Silent Era : Home Video Reviews

Silent Era Home Page > Home Video > Fantômas

Reviews of silent film releases on home video.
Copyright © 1999-2024 by Carl Bennett
and the Silent Era Company.
All Rights Reserved.

Fantômas
(1913-1914)

Louis Feuillade’s crime serial stars René Navarre as Fantômas, with Edmond Bréon, Georges Melchior, Renée Carl, Jane Faber and Yvette Andréyor supporting.

Originally released in France in three parts, the serial was released in the USA in five parts.

Kino Classics
2016 Blu-ray Disc edition

Fantômas (1913-1914), black & white, color-tinted black & white, and color-toned black & white, 337 minutes, not rated, with The Navitity (1910), black & white, 14 minutes, not rated, The Dwarf (1912), black & white, 16 minutes, not rated.

Kino Lorber, K20243, UPC 7-38329-20243-9.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Region A Blu-ray Discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in pillarboxed 16:9 (1920 x 1080 pixels) 24 fps progressive scan image encoded in SDR AVC format at 30.8 Mbps average video bit rate; Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 mono sound encoded at 384 Mbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; 40 chapter stops; standard two-disc BD keepcase; $49.95.
Release date: 5 January 2016.
Country of origin: USA

Ratings (1-10): video: 10 / audio: 8 / additional content: 8 / overall: 9.

This Blu-ray Disc edition of the French crime serial has been mastered from a 4K high-definition natural-speed scan of excellent 35mm print materials that have been restored by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française. The scan has been digitally stabilized and cleaned of nearly all instances of dust, speckling and emulsion damage. Some viewers won’t notice it, but, here is a slight amount of strobing to quick actor movements that is likely the result of a lower hand-cranked camera frame rate of approximately 16-18 frames per second as compared to the motorized, sound film 24 fps rate established in the late 1920s. If you have friends who still think silent films all looked like those horribly dupey, substandard reduction prints, show them this disc!

The serial is accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is likely to be the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

Supplemental material includes two audio commentary tracks by David Kalat (parts one and two); two Feuillade shorts, The Nativity (1910) and The Dwarf (1912); the documentary Louis Feuillade: Master of Many Forms (10 minutes), and a stills gallery.

This is our highly recommended home video edition of the serial. A true viewing pleasure.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region A Blu-ray Disc edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

This Region A Blu-ray Disc edition is also available directly from . . .

Kino International
2010 DVD edition

Kino International, K697, UPC 7-38329-06972-8.
Three single-sided, dual-layered, Region 1 NTSC DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; plastic trays in cardboard wrappers in storage slipcase; $54.99 (reduced to $34.95).
Release date: 21 September 2010.
Country of origin: USA

This DVD edition of the French crime serial has been mastered from a 4K high-definition scan of excellent 35mm print materials that have been restored by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française.

The serial is accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is likely to be the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

USA: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.com. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

Canada: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.ca. Your purchase supports Silent Era.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 1 NTSC DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

This Region 1 NTSC DVD edition is also available directly from . . .

Artificial Eye
2009 DVD edition

Fantômas (1913-1914), color-toned black & white, 335 minutes, BBFC Classification PG.

Artificial Eye,
ART 299 DVD (VFC 88041), UPC 5-021866-299303.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; £29.99.
Release date: 2009.
Country of origin: England

This UK PAL DVD edition is likely to be identical to the 2006 Artificial Eye edition noted below, except for updated packaging artwork. The edition has likely been mastered from 35mm elements that have been restored by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française.

The serial is likely to be accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

Supplemental material includes an introduction by film historian Kim Newman; a Feuillade biography; and an image gallery.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Artificial Eye
2006 DVD edition

Fantômas (1913-1914), black & white, 335 minutes, BBFC Classification PG.

Artificial Eye, ART 299 DVD, UPC 5-021866-299303.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 576 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, optional English language subtitles; chapter stops; standard two-disc DVD keepcase; £29.99.
Release date: 20 February 2006.
Country of origin: England

This UK PAL DVD edition may be effectively identical to the Gaumont edition noted below and, therefore, mastered from 35mm elements that have been restored by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française..

The serial is likely to be accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

Supplemental material includes an introduction by film historian Kim Newman; a Feuillade biography; and an image gallery.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

United Kingdom: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.co.uk. Support Silent Era.

This Region 2 PAL DVD edition has been discontinued
and is . . .

Gaumont International
2000 DVD edition

Fantômas (1913-1914), black & white, 335 minutes, not rated.

Gaumont Columbia Tristar Home Video,
unknown catalog number, UPC 3-333297-870658.
Two single-sided, dual-layered, Region 2 PAL DVD discs; 1.33:1 aspect ratio picture in full-frame 4:3 (720 x 480 pixels) interlaced scan image encoded in SDR MPEG-2 format at ? Mbps average video bit rate (capable of progressive scan upscaling to ? fps); Dolby Digital (AC3) 2.0 stereo sound encoded at ? Kbps audio bit rate; French language intertitles, no subtitles; chapter stops; two plastic disc trays in cardboard wrappers in storage slipcase; €54,99.
Release date: 20 March 2000.
Country of origin: France

This French PAL DVD edition, mastered from 35mm elements, has been restored by Gaumont, La Centre National du Cinéma et de l’image animée, and La Cinématheque française.

The serial is likely to be accompanied by a music score performed by a large orchestra that is the same as has appeared on all of the home video editions noted here.

North American collectors will need a region-free PAL DVD player capable of outputting an NTSC-compatible signal to view this edition.

This edition is now out-of-print.

France: Click the logomark to purchase this Region 2 PAL DVD edition from Amazon.fr. Your purchase supports Silent Era.