nature and occasional off-putting actions result in him being a less likable character. Ultimately, he brings a sense of integrity to the role that makes it memorable. Ariane Labed's performance as Sdenka exudes charm and aloofness, as she adds an exotic allure to the character. It is understandable why the Marquis falls under her spell. Grégoire Colin and Claire Duburcq effectively portray a couple governed by societal expectations and rules of civility. Their interactions with the Gorcha highlight their acting brilliance. Despite realizing that they are making poor choices, they are unable to deviate due to the patriarch's influence and the necessity to respect his wishes. The exceptional performances of the cast alone make this film worthy of multiple viewings.

Adrien Beau’sTHE VOURDALAK, his feature film debut, has a raw cinematic feel that seems inspired by the essence of the classic black-&-white monster movies and the sensuality of the Warhol Dracula and Frankenstein films, without all the sex and gore of those films. The cinematic experience is a blend of a talented filmmaker and an excellent cast that make THE VOURDALAK a delightfully bizarre, gripping and shockingly refreshing film. THE VOURDALAK has all the fright stuff to render it an instant cult classic.

CAST: Kacey Mottet Klein, Ariane Labed, Gregoire Colin, Vassili Schneider, Claire Duburcq & Adrien Beau. CREW: Director/Screenplay/Creator of the Vourdalak Puppet - Adrien Beau; Screenplay - Hadrien Bouvier; Producers - Judith Lou Lévy, Lola Pacchioni & Marco Pacchioni; Cinematography - David Chizallet; Score - Martin Le Nouvel & Maïa Xifaras; Editor - Alan Jobart; Set Designer - Thibault Pinto; Costume Designer - Anne Blanchard; Prosthetic Makeup Artist - Franck Limon-Duparcmeur; Visual Effects Artist - Fredrik Monteil. OFFICIAL: N.A. FACEBOOK: N.A. TWITTER: N.A. TRAILER: https://youtu.be/twv0lLTfze4?si=136SpjpWiCAwCTKq RELEASE DATE: In theaters June 28th, 2024

**Until we can all head back into the theaters our “COVID Reel Value” will be similar to how you rate a film on digital platforms - 👍 (Like), 👌 (It’s just okay), or 👎 (Dislike)

Reviewed by Joseph B Mauceri

[exquisiteterrormagazine]

The Vourdalak

A beguiling film that rewards patience, The Vourdalak looks like nothing else that’s graced our screens for years.

French folk horror The Vourdalak is based on a Russian novella written decades before either Carmilla or Dracula. But like Bram Stoker’s epistolary classic, this slow-burn cinematic adaptation is filled with queer repression, unrequited love, and the cannibalistic nature of trauma passed from a closeted, self-hating patriarch down through the generations. A decade in the art and design world…

[ozu-teapot]

Le Vourdalak | Adrien Beau | 2023

Ariane Labed

[pierppasolini]

Le Vourdalak (2023) // dir. Adrien Beau

[agentnico]

The Vourdalak (2024) review

Bet A24 are kicking their shins for missing this one.

Plot: Lost in a hostile forest, the Marquis d'Urfé, a noble emissary of the King of France, finds refuge in the home of a strange family.

In my childhood my dad would always read to me various stories at bedtime, and the one that really stuck out was the little novella “The Family of the Vourdalak” by Aleksey Tolstoy (that’s the other Tolstoy, not the madman who spent however long writing the over thousand pages of War & Peace), and the reason this one really left an impression on my little brain was how it held this immersive element of dread and terror that didn’t let go until the end. For this is a vampire tale, yet interestingly enough this was actually written near half a century prior to Bram Stoker publishing his famous Dracula novel. So this is very much an early folkloric interpretation of what vampires were, that came from myths and tales spun around villages, so look, all I’m saying is these old school villagers had a wild imagination and Tolstoy utilised that well. Anyway, if you’ve never read the original 1839 novella, do yourself a favour and seek it out, as it’s truly spectacular.

With that in mind when I heard there was a new French movie adaptation being released of Tolstoy’s story I knew I had to seek it out as I always thought that material had so much cinematic potential. Truly I was expecting some gruesome dark visually striking in-yer-face shocker of the level of Hereditary or Evil Dead Rise, because honestly I could totally see that working. But to my surprise director Adrien Beau has gone a completely different direction.

The Vourdalak is a film that does not belong in the 21st century. Seeing this in 2024 is really odd, and I mean that in the best way. Reminiscent of a time gone by, The Vourdalak was shot on film, truly embracing the vintage look with real grain and harsh shadows, envoking the feel of a period piece from the 70s/80s. As such I can see many viewers be put off by this thinking the movie looks cheap or dull, but I truly think this stylistic choice was a nice change of pace for a modern day horror, and a nice way to get by its low-budget. The setting of the sparsely populated European forest also allows for the threat to feel more effective due to how confinding and inescapable the situation is.

In terms of negatives I didn’t give two craps about any of the characters. The main French aristocrat we follow who refers to himself as the emissary of the King of France is a pompous face-covered-in-white-make-up narcissistic dandelion who can only think about the next woman who’s pants he can get into. The family in the forest he comes across are all varied introverts who have their eccentricities, but none of them were likeable as such. You know who was great though? The main vampire!

So the titular Vourdalak (a vampire-like being with Slavic origins that prefers to feast on blood of relatives rather than strangers)…… he’s a puppet. No joke, this is a 2024 horror movie where the vampire is portrayed by a puppet. It’s actually done really well too, with the life-sized marionette moving in uncanny strange ways, eyes bulging out, rictus grinning and with a disembodied voice, it all comes to a pretty immersive effect. It makes for a good reminder how solid and effective practical effect instead of CGI can be. But also the vampire itself, though creepy, was actually kind of a stand up fella? Like yes he wanted to suck everyone’s blood and kill and so on, but when he spoke he was always super polite, had a nice level of sass to him too. Honestly I’d hang out with the guy. I’d grab a pint with him for sure.

Overall the movie is an interesting nostalgic view of horror from a bygone era, with old school visuals and a fantastic vampire puppet performance, and though I would say there were times the film did drag a bit, as a whole this was a delightful peace of Gothic fairytale. This may just be the bite in the neck the genre needed.

Overall score: 6/10

[haverwood]

La petite sirène Adrien Beau France, 2011

[particellare]

Le Vourdalak - Adrien Beau

Scheda IMDB