neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Spirits Of The Dead
	Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, Roger Vadim Jane Fonda, Terence Stamp, Alain Delon, Brigitte Bardot, Peter Fonda 1969 Widescreen; in French; English subtitles.		Rescued from relative obscurity for DVD release, this anthology - showcasing the renowned European directors Federico Fellini, Louis Malle and Roger Vadim - is a mixed bag. Each of the filmmakers took a different story from the works of horror author Edgar Allen Poe and put his own spin on the material. Fellini's participation is of particular interest, since his canon is one of the most acclaimed in cinema. His segment "Toby Dammit" isn't in league with his classics such as "La Strada" and the semi-autobiographical "8 1/2," but it's worth a look. With British leading man Terence Stamp as a jaded actor visiting swingin' Rome to receive an award, it seems like a supernatural "8 1/4." Malle's doppelgänger tale "William Wilson," starring Alain Delon and Brigitte Bardot, is intriguing enough. Despite gorgeous views of Brittany from cinematographer Claude Renoir, the clinker is by Vadim, with a miscast Jane Fonda (Vadim's wife, at the time) as a selfish libertine who receives her just reward.