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Les Vampires

Musidora (Actor), Édouard Mathé (Actor), Louis Feuillade (Director) | Rated: Unrated | Format: DVD
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 44.99
Price: CDN$ 35.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
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Product Description

Amazon.ca

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

Product 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.

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
18 reviews
4.4 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars Arrrrrrrrrggggggggggghhhhh!!! Aug 31 2003
By A Customer
Format:DVD
I know -- this is a classic of world cinema, and it's seven hours of heaven to people who love film. Which is what makes this review so frustrating. When I opened this, I noticed that all seven hours is contained on one disc. The DVD is two-sided, which is technically brilliant, and not something I'm that familiar with seeing. Unfortunately, someone should have told the distributor about it, because when you order from amazon, you will receive your DVD with a great big sensor tag smack in the middle of what someone obviously thought was the blank side of the DVD. Removing it ruins the film. Oh, and opening the box to see if your tag is on there violates amazon's returns policy. Amazon, I love you guys, you're the best game in town, but this is a bit of a hiccup. Maybe the sensor tag only went on a couple of these suckers -- I dunno. I'd like to get the film but ordering it again will be a gamble -- a sensor tag this time or not?
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5 of 7 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars yeah... Nov 14 2003
By A Customer
Format:DVD
This is just to second the previous reviewer. My DVD has the
&#$%@^% sensor tag on it as well. I can't seem to get the glue off. My advice is to hold off on buying this (brilliant, would be 5 stars+) DVD until you can be sure that tag isn't on there. For $70, this sort of gaffe can be immensely irritating.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Newer issue has Two DVD Mar 13 2009
By I. Lembcke
Format:DVD
While I have never received a DVD from Amazon (.de, .fr, .jp, c.o.uk, or .ca) that had a tag ON the DVD - in 10 years of buying from amazon, I bought this twice, once for a friend and much later, after having seen it, also for myself.
Both Sets contained two single-sided DVD.
This is to encourage other would-be buyers to ignore the 1 Star reviews.
Also a tag ON the DVD could ruin a single-sided DVD just the same, as the reflector side under the paint is needed for properly playing the DVD.

As for the contents, it is a great saga and really worth watching. There is another french film which ties in with it, altough totally different and much newer: Irma Veep (1996). It tells the story of trying to remake Les Vampires.
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Most recent customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars some poor acting and constant awareness of the camera but overall an...
I took the two 1 star reviews to heart and bought a second hand copy instead. It came perfect. (I would give this movie a 3 1/2 stars rather then the full four stars)... Read more
Published on Jan 2 2009 by Rick M. Pilotte
5.0 out of 5 stars That's Entertainment
I have to confess that I first saw "Les Vampires" for academic reasons; because of its influence on the Surrealist movement. Read more
Published on Aug 30 2002 by C. G. Gross
5.0 out of 5 stars Les Vampires
I saw parts of this on TCM,but missed a few chapters.
This is one of the best movies I've seen.It's a classic. Read more
Published on Aug 17 2002 by Clyde
5.0 out of 5 stars A cinematic triumph!
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... Read more
Published on Jun 25 2002 by Robert Ortiz
5.0 out of 5 stars WONDERFUL SERIES! GREAT DVD
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... Read more
Published on April 21 2002 by E. Dolnack
5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece
Some directors have to see this work. You don't need special
effects and fancy things to achive a good film. Emotion, good
scenario and a lot of personal feeling. Read more
Published on April 11 2002 by "bill66"
4.0 out of 5 stars great, just.....
love the films and great to see them restored so well, am very happy with this purchase except... in one episode the picture broke up slightly 3 times into the blocky terror of all... Read more
Published on Feb 28 2002 by SockPuppetTheatre
5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing better than this
I was leery about buying this movie because it's ... expensive, but let me assure all of you that it is worth the price! Read more
Published on Sep 10 2001 by M. Surani
5.0 out of 5 stars BUY ME NOW!
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. Read more
Published on Feb 20 2001 by Mart Sander
5.0 out of 5 stars Irma Vep is not a Vampire
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. Read more
Published on Jan 22 2001 by Mr Peter G George
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