Film Screening: February Fantastique—Fascination

For our last film in the February Fantastique Film Festival, we are delighted to announce our screening of the 1979 vampire horror film *Fascination*, directed by Jean Rollin. 

After a successful robbery in Paris, Marc betrays his four accomplices and plans to escape to London with the gold coins he has stolen. Chased by his former accomplices, he takes refuge in an isolated château inhabited by two chambermaids, Elisabeth and Eva, who await the Marchioness. Amused by his presence, they promise not to turn Marc in to the police, leading to a shootout between them and his former accomplices. 

With a “delirious dreamlike aura,” Fascination is considered Jean Rollin’s “erotic masterpiece” with its playful and vampiric nature. 

Guests will enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and a post-screening discussion with Bram Stocker Award winning author John Everson.

To purchase the series, please visit our series announcement here.

Doors at 6:00 PM. Program at 6:30. Please enter via 54 W Chicago Ave.

About the Festival Curator

Stephanie Sack

Stephanie “La Gialloholique” Sack is a longtime Francophile and devoted enthusiast of European cinema, with a special passion for films from the 1960–1980 period. Her love of cinema centers on exploring the artistry, context, and emotion behind works that have often been overlooked or misunderstood. Known for her thoughtful curation and infectious enthusiasm, Stephanie brings fresh perspectives to audiences eager to rediscover hidden gems of film history. She celebrates the cultural richness and visual daring of mid-century European filmmaking, particularly the stylish intensity of Italian Giallo, French Fantastique, and Soviet Sci-Fi. Through her ongoing programming and producing, Stephanie continues to champion films that challenge convention and deserve a second look.

About the Presenter

John Everson

Bram Stoker Award-winning author John Everson has been called “the master of dark and sexy” (Living Dead Magazine) and is a lifelong Jean Rollin film fanatic. He writes horror thrillers filled with erotic horror and supernatural suspense and his love of European cinema drove him to pen two modern Giallo novels in The Bloodstained Doll and Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds (which Giallo Maestro Sergio Martino noted “would make a great film for lovers of the genre”). Booklist said his novel Voodoo Heart “offers a solid blend of supernatural horror and hard-boiled detective fiction, and should appeal to horror devotees as well as mystery buffs” while Hellnotes said Violet Eyes “will scare the crap out of you and leave you begging for more.” Over the past 30 years, his short stories have appeared in more than 75 magazines and anthologies, including authorized stories set in the worlds of The Vampire Diaries, Green Hornet, Kolchak: The Night Stalker and V-Wars. His characters Danika and Mila Dubov appear in the Netflix V-WARS series. For more information on his obsession with sinister cinema, as well as his fiction, art and music, visit www.johneverson.com.

Getting Here

The Alliance Française de Chicago is one block from the CTA Red line stop at Chicago Ave. Best bus routes are the 22 on Clark and the 66 on Chicago Ave. A Divvy station is located in front of the 54 W Chicago Ave entrance.

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