Actors: Maggie Cheung, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Nathalie Richard, Bulle Ogier, Lou Castel, Arsinée Khanjian
Director: Olivier Assayas
Language: FRENCH: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Subtitles: English
Region: Region A
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Number of Discs: 2
Rating: Not Rated
Orig. Release Date: 1996
Studio: Criterion
Release Date: 4/27/2021
Run Time: 99 Min.
- NEW 2K RESTORATION OF THE FILM FROM THE ORIGINAL CAMERA NEGATIVE, approved by director Olivier Assayas, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
BLU-RAY DISC ONE- Olivier Assayas - in this new video interview, Olivier Assayas discusses the conception of Irma Vep, the experimentation work that gives the film its identity, its tone, as well as the evolution of his style and work. The interview was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2021. In English, not subtitled. (29 min, 1080p).
- Olivier Assayas and Charles Tesson - in this archival video interview, Olivier Assayas and critic Charles Tesson discuss their admiration of Asian cinema and the decision to bring Maggie Cheung on board for Irma Vep. The two also discuss their trip to Hong Kong in 1984. The interview was conducted in 2004. In French, with optional English subtitles. (34 min, 1080i).
- Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard - in this archival video interview, Maggie Cheung and Nathalie Richard recall how they were offered the parts they play in Irma Vep and what it was like to work with Olivier Assayas. In English and French, with imposed French and English subtitles where necessary. In English, not subtitled. (18 min, 1080i).
- On the Set of Irma Vep - presented here raw footage from the shooting of Irma Vep. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (30 min, 1080i).
BLU-RAY DISC TWO- Les Vampires: Hypnotic Eyes - presented here is Hypnotic Eyes, an episode from Louis Feuillade's Les Vampires, with the character of Irma Vep, which Maggie Cheung plays in the remake that is being shot in Olivier Assayas' film. With music, French intertitles and optional English subtitles. (59 min, 1080p).
- Misidora, The Tenth Muse - this documentary film examines the life and legacy of Misidora, an actor and pioneering filmmaker, who originated the role of Irma Vep in Les Vampires. The documentary was produced by Patrick Cazals in 2013. In French, with imposed English subtitles. (68 min, 1080p).
- State of Cinema - presented here is a filmed address on the state of cinema by Olivier Assayas (2020). In French, with optional English subtitles. (47 min, 1080p).
- Man Yuk: A Portrait of Maggie Cheung - this short film was directed by Olivier Assayas in 1997. It was commissioned for the Foundation Cartier pour l'art contemporain in Paris. Without sound. (5 min, 1080i).
- Black-and-White Rushes - a collection of black-and-white rushes that were done during the shooting of Irma Vep. Without sounds. (4 min, 1080i).
- Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Aliza Ma as well as technical credits.
The live-wire international breakthrough of Olivier Assayas stars a magnetic Maggie Cheung as a version of herself: a Hong Kong action-movie star who arrives in Paris to play the latex-clad lead in a remake of Louis Feuillade's classic silent crime serial Les vampires. What she finds is a behind-the-scenes tangle of barely controlled chaos as egos clash, romantic attractions simmer, and an obsessive director (a cannily cast Jean-Pierre Léaud) drives himself to the brink to realize his vision. Blending blasts of silent cinema, martial-arts flicks, and the music of Sonic Youth and Luna into a hallucinatory swirl of postmodern cool, Assayas composes a witty critique of the nineties French film industry and the eternal tension between art and commercial entertainment.
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