ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Two Blu-rays March 2021': Criterion's new feature Blu-ray transfer is also advertised as a "New 2K digital restoration, approved by director Olivier Assayas". It compares very well to the 2018 Arrow 1080P - also on a dual-layered disc - the Criterion has a higher, max'ed out, bitrate and may advance marginally in-motion. There is still plenty of rich grain - shot on Super 16mm with some footage from the 1915 film Les Vampires as well as a few delightful arty-animated effects and video of Maggie Chung in other films to reflect the film-within-a-film milieu. This remains a mighty leap beyond the DVDs and shows a shade more information in the frame. Colors also benefit with the 1080P being thicker and richer but the prevalence and consistency of grain is the major beneficiary over SD. It looks wonderfully film-like via the HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 64 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

Criterion also use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround (24-bit.) It again mimics the Arrow although doesn't provide a second stereo option. There are effects in the film, rain and the brief clips of martial arts but not a preponderance of separation. There is a variety of music in Irma Vep including Luna's Bonnie and Clyde (written by Serge Gainsbourg), Sonic Youth, Ali Farka Touré with Ry Cooder as well as Silvio Rodríguez. The music adds a 'hip' atmosphere to Assayas' film and it sounds excellent in the uncompressed. Criterion include the choice of English (SDH) subtitles for the English throughout the film or English-only for the French on their Region 'A' Blu-ray discs.

In the extras Criterion lose the on-scen-specific Assayas / Jean-Michel Frodon commentary found on the Arrow and Zeitgeist DVD, but they duplicate the thirty minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Irma Vep but it doesn't have the optional Assayas/Frodon commentary with that footage. Repeated as well is the fun 2003 interview with actors Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard recalling the making of Irma Vep for 17-minutes plus we get Assayas' Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung the short film made in 1997 as a commission for the 'Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain' in Paris. Found on the Criterion as well as the Arrow Blu-ray is the 34-minute interview from 2003 with Assayas and critic Charles Tesson discussing their love of Asian cinema, their visit to Hong Kong in 1984, and how Maggie Cheung came to star in Irma Vep.

New and starting the first Criterion Blu-ray is a 1/2 hour interview with director Olivier Assayas was recorded by the Criterion Collection in January 2021. On the second Blu-ray is the 2013 one-hour-8-minute documentary Musidora, the Tenth Muse. It was made by by Patrick Cazals featuring family and friends of Musidora, as well as scholars, looking back on the life of the actor, musical-hall performer, and pioneering filmmaker, who originated the role of Irma Vep in Louis Feuillade's serial Les vampires. Also included are Les vampires: Hypnotic Eyes (1916) in 1080P, the sixth episode in Louis Feuillade’s ten-part serial that follows a gang of jewel thieves known as the Vampires; their criminal rival, Moreno; the journalist on their tails, Philippe; and Philippe's sidekick, Mazamette. The fifty-eight-minute episode helped inspire the eponymous film by Assayas. From June 2020, invited by the Belgian publisher Sabzian, Assayas addresses on the state of cinema titled "Cinema in the Present Tense." It's highly interesting and runs 3/4 of an hour. There are also three minutes of black-and-white rushes for the film, and the package has liner notes with an essay by critic Aliza Ma. Phew.

Olivier Assayas' "Irma Vep" is magical. It's a constant flirt with art, the iconic Louis Feuillade serial, French New Wave homage and the scattered genius of film-within-film development. The entire idea of a movie with Maggie Cheung in a full-body black latex catsuit is appealing by itself and the unique, poetic ending is unrivaled. The Criterion double Blu-ray package gets the nod for the extensive extras but both have value. I consider this unusual and joyful film to be a must-own. Don't hesitate.  

***

ADDITION: Arrow - Region 'B' - Blu-ray April 18': Arrow's new Blu-ray transfer is advertised as a "2K restoration from the original negative, supervised and approved by Olivier Assayas".

Audio gives the option of a linear PCM 2.0 channel or a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround (24-bit.) Arrow include optional English subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray disc.

Arrow include most of the extras of all the DVDs starting with the non-scene specific audio commentary by writer-director Olivier Assayas and critic Jean-Michel Frodon as found on the 2008 Zeitgeist and they also share the 1/2 hour On the Set of Irma Vep, a 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette with optional commentary by Assayas and Frodon plus the 5-minute Man Yuk: a portrait of Maggie Cheung, a 1997 short film by Assayas. Duplicated from the Second Sight DVD is the 33-minute interview with Assayas and critic Charles Tesson and the 18-minute interview with actors Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard. The UK DVD and Arrow Blu-ray also have the 4-minutes of black and white rushes - and lastly, a trailer. The Arrow offers a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain and for the first pressing only - an illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Neil Young.

***

ADDITION: Zeitgeist - Region 1 - NTSC - November 08': I would love to have proclaimed this one of the many candidates for DVD of the Year in our year-end poll. Alas, although it has some bountiful extras features - it is interlaced (see combing) and/or from an unconverted PAL source (see times). It is anamorphic, dual-layered and in the correct aspect ratio of 1.66:1. It has a slim black border on the top of the image... but not on the bottom.

For CRT viewing this Zeitgeist edition should be fine - it resembles the Second Sight transfer but is housed on an NTSC DVD creating all the associated artifacts and liabilities of that incorrect standards practice. I suspect that this was all that Zeitgeist were supplied and although we don't endorse for the image transfer - the extras are significant enough that fans will appreciate. Ohh... the Zeitgeist's subtitles appear to be totally removable but are only translating the French dialogue of the film. They are also not as gargantuan as the PAL edition.

The 'Commentary' track is really a recorded Q+A with Assayas and film critic Jean-Michel Frodon running along side the film. It never discusses specific scenes and is not relevant to the film running simultaneously but it is extremely interesting with Assayas delving into his own personal approach to art and what formed his practices etc. 'On the Set' is about 30 minutes of behind the scenes footage and it includes the option to play with an audio essay. This relates more keen points on Irma Vep and the video footage is pretty cool. Man Yuk, also available on the Second Sight disc, is an artistic homage to Maggie - it is short at less than 5 minutes. Finally we get 4 minutes of black and white rushes from Irma Vep. There is a 16-page liner notes booklet included with 2 essays by Assayas and another by Kent Jones.

This film has a significant enough niche that we can still hope for a superior transfer one day. I appreciate Zeitgeist's efforts at getting this disc out despite my feelings regarding the image. Is it worth the extras alone? I definitely think so. So, from that standpoint it is recommended.   

***

ADDITION: Second Sight - PAL - April 08': Obviously not much of a comparison but I am intrigued and might purchase the French edition because, although, the Second Sight easily bests the old Fox/Lorber (released exactly a decade previous - to the day!), I still feel the image quality is on the weaker end of the scale (I've seen the film enough times to know the French dialogue) - although this may be as good as the available source prints allows. On the positive this UK edition is anamorphic in-and-around the original 1.66:1 ratio. It is also progressive and on a dual-layered disc. Similar to the US edition - the subtitles are non-removable for French dialogue.

There are some nice inclusions as bonus extras. Man Yuk is a kind of weird portrait of Maggie Chung - very much in the vein of the stylistic ending of Irma Vep. There is a 20 minute interview with Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard and another with Charles Tesson and Olivier Assayas running over a half-hour (both are English subbed). Finally we have the same trailer available from the F/L.

An easy decision indeed and a viable purchase if you are anywhere near as big a fan of this film as I. There is so much to enjoy about it, as Assayas had the universal tumblers all click into place - something he hasn't seemed to duplicate since.

NOTE: There is also a Panorama (region 3) - joke of an edition reviewed HERE.

ON THE FOX/LORBER: This is a standard Fox Lorber release... meaning that it is of very poor quality. The non-anamorphic, single-layered DVD picture exhibits a yellowish/washed out hue at times. It is also hazy throughout and on separate monitors showed pixilation. There is combing visible (non-progressive) and looks to be from a unconverted PAL port. Extras include a short trailer and text screen notes (bio's etc.) To my knowledge this is the only DVD version of this film presently available and it is about the same level as a VHS tape. Come on Region 2 France/UK get this one out with English subtitles. I give the F/L DVD     out of         

Gary W. Tooze