According to an appearance on Laurent Baffie’s podcast Coloscopie reported by AlloCiné, Lauby stated that public encounters frequently involve playful recitations of her character Odile Deray’s iconic whisky-pouring scene.
The Enduring Legacy of Odile Deray’s Whisky Scene
In the film, Lauby plays press attaché Odile Deray, who travels to the Cannes Film Festival to promote a fictional slasher movie titled Red Is Dead. According to the interview on Laurent Baffie’s Coloscopie podcast cited by AlloCiné, the routine interaction of ordering a drink in public often prompts strangers to approach Lauby with the film’s famous dialogue: “Tu veux un whisky… Alors juste un doigt ?” This line represents just one piece of an expansive lexicon generated by the movie. AlloCiné notes that other recurring cultural touchstones from the script include “Allo chérie ça va trancher,” a joke ending with “une moule, ça pull-over,” and the memorable carioca dance performed by Alain Chabat and Gérard Darmon.
From Canal Plus Absurdisme to a Rejected Screenplay
Released in 1994 and filmed partially in Cannes, La Cité de la peur marked the feature-film debut of Les Nuls, the comedy troupe consisting of Chantal Lauby, Alain Chabat, Dominique Farrugia, and the late Bruno Carette. Before transitioning to film, the group established the signature “esprit Canal” on television through absurdist humor and media parodies. Reflecting on the writing process during the Coloscopie podcast, Lauby told Laurent Baffie, as reported by AlloCiné, “C’était notre premier film, on était fiers ! Je me souviens, quand on écrivait le film, on n’en pouvait plus, on se la pétait grave.” Despite their high spirits, the project initially faced rejection. According to AlloCiné, producer Claude Berri turned down the script after judging it “un peu débile.” Les Nuls subsequently secured backing from producer Charles Gassot, known for La Vie est un long fleuve tranquille.
Audience Reception and Where to Watch Today
Although the creators enjoyed making the spoof, Lauby admitted to Laurent Baffie that they never anticipated the massive scale of the film’s eventual public reception, telling the podcast host that they found it funny themselves but did not expect such a profound cultural embrace. Decades of television broadcasts have sustained that popularity, embedding the script into daily interactions. For viewers looking to rewatch the film today, AlloCiné reports that La Cité de la peur is available via streaming on Prime Video, Paramount+, and HBO Max, as well as on various VOD platforms.
