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Les Vampires | 
 enlarge | Director: Louis Feuillade
Actors: Musidora, Edouard Mathe, Marcel Levesque, Jean Ayme, Fernand Herrmann
Studio: Image Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $69.99
Buy New: $25.14
You Save: $44.85 (64%)
New (35) Used (12) from $23.99
Rating:  18 reviews
Sales Rank: 37283
Format: Color, Dvd, Silent, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 0
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Number Of Discs: 2
Running Time: 399 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 5960
ISBN: 6305837147
UPC: 014381596021
EAN: 9786305837145
ASIN: 6305837147
Theatrical Release Date: 1915
Release Date: April 5, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
This legendary seven-hour silent French serial, one of the earliest and most original gangster films, combines realism and fantasy. Written and directed by Louis Feuillade, Les Vampires concerns an intrepid reporter's pursuit of a strange gang of jewel thieves terrorizing Paris. The gang ambitiously seeks political, psychological, and sexual domination of the city's social elite, with the seductive Irma Vep (an anagram of "vampire") as its brazen leader. While slow going at first, the 10-part serial becomes more and more fascinating with each episode, thanks in large part to the alluring Musidora as Irma Vep. Because of her many guises and frightful charms, she truly becomes a vampire of sorts. Feuillade achieves a subversive, nightmarish atmosphere amid the everyday goings-on of the city. Filmed on the streets and back alleys of World War I Paris, the 1915 picture was a huge commercial success, though temporarily banned by Paris's chief of police for glamorizing crime. --Bill Desowitz
Description
A legendary seven-hour silent crime serial in ten episodes. "Les Vampires" follows the exploits of a brazen and resourceful band of arch-criminals who rob the rich, transfix the elite of France, and almost elude the obsessive pursuit of crusading journalist Phillipe Guerande and his sidekick Mazamette. A series of Grand Vampires with names such as Satanas and Venomous share the irresistible Irma Vep (an anagram of "vampire") as strategist and mistress. Sometimes seductively garbed in a black body stocking and a black hood, sometimes disguised as a boy or hidden in plain view as a maid, stenographer or bourgeois spinster, feared and desired by both her cohorts and stalkers, Irma is perhaps the first liberated screen woman. Shot off-the-cuff by writer-director Louis Feuillade in the streets and interiors of 1915 Paris, "Les Vampires" was banned by the Paris police for glorifying crime. A smash hit when finally released, and for fifty years celebrated as a masterpiece of French cinema, "Les Vampires" is complete and restored, with English titles and inserts, tints and an evocative orchestral score.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 13 more reviews...
A cinematic triumph! June 25, 2002
Robert Ortiz (The Southwest)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This is an excellent silent film and an artistic masterpiece! It centers on the exploits of a group of ingenious and resourceful jewel thieves also referred to as Vampires, who seek sexual and psychological domination over Paris' elite. Their methods include the use of poisonous gas, weapons, kidnapping, and disguises as tools to achieve domination. Although there is a leader that gives the vampires their orders, the group is really led by a captivating woman named Irma Vep who assumes a variety of disguises in order to carry out the gang's evil schemes. A relentless newspaper reporter named Philippe Guerande is on the trail of the vampires and seeks to have them imprisoned. His sidekick is Mazamette, a former member of the vampire gang who has reformed himself and assists Philippe in tracking down the bold and brazen group. Mazamette serves as Philippes' right hand man, informer and loyal friend. He also provides the comic relief in the film. This is a superb spectacle of French and silent cinema that mixes drama, mystery, horror and comedy and weaves it into a very complex and appealing epic. A big part of what makes this film so much fun is that it has a strong story line and features very imaginative and surreal situations that create the feeling of fantasy, but the brazen crimes and sometimes horrifying events that take place are very realistic. The film was shot in the deserted back streets and alleys of Paris during World War 1, which ultimately enhances the film's eerie atmosphere. It's easy to be drawn into this film, as the performances of its stars are very captivating, almost hypnotic and the cinematography is so evocative, you'll feel compelled to see what happens next. Many of the characters assume various identities and wear many hats in this film, for example; Irma Vep who is the main criminal, poses as a secretary at a bank, a maid, and a switchboard operator at a hotel. Musidora gives a stunning performance as the devious but very alluring Irma Vep. Edouard Mathe is fantastic as Philippe Guerande, the always efficient, intelligent and polite newspaper reporter. Marcel Levesque turns in an absolutely hilarious performance as Philippe Guerande's faithful, but loopy sidekick Oscar Mazamette. Delphine Renot also gives a good performance as Philippes' mother, who also gets caught up in the action when she is kidnapped and then later sent on a wild goose chase. Under Louis Feuillade's outstanding direction, these stars helped create an atmospheric and innovative entry into the silent film genre. This is a spectacular movie that deserves multiple viewings! Those who enjoy silent films and appreciate the incorporation of surrealism into motion picture will enjoy this epic the most, but the plot is so engaging and the performances so mesmerizing, anyone can enjoy this film! It's also a great place to start if you're just discovering the magic of silent and/or French cinema. The film has been corrected to the projection speed at which it was originally filmed, features new color tints, new title cards (subtitles) in English, and a memorable music score that adds to the excitement. Don't let this one pass you by!
WONDERFUL SERIES! GREAT DVD April 21, 2002
E. Dolnack (Atlanta, GA USA)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
OK, this DVD is a bit expensive; nor is it admittedly for everyone, but for those who are willing to take a risk will find that great cinema dates much earlier than they ever thought.
It is said of director Louis Feuillade, that this work is the first film of the silent era that doesn't require putting into a historic framework and I agree. At times this film will shock you in how "contemporary" it feels.
The DVD is a decent quality transfer in 1.33:1 standard screen. The episodes are tinted (yellow for interiors, blue for night scenes, red for love scenes, etc.). I recommend setting your DVD player to black & white for the best picture. The score is a mostly piano soundtrack reminicent of Chopin, which was recorded recently, but is remarkably fitting. The title cards are in present-day English.This film is a ten-part crime series spanning a total of over 7 hours. Each episode runs approximately 40 minutes or so. The style is slightly comedic, full of espionage, and alot of fun, not very unlike watching a Bond movie today, minus the sexuality. My advice, buy this DVD and set aside a week to watch an episode or two a night. It truly is one of the supreme pleasures of film.
BUY ME NOW! February 20, 2001
Mart Sander (www.martsander.com)
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is a treat indeed! Not reviewing the film (which is really good) I would like to discuss the technical data. The transfer is quite good, although not the best possible (i.e. the special features - two ultrashorties - are of amazingly good quality), but this is in no way the fault of the producers of this DVD. The picture is gently toned in sepia, green or blue thus assisting the scene. The new soundtrack is really superb: a small concert orchestra (possibly a septet) plays typical silent film horror music, with sometimes the popular tunes of the period melted in effortlessly. I have sometimes used this DVD simply for the purposes of music! The included booklet is very useful as well. All in all - you are unlikely to find a better silent movie, transferred in correct speed, with great score, very sensible actors, and good quality. Not to mention the MOOD...! My only complaint is that all the old French texts have been dropped and have been replaced with still image texts in English, but that really is not important. Grrrrrreat job, thanks!
Irma Vep is not a Vampire January 23, 2001
Mr Peter G George (Ellon, Aberdeenshire United Kingdom)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
The first thing to note about this film is that it is not about vampires, at least not in the traditional (bloodsucking, garlic, crosses) sense of that word. Instead, we have a glorious series of tales about a criminal gang and the attempts of a reporter and his sidekick to catch up with them. The viewer may sympathise with these attempts, but it is hard not to chear on Irma Vep and her 'vampire' colleagues. She is one of the great silent characters and everyone in the film, as well as the viewer, may be said to be half in love with her, half afraid of her. This film, or series of films, is very long, but it draws the viewer in, especially if viewed over a few successive days. Eventually one feels almost a part of the film's world. This world it should be remembered is the world of 1915-16, the first world war is raging nearby. It is quite staggering to think that a film like this could be made under these circumstances. This DVD is very well produced. The picture is almost invariably clear and there is no jerkiness in the movements of the actors. The tinting is subtle and adds to the mood of the scenes. The music has a series of recurrent themes which one begins to recognize and welcome as they reappear. The added bonus of two short features, featuring actors from the film, serves mainly to emphasise the production's wartime origins. One is for the relief of war orphans, the other an exhortation to serve France at the front. This film is not at all well known. It is to be hoped that this fine DVD can give it some lasting fame all these years later.
More if want! September 4, 2000
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
For the addicts, the french cinematheque has saved and restored 5 Feuillade movies of Fantomas (1913-1914)available on DVD on the french site of Amazon : ensure that your player can read DVD from Zone 2 (ie Europe and Japan) As it is silent, almost no language barrier (some scene title in French) And it is Huge, Historic
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