FANTOMAS (BLU-RAY)

An early cinematic pioneer with an undeniably pervasive influence, Louis Feuillade made hundreds of films in a short career spanning only a few decades. Today, he is best remembered for his landmark serials Fant mas, Les Vampires, Judex and Tih-Minh, four crime epics that have had an immeasurable impact on popular culture around the globe. Adapted from a series of popular novels by Marcel Allain and Pierre Souvestre, Fant mas stars Ren Navarre as the eponymous criminal mastermind. Across the serial's five episodes, Fant mas is pursued by Inspector Juve (Edmund Breon) and newspaper reporter J r me Fandor (Georges Melchior) as he carries out his nefarious schemes. Feuillade's crime serials had an enormous impact on some of the greatest filmmakers of the twentieth century, chiefly Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock. They also played an important role in the development of the criminal mastermind and masked vigilante characters that would proliferate in pulp magazines, film, television, radio and comic books over the next few decades, including Dr Mabuse, The Shadow and Diabolik. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present Fant mas on Blu-ray from an astonishing 4K restoration. SPECIAL FEATURES The complete five-part serial presented in 1080p HD from an astonishing 4K restoration courtesy of The Gaumont Film Company Uncompressed LPCM 2.0 audio Audio commentaries on In the Shadow of the Guillotine and Juve vs Fant mas by film historian and author David Kalat Casting a Long Shadow - interview with critic and author Kim Newman