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

ADDITION: Radiance Blu-ray (November 2026): Radiance have transferred six films in their Fantastique: The Dreams and Nightmares of French Cinema boxset to Blu-ray. Radiance’s Fantastique box set presents its six films on six dual-layered Blu-rays, each given a very high bitrate, with the features hovering near the upper limits of the format and La nuit fantastique running a little higher still. As is typical of the label, there is no skimping on disc space, and the result is a consistently strong, film-like 1080P presentation across the collection. Five of the films come from 4K restorations, with Three Lives and Only One Death sourced from a 2K restoration, and each is presented in its original aspect ratio.

Dans la nuit is framed at 1.33:1 and comes from a 2021 4K restoration undertaken by the Institut Lumière, to whom Charles Vanel had entrusted his rights, carried out at Eclair Classics under the CNC’s heritage film preservation program from material preserved by the Cinémathèque française. Rarely screened in recent decades and never previously restored, the film now looks remarkable for its age. Contrast is strong, with deep, solid blacks in the night interiors and the quarry, and bright, clean highlights on faces and on Vanel’s unsettling mask. Fine detail is impressive throughout, from the filigree of an accordion to the dotted weave of Sandra Milowanoff’s striped dress and the crumpled surface of the mask itself, and the location shooting gives many scenes an almost documentary texture. Grain is present and natural, with no sign of heavy noise reduction or edge enhancement. Beyond a few brief passages where the surviving source material shows its age, with a coarse, mottled clumping in the emulsion (example HERE), the restoration is remarkably clean and stable for a film approaching its centenary. The French dialogue appears as handwritten script superimposed over the image rather than on separate title cards, and Radiance sensibly place their optional English subtitles at the top of the frame so the two never collide (see sample below.)

La nuit fantastique is presented in 1.37:1 from a 4K restoration made from the original nitrate negative and the French sound negative, with digital and photochemical work carried out and supervised by the VectraCom laboratory in 2021. It has a smooth, silvery grayscale and that glossy studio-era polish, with soft diffusion and glamour lighting on the close-ups and the star-filter sparkle of the sequined costumes coming through cleanly. Detail is excellent in the close-ups, picking out the herringbone of a tweed jacket, the pattern of floral curtains, individual eyelashes, and beaded earrings. Grain is fine and consistent, noticeably heavier in L’Herbier’s optical-effect shots such as the ghostly bride, which is to be expected given the extra generations those effects passed through. Aside from a single faint vertical scratch lasting under a minute, the image is extremely clean.

Le diable souffle, also in 1.37:1, comes from a 4K restoration, though the disc carries no restoration credits. Henri Alekan’s low-key cinematography is the star here: blacks are deep and rich, the rim and edge lighting on hair and faces is beautifully rendered, and one striking extreme close-up of Jean Chevrier, with most of the frame swallowed by shadow, looks superb. Textures such as the patterned rug and hexagonal floor tiles, the leaded diamond window panes, lace, and rough plaster walls are well resolved. Grain is heavier and a little coarser than in La nuit fantastique, most visible in the darker close-ups, which also show some softness consistent with diffusion filters and the source rather than any digital manipulation. The source seems a touch more worn than some of the others, but the presentation remains clean, stable, and very film-like.

The Golem is the standout of the set. Although it was a 1967 French television production, it was shot on 35mm film, and INA’s 2026 4K restoration from the 35mm picture negative gives it a clarity many theatrical features of the era would envy. Framed at 1.37:1, the 1080P image is the sharpest and most detailed in the collection: pores, beads of sweat, and stubble in the extreme close-ups, rain streaks cutting across the frame, the fur of hats and coats, and every crack and gouge in the clay head of the Golem. Contrast is superb, with inky, stable blacks in the low-key scenes (the hatted figure reflected in a broken mirror is a highlight) and clean, bright whites in the snow-covered pit where a ring of figures stands. Grain is fine and even, and we saw no damage at all.

The Woman with Red Boots, the first of the set’s two color films, is presented in approximately 1.66:1 from a 4K restoration, again without restoration credits on the disc. It looks lovely, with a natural, slightly warm 1970s palette of earthy browns and greens, realistic skin tones, and Catherine Deneuve’s platinum hair rendered without any blooming. Reds stand out vividly without bleeding, notably a single rose on a pillow and a rust-red corduroy outfit in a woodland scene, which suits a film where color carries so much meaning. Detail is strong in the cable-knit sweaters and woven scarves, Fernando Rey’s tweed coat and beard, the tree bark, and the book spines in a shop scene. Grain is fine and consistent, a little more visible against bright window backgrounds, and the image is clean and stable throughout.

Three Lives and Only One Death comes from a 2K restoration produced by Le Petit Bureau, with work by L’Immagine Ritrovata and Poly Son and the participation of Valeria Sarmiento, Raúl Ruiz’s widow and longtime editor. We reviewed the Gemini Vidéo Region 2 PAL DVD back in 2003 HERE, and the improvement is substantial. The Blu-ray’s video bitrate is almost seven times that of the DVD, and the film now runs at its proper speed, free of the 4% PAL speedup. Both are around 1.66:1, with the Blu-ray showing marginally more information at the edges of the frame. The DVD ran hotter and more saturated, pushing skin tones toward red and crushing the darker scenes, while the Blu-ray is more natural and balanced, with believable skin tones, truer blues, and much better shadow detail in scenes like the radio studio. The leap in fine detail is enormous: the weave of tweed jackets, Marcello Mastroianni’s wrinkles and gray hair, the polka dots on Marisa Paredes’ blouse, the patterned wallpaper, and the moss on the weathered tombs in an overhead cemetery shot are all clearly resolved where the DVD smeared them. Grain is fine and natural, and the image is clean throughout.

NOTE: We have added 358 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Radiance use linear PCM mono tracks (24-bit) in the original French language. Dans la nuit has its musical score in linear PCM stereo, which carries the film’s shift from romantic exuberance to anxiety and dread with clarity and good depth. La nuit fantastique, Le diable souffle, The Golem, and Three Lives and Only One Death all use linear PCM mono tracks in the original French. Dialogue is clean and clear on all four, and the scores, including Maurice Thiriet’s playful music for L’Herbier and Jorge Arriagada’s whimsical, off-kilter compositions for Ruiz, sound well rounded for their eras. Le diable souffle has a few passages that are a shade rougher than the rest, a limitation of the source rather than the lossless track itself, which otherwise serves the film’s ever-present howl of the Tramontana wind well. The Golem’s sparse, incantatory soundtrack, sourced from the 35mm magnetic mono, is notably clean.

The Woman with Red Boots differs from the others in using lossless DTS-HD Master Audio mono (24-bit) rather than linear PCM, and it offers French, Italian, and English tracks, reflecting the film’s international co-production and multilingual cast. French is the natural choice given Deneuve, though having all three is a welcome inclusion. The disc also appears to use seamless branching for alternate opening and closing sequences, presumably tied to the different language versions.

Each film has newly improved optional English subtitles, and The Woman with Red Boots offers two English subtitle tracks - a translation and SDH. The discs are region FREE, playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

The Radiance Blu-ray set's supplements are extensive. Radiance pack each disc with substantial supplements, most of them newly produced. Dans la nuit opens with a new introduction by Institut Lumière director and Cannes Film Festival head Thierry Frémaux, running almost 10 minutes, in which he recounts the film’s making, its disappearance, and its rediscovery. There is also a new audio commentary by film historian Pamela Hutchinson.

La nuit fantastique has a new 24-minute interview with French cinema expert Ginette Vincendeau (The French New Wave: Critical Landmarks,) who looks at how the film was shaped by, and responded to, the circumstances of its making under the German Occupation. Alongside it is an archival 1971 French television interview with Marcel L’Herbier, running a dozen minutes, in which he reflects on the film, the influence of Lumière and Méliès, and the contributions of his actors.

Le diable souffle features a new commentary by film critics Elena and Manuela Lazic, plus a new 22-minute interview with film critic David Thompson on Edmond T. Gréville’s unusual international career, his often erotic cinema, and how those preoccupations surface in this film.

The Golem includes a new interview with novelist and critic Kim Newman (The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies,) running over 1/4 hour, covering the many screen incarnations of the Golem, Gustav Meyrink’s novel and eventful life, and Jean Kerchbron’s adaptation. There is also a 6-minute archival introduction from 1967 by journalist and writer Louis Pauwels (The Morning of the Magicians: Secret Societies, Conspiracies, and Vanished Civilizations,) a co-writer on the adaptation, who discusses the spiritual dimension of Meyrink’s story and offers viewers some guidance on how to approach it, plus a gallery of 26 images.

The Woman with Red Boots has a new 19-minute interview with fashion historian Matteo Augello (Curating Italian Fashion: Heritage, Industry, Institutions,) who analyzes the film’s play with expectations around color, costume, makeup, and Deneuve’s star image. Critic and author Samm Deighan (Hysterical Excess and Inhuman Ecstasy) contributes a new visual essay running 1/4 hour that places the film within the long tradition of fantastic literature and French fantastique cinema. Also included is a 5-minute 1974 Swiss television interview in which Deneuve discusses the film’s “insolence” and working with both Luis Buñuel ((That Obscure Object of Desire, The Phantom of Liberty, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Tristana, The Milky Way, Belle de jour, Simon of the Desert, Diary of a Chambermaid, The Exterminating Angel, Viridiana, The Young One, Fever Mounts at El Pao, Death in the Garden, The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, El, El Bruto, Susana, Los Olvidados, Gran Casino, Las Hurdes, L'Âge d'or, Un chien andalou,) and his son, Juan Luis.

Three Lives and Only One Death comes with a new commentary by critic Adrian Martin (Filmmakers Thinking,) a 6-minute archival French television interview from the 1996 Cannes Film Festival with Marcello Mastroianni and his daughter Chiara about working together on the film, and a trailer.

The set’s centerpiece supplement is a new documentary running close to an hour, in which contemporary directors Lucile Hadžihalilović (Earwig, Innocence,) Bertrand Mandico, and Yann Gonzalez discuss the possibilities and power of the cinéma fantastique, its history, and its continuing life in French filmmaking. The limited edition of 5,000 copies comes in a rigid box with full-height Scanavo cases, reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow, a removable OBI strip, and a 120-page book with new writing by Virginie Sélavy and David Cairns and archival writing by Tzvetan Todorov (The Fantastic: A Structural Approach to a Literary Genre,) André Bazin (What Is Cinema? Vol. 1,) Henri Alekan, and others.

Radiance's Fantastique: The Dreams and Nightmares of French Cinema makes a persuasive case that the cinéma fantastique is not a marginal curiosity but one of French cinema's most persistent and quietly radical impulses. Across nearly seven decades, these six films share a suspicion that the ordinary world is thinner than it looks, with dreams, desires, masks, and storms slipping through its cracks. Charles Vanel (The Wages of Fear, Symphony for a Massacre, Illustrious Corpses,) anchors two of them, directing and starring in the late-silent rediscovery Dans la nuit, whose masked quarry worker becomes a stranger in his own home, and returning seventeen years later in Edmond T. Gréville's wind-lashed Le diable souffle, again as a man whose love is threatened by an intruder. That film belongs as much to cinematographer Henri Alekan (Beauty and the Beast, Wings of Desire, Roman Holiday, Topkapi,) whose storm-lashed nights and sunlit idylls are a constant pleasure. Marcel L'Herbier (The Late Mathias Pascal, L'Argent, L'Inhumaine, Mosjoukine,) brings airy whimsy to Occupation-era escapism in La nuit fantastique, with Bernard Blier (Quai des Orfèvres, Le Jour se lève, Hôtel du Nord, The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe,) among its supporting players, while Jean Kerchbron's The Golem turns the borrowed-identity dream into something metaphysical and genuinely strange. Catherine Deneuve (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Repulsion, The Young Girls of Rochefort, Belle de jour, Mississippi Mermaid, Tristana, Donkey Skin, A Cop, Le sauvage, Hustle, The Last Metro, Manon 70, 8 Women, Le choc, The Convent, Belle Toujours, The Hunger, Pola X, A Christmas Tale, Marcel Proust's Time Regained, Dancer in the Dark,) uses her cool, unreadable persona as a weapon in Juan Luis Buñuel's The Woman with Red Boots, opposite Fernando Rey (Viridiana, Tristana, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, That Obscure Object of Desire, The French Connection, Chimes at Midnight, Illustrious Corpses,) whose casting makes the film feel like a knowing continuation of the elder Buñuel's tradition. The set closes with Raúl Ruiz (The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting, Mysteries of Lisbon, Time Regained,) and his witty puzzle box Three Lives and Only One Death, in which Marcello Mastroianni (The Beekeeper, 8½, Divorce Italian Style, The Skin, Casanova '70, La Notte, The Organizer, The Bandit, City of Women, The 10th Victim, L'Assassino, Adua and Her Friends, La Grande Bouffe, Ginger and Fred, Marriage Italian Style, A Special Day, La Dolce Vita, The Law, Le Notti bianche, What?, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Intervista, Property Is No Longer a Theft, Beyond the Clouds, The Sunday Woman,) in one of his final roles, glides through several lives with twinkling charm alongside Marisa Paredes (All About My Mother, The Devil's Backbone, Deep Crimson, The Skin I Live In.) Few of these titles have had any meaningful exposure in English-speaking territories, which makes the collection an act of genuine excavation rather than a greatest-hits package. Radiance's six Blu-rays offer consistently excellent, film-like 1080P transfers from new restorations, with The Golem a revelation and even the century-old Dans la nuit looking remarkably clean, lossless audio throughout, and a wealth of thoughtful new supplements anchored by the near-hour documentary on the cinéma fantastique then and now. This is one of the most rewarding Blu-ray box sets of the year and gets our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze