An early cinematic pioneer with an undeniably pervasive influence, Louis Feuillade made hundreds of films in a short career spanning only a few decades. Today, he is best remembered for his landmark serials Fantômas, Les Vampires, Judex and Tih-Minh, four crime epics that have had an immeasurable impact on popular culture around the globe.
Across the 10 episodes of Feuillade’s now iconic Les Vampires, journalist Philippe Guérande (Édouard Mathé) attempts to investigate an enigmatic criminal gang operating in the Parisian underworld – a group known only as the Vampires – and encounters the mysterious Irma Vep (Musidora).
Feuillade’s crime serials had an enormous impact on some of the greatest filmmakers of the twentieth century, chiefly Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock. They also played an important role in the development of the criminal mastermind and masked vigilante characters that would proliferate in pulp magazines, film, television, radio and comic books over the next few decades, including Dr Mabuse, The Shadow and Diabolik. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present Les Vampires on Blu-ray from an astonishing 4K restoration.
