Les Vampires

Vampires have competition and one journalist is on their case. Silent movie with dual subtitles in almost tv like episodic format. Crime pays in first 5 episodes, each about half hour long. Has life changed since hundred years ago?

I really enjoyed the first disc of this series of mini-movies. The dramatic quality and the artistic camera work makes this a must watch for anyone interested in silent film. I am eagerly awaiting the next disc in the series to find out what happens next to Les Vampires!

Slightly misleading title as it a crime thriller not a vampire movie. However it is a gem of a movie for anyone interested in early cinema.

Much of what that reviewer said is true, Louis Feuillade's work will fall a little dry on some viewers - but then so do 'Citizen Kane', '8 1/2', 'Andrei Rublev and 'Pather Panchali'. Who cares if these insipid dullards might dislike 'Les Vampires'? I don't. This is brilliant entertainment of the highest order, doubters can drop dead.

If you are interested in Feuillade's work, I highly recommend you take a look at Georges Franju's 1960s remake of Feuillade's 'Judex'.

I have been waiting to view this vintage serial for some time. The condition & quality viewed on an upscaling player is very good or as good as its transfer allowed considering its age. It is exciting to now get to see these rare classics so carefully transferred to DVD for posterity.

There are occasional fluctuations in the lighting but not so as to affect concentration. Like 'Judex' a similar silent serial it was a French classic for the masses but with a somewhat faster & more complex series of developments,sometimes amusing & creative for its time. At some points it seemed to predate the James Bond style by many decades. There are murders,kidnapping, midnight robberies, massed gassing, secret codes, secret panels & cupboards & even a decapitated head! And this was just in disc 1! (I have yet to view 2 remaining parts). The leading villainess is well acted & very sexy named after an anagram of 'vampire' frequently adopting many disguises to

engage her gang of crooks and always two steps ahead of the police. The plot twists are sometimes clever and the overall acting quite good for an early 'silent'. Unlike 'Judex' each episode(of varying lengths) is self contained within the overall story but with a basic group of characters throughout with no attempt to include a 'secret' chief. But watch those subtitles & don't blink, sometimes they follow each other too fast to read , Anyone interested in this serial should visit other critiques on its IMDB page.