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Les Vampires
Monograph about the silent crime serial, LES VAMPIRES (1915–16), directed by Louis Feuillade.
LES VAMPIRES revolves around the exploits of the Vampires gang, a mysterious group of master criminals terrorising Paris. As much a proto-horror film as a template for high-octane crime and detective tales, the serial was composed on the fly by silent-film pioneer Louis Feuillade and released in 10 episodes throughout 1915 and 1916. It made a bona fide action star of Musidora, who played Irma Vep. LES VAMPIRES is a unique, disorienting experience. It influenced the first wave of Surrealists and shares unconventional narrative techniques and untrustworthy onscreen space with the work of David Lynch. Its sense of helpless paranoia reflects the fact that the Great War was being fought just outside Paris during filming of the serial.
LES VAMPIRES revolves around the exploits of the Vampires gang, a mysterious group of master criminals terrorising Paris. As much a proto-horror film as a template for high-octane crime and detective tales, the serial was composed on the fly by silent-film pioneer Louis Feuillade and released in 10 episodes throughout 1915 and 1916. It made a bona fide action star of Musidora, who played Irma Vep. LES VAMPIRES is a unique, disorienting experience. It influenced the first wave of Surrealists and shares unconventional narrative techniques and untrustworthy onscreen space with the work of David Lynch. Its sense of helpless paranoia reflects the fact that the Great War was being fought just outside Paris during filming of the serial.
180 pages, Hardcover
Published October 19, 2018
About the author
Tim Major
73 books76 followersTim Major is a British Fantasy Award-winning writer and freelance editor from York, UK.
His books include Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives and a sequel, Jekyll & Hyde: Winter Retreat, plus Snakeskins, Hope Island, three Sherlock Holmes novels and short story collections And the House Lights Dim and Great Robots of History.
Tim’s short stories have been selected for Best of British Science Fiction, Best of British Fantasy and The Best Horror of the Year, and his story ‘The Brazen Head of Westinghouse’ won the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction in 2024.
Find out more at www.timjmajor.com
His books include Jekyll & Hyde: Consulting Detectives and a sequel, Jekyll & Hyde: Winter Retreat, plus Snakeskins, Hope Island, three Sherlock Holmes novels and short story collections And the House Lights Dim and Great Robots of History.
Tim’s short stories have been selected for Best of British Science Fiction, Best of British Fantasy and The Best Horror of the Year, and his story ‘The Brazen Head of Westinghouse’ won the British Fantasy Award for Best Short Fiction in 2024.
Find out more at www.timjmajor.com
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 2, 2019
This book is a blow-by-blow account of a series of films by Louis Feuillade in 1915. It literally talks you through scene by scene. Why? I'm not sure. Just watch the films.
May 15, 2025
It might seem odd to read a book about a film I've never seen but I have faith in Tim Major and I thoroughly enjoyed this. I do have Les Vampires on DVD courtesy of a LoveFilm subscription where the service ended before I could return the item and I have watched part of the first episode. I've also watched Irma Vep (mentioned here) which I love. Clearly I need to watch the whole thing.
Major's book primarily details the events of the film whilst making comments along the way. It's almost a novelisation, almost the extras on a DVD, but also some of it is fiction. This - on the face of it - odd melange shouldn't work, however it does and it is never less than delightful. It's a very readable insight into Les Vampires and no doubt would be worth 4 stars if I'd actually seen the film. I really should carve out the seven hours to do so. Recommended.
Major's book primarily details the events of the film whilst making comments along the way. It's almost a novelisation, almost the extras on a DVD, but also some of it is fiction. This - on the face of it - odd melange shouldn't work, however it does and it is never less than delightful. It's a very readable insight into Les Vampires and no doubt would be worth 4 stars if I'd actually seen the film. I really should carve out the seven hours to do so. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews