This 1915 French mystery serial is fascinating. Its device of using gadgets (poison rings, poison fountain pens, cabinets with fake back panels, etc.) predates James Bond's by decades, and makes each new episode something to look forward to. The comely Irma Vep is one of the most mysterious and darkest screen heroines of all times. The filmmaker makes extensive use of real Parisian street locations, which seem always, oddly, to be drained of pedestrian life; watching "Les Vampires" is like getting into a time machine.
View "Les Vampires" first, then see "Irma Vep" (France, 1996) so you have a point of reference.
View "Les Vampires" first, then see "Irma Vep" (France, 1996) so you have a point of reference.