Feuillade, Louis

Les Vampires

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

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.

Judex (Deluxe Edition)

Occupying a delicious place between Victorian melodrama and superhero comic books, Judex is one of the great serials from the career of French movie pioneer Louis Feuillade. From his castle lair high above the countryside, mystery man Judex (granite-faced Rene Creste) seeks to protect the lovely Jacqueline, while nursing a secret hatred for her fatcat father. Multiple kidnappings, assassination attempts, and narrow escapes follow; much of the mischief is orchestrated by wicked temptress Diana Monti (Musidora, the star of Feuillade's Les Vampires). There's also a delightfully overwhelmed detective (Marcel Levesque), who's a sort of prototype of Monsieur Clouseau, and a streetwise Artful Dodger known as the Licorice Kid.

On DVD, the serial's 12 episodes and prologue are smartly tinted and feature a lively orchestral score by Robert Israel. Feuillade's use of real locations (both Paris and the Riviera figure prominently in the action) gives the film a realistic freshness that cuts wonderfully against the flamboyant plotline. When Feuillade's serials were re-discovered in the 1940s, they proved influential to a generation of filmmakers, and Georges Franju actually did a feature-length remake of Judex in 1963. Indeed, the figure of Judex remains a powerful fantasy protector: his secret lair, his disguises, his complete moral authority (although a cynic might point out that he doesn't always do a good job of protecting his ladylove--but then there'd be no cliffhangers). For all intents and purposes, Judex is Batman. He even has the cape. --Robert Horton

Flicker Alley presents JUDEX, an important part of cinema history now available for the first time. This remarkably inventive and dreamlike French serial by the great Louis Feuillade represents a highlight in French filmmaking and has inspired generations filmmakers since its first release in 1917. One of cinema's first "superheroes," the mysterious Judex (René Cresté) is torn between an oath of justice against the wealthy banker Favraux (Louis Leubas), who had earlier wronged his family, and his secret love of Favraux's daughter, Jacqueline (Yvette Andreyor). This framework is the basis of a series of extraordinary and engaging incidents involving Judex's brother (Edouard Mathe), the evil Diana Monti (Musidora) and her accomplices, the detective Cocatin (Marcel Levesque), and the charming Licorice Kid (Bout-de-Zan), all of them regular players in Feuillade's grand tapestries. Enjoy this brand new digital edition of what the Village Voice declared as "one of the most lithe, charming, inventive, and supplely paced serials ever made."

DVD Features:

• The most complete version of the film currently available presented in its entirety in a newly tinted film transfer • A brand new English language translation • A new digitally recorded orchestral score by the renowned silent film composer Robert Israel

Special Bonus Features:

• New booklet essay by noted film historian Jan-Christopher Horak • The Music of Judex - Robert Israel discusses his process

For creating the music score in an 18-minute featurette

Credits: Directed by Louis Feuillade Screenplay by Arthur Bernede and Louis Feuillade Cinematography by André Glatti and Léon Klausse Production Design by Robert-Jules Garnier Original Serial released by Gaumont Co. Ltd., France (1917)

Cast: René Cresté, Edouard Mathé, Musidora, Yvette Andréyor, Marcel Lévesque, Louis Leubas, Jean Devalde, René Poyen, Gaston Michel, Yvonne Dario, Olinda Mano, Georges Flateau, Lily Deligny, Juliette Clarens

Les Vampires

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

Fantômas contre Fantômas [Region 2]