Fantomas Blu-ray - Jean Marais

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by André Hunebelle
France

Fantômas (1964) Fantomas Unleashed aka "Fantômas se déchaîne" (1965)

Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard aka "Fantômas contre Scotland Yard" (1967)

Pierre Souvestre’s Fantômas was originally adapted for the screen by legendary filmmaker Louis Feuillade (Les vampires) in 1913. André Hunebelle (OSS 117: Mission for a Killer) introduced a revamped and modernized version of Fantômas to the 1960s OSS 117 and 007 audience. All three films starred the great Jean Marais (Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast) as Fantômas, a criminal mastermind and man of a thousand faces. The three films co-starred Louis de Funès as Le commissaire Juve, Mylène Demongeot as Hélène, Jacques Dynam as L’inspecteur Bertrand and Robert Dalban as Le directeur du journal. The first film, Fantomas (Fantômas), was released in 1964, followed by Fantomas Unleashed (Fantômas se déchaîne) in 1965 and Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard (Fantômas contre Scotland Yard) in 1967.

Posters

Theatrical Release: November 4th, 1964 / December 8th, 1965 / March 16th, 1967

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

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Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

Distribution	Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:44:23.799 / 1:38:58.474 / 1:41:06.560
Video	2.35:1 1080P Single-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 24,137,330,875 bytes Feature: 19,569,844,224 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.80 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 36,445,559,310 bytes Feature: 17,986,099,200 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.29 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video	2.35:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 36,445,559,310 bytes Feature: 18,271,266,816 bytes Video Bitrate: 21.16 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio French 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Commentary on Fantômas: Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps
Subtitles	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Kino Edition Details: • Audio Commentary by Film Historian Tim Lucas (Fantomas '64) • Trailer for Fantômas (3:52) • Trailer for Fantômas Unleashed (3:40) • Trailer for Fantômas vs. Scotland Yard (2:08) • OSS 117 Is Unleashed • OSS 117: Panic in Bangkok • OSS 117: Mission For a Killer Blu-ray Release Date: April 30th, 2019 Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 12

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Kino Blu-ray (April 2019): Kino released a two Blu-ray set 'Fantômas 1960s Collection' which includes Fantomas, Fantomas Unleashed and Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard. The first film is on a single layered Blu-ray disc while the second and third share a dual-layered BD disc. The image quality has some inconsistencies - sometimes looking impressive with a high degree of sharpness and other times - very flat and softer. There is some teal/blue infiltration as well. Not much in the ay of speckles or scratches and I saw no digitization issues. All three films were shot in ’Scope, the first two in Eastmancolor and the finale, Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard, in Technicolor.

On their Blu-rays, Kino use 2.0 channel mono 16-bit DTS-HD Master tracks in the original French language. There are plenty of effects; cars, boats, planes and more. All three films have scores credited to Michel Magne (Bresson's Four Nights of a Dreamer, the first four OSS 117 films, Vice and Virtue aka "Le vice et la vertu", Monsieur Gangster, Angélique, Angelique and the Sultan) The Kino BD offers optional English subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The first film, Fantomas, includes an optional audio commentary by film historian Tim Lucas who reveals many details of the production, the actors, Pierre Souvestre and Marcel Allain's novels etc. It is at his usual high standard of finding more obscure and lesser-known pieces of fascinating information related to the film - also referencing Louis Feuillade's Fantômas, Judex and Les Vampires and the influences they had on other films. I laughed at the comment of Louis de Funès receiving 'crickets' in the US. There are also trailers (with burned-in English subtitles) for each of the three films and three more for OSS 117.

This is some highly campy spy-like 60's underworld adventure fun. There is some stylish OSS 117 in here too - costumes, wealth, technology, cool mastermind criminals, jewel theft, sexy gals (Mylène Demongeot) and... over-the-top bumbling police. These are more light-hearted than the original Fantômas novels especially with the Benny-Hill-like Commissaire Juve, played by Louis de Funès. I think there is plenty of value here and the films are well worth re-visitation plus the Lucas commentary enhances appreciation. Now I want to see more! Kino's Blu-ray set is an easy recommendation to any interested in these unique kitschy-fun cinema efforts - very much 'of their time' with nostalgia being another attribute.

Gary Tooze