Louis Feuillade: The Complete Crime Serials (1913-1918)

[ryannichols7]

Oddly, I'd almost describe the box design as "Indicator"-esque, if that shows how that group has impacted the boutique home video scene, at least in package design.

covered right before, the box is done by Nick Wrigley, who does all of Indicator's box designs, and you may already know as MOC's former main guy. so no wonder it's that awesome

[sabbath]

Unfortunately, there's been a report on the other forum about ghosting and strange image distortion issues (starting with post #87).

[DeprongMori]

Unfortunately, there's been a report on the other forum about ghosting and strange image distortion issues (starting with post #87).

Have there been any responses to this issue from Eureka? (Is it baked into the materials they received from Gaumont? Is it also present in the recent French Gaumont Blu-ray releases?) The fact that the problem is not present in the Kino discs points to it being a process problem rather than source materials problem. Just received my set today. This is such a great set that it sucks to be saddled with this major error. Fingers crossed there will be replacement discs.

[sabbath]

Unfortunately, there's been a report on the other forum about ghosting and strange image distortion issues (starting with post #87).

Have there been any responses to this issue from Eureka? (Is it baked into the materials they received from Gaumont? Is it also present in the recent French Gaumont Blu-ray releases?) The fact that the problem is not present in the Kino discs points to it being a process problem rather than source materials problem. Just received my set today. This is such a great set that it sucks to be saddled with this major error. Fingers crossed there will be replacement discou

No response from Eureka, but the othe forum members found out the issues actually exist on the 2017 Gaumon Blu-ray as well. The 2012 Kino release of Les Vampires used a different, older restoration, so no issues there, but it turned out that their 2016 release of Fantomas suffered the same issues! So the problem was baked into the master and no chance for Eureka to remedy that.

[denti alligator]

I noticed this when watching the Gaumont disc. I chalked it up to the restoration process and figured it was a small price to pay for a far cleaner image overall. It’s really not that noticeable.

[hearthesilence]

I was actually on the fence about this set since I own Gaumont's standalones for the latter two restorations and Kino's releases for the first two. I'll probably just pass on the whole set - as enticing as some of those extras may be, it just feels like too much of a luxury, and while viewing the teaser, I can definitely see the ghosting in motion.

[videozor]

Exactly which movie from the set is having those issues? Or all of them? Thanks!

[denti alligator]

Les Vampires. Maybe Fantomas. Not the others.

[videozor]

Thanks! Too bad about Les Vampires. I was holding from Kino's BD not only because of the lack of extras, but mostly for absence of the original inter-titles. Well, if I can live with English inter-titles on Kino's Strike, I would survive Les Vampires as well. But one should be careful with MOC' silents in the future - first Pandora, now this set. They used to be to immediately preferable to any other edition for me starting from good old days of DVDs

[denti alligator]

The Gaumont/MoC still looks significantly better, to my eyes.

[videozor]

I trust it is so, but will skip the set for now. In a few years, I believe, MOC will break it into stand alone releases in regular plastic cases and by then, one can hope, that issue will be addressed...

[Orlac]

I trust it is so, but will skip the set for now. In a few years, I believe, MOC will break it into stand alone releases in regular plastic cases and by then, one can hope, that issue will be addressed...

The problem is at Gaumont's end rather than Eureka's. Eureka isn't to blame here.

[therewillbeblus]

So does Kino's release of Les Vampires have superior image quality compared to the MoC?

[sabbath]

So does Kino's release of Les Vampires have superior image quality compared to the MoC?

No. Kino used the 1996 restoration while Gaumont/Eureka used the 2015 4K restoration. The overall image quality (clarity, detail, etc.) is much better on the latter, even with the ghosting and other restoration hiccups. (That is, of course, unless your eyes are sensitive to those issues.)

[denti alligator]

I agree with sabbath.

[ryannichols7]

I basically see this as a less extreme Picnic at Hanging Rock scenario where there are issues baked into the master, but the restoration is overall a huge step up and the package itself is one for the ages. obviously that film's restoration has a lot more issues, but I still like that package a lot. the Feuillade is probably not gonna be too bad

still waiting on mine, just because I have it in a package with the BFI's Watership Down. most people I follow on Letterboxd are working through it pretty quickly, which is really cool to see

[therewillbeblus]

I only just cracked open my set but the first episode of Fantômas looked great and I didn't notice any issues

[domino harvey]

I finished Judex yesterday, I thought the image quality was insanely good— certainly Musidora fans will be happy. I know it’s the point of a film like this but it does get tiring to watch a lot of the rising/ebbing crises in these episodes in quick succession (but I also don’t like binge watching TV shows, so what do I know), so I may watch Tih Minh an episode or two a day for a week instead

[ryannichols7]

I am noticably terrible with serials of any kind (TV is an art form I abandoned all interest in, for this exact reason) - it took me almost 2 years to finish Dekalog! so I'll take these on at a slow pace too surely. but I am quite excited for it, I trust these will hold my attention and have me excited for the next installment much more

[knives]

Definitely need to go at a rate of an episode a day or week. Binging anything is just not how my mind works. Even these single narrative shows like Only Murders I need two or three months to get through (probably why I won’t finish Lonesome Dove in time for the ‘89 list)

[therewillbeblus]

I do like to binge, but I agree with domino that these can wear out their welcome if watched too closely together - at least Judex and Fantômas. I haven't seen Tih Minh yet, and I recall Les Vampires being a lot of fun in binge form and the best of the bunch

[therewillbeblus]

Contrary to my expectations, I found that the serials got increasingly better as the set progressed. Fantômas is okay, but suffers from a lack of action and bland characters, with the exciting moments and surreal details doled out in sparse portions amidst a lot of moseying around. Les Vampires used to be a favorite, but didn't feel quite as inspired or dependably engaging episode-to-episode this go-around, though it's still very good as a whole. Still, there's only one episode that crafts a perfect execution of activity across creative set pieces. Judex is much more consistent in terms of character and forward momentum, and the payoffs are routinely cathartic in both dramatic and action domains. Tih Minh blows everything away, though; with doses of earned drama right from the start and flush with narrative intrigue, this is a swashbuckling adventure tale that's epic in scope, constantly surprising, and sustains its suspense throughout its seven hour runtime, even during leisurely moments that would come off as frustrating lulls in the previous serials. It also has an immensely satisfying finish (a kind of Western finale), which is more than I can say about the others (Judex nails its dramatic coda but not the final showdown). The oddest aspect about Tih Minh is that I didn't find any character particularly interesting (whereas the other serials mostly try to at least squeeze one or two memorable characters in for idiosyncratic humor or menace) but the overall vibe carries a romanticism that you want fulfilled for the characters. Regardless of deficits in personal development, it's the inspired action they encounter and triumph from that grants supreme merit to their worth.

[denti alligator]

Interesting reassessment. In my reviewing, I found Judex to come out clearly on top. It's superbly plotted, and the use of outdoor locations makes for stunning visuals. The titular hero is the most complex of the protagonists. Plus, we get Musidora. Tied for second are Tih Minh and Les Vampires, with the former maybe beating out the latter in terms of pacing, plotting, and marvelous mise-en-scene.

[ryannichols7]

I respect all you guys for trucking through this set. hopefully I'll try and do the same, but so many exciting new discs are here we'll have to see! my copy did arrive the other day finally, but I was of course on a mini trip. but will finally crack it open tonight and watch an episode of two at least

anyone get into the extras yet?

[domino harvey]

Tih-Minh spoiled my plans by being so much more entertaining than any of the other serials that I had no issues with marathoning the episodes. I liked the other three serials, but at something of an arm’s distance, but this is so much better than the more well-known predecessors that it’s kinda crazy. What’s really unexpected is that until the last few episodes, there’s almost none of the big set pieces an audience is primed for from the earlier works, and yet the smaller machinations here are far more exciting than any of the somewhat laborious setups in the other serials (and when we finally do get some bigger sequences, they feel properly stunning). I agree with TWBB that on the whole there’s not as many standout characters here as in the earlier serials, but I did like that the comic character of Placide the manservant is functionally the protagonist, which is good because I didn’t like the “main” guy as Judex and I like him even less as Concerned Husband

I sampled some of Rayns’ comments in his extra, most of which are off the cuff commentary excerpts after the filmed preamble. My biggest takeaway is that someone should have stepped in to find him a different shirt