Fantomas Returns! — Fantomas Returns! ( Blu Ray Boxset)
Fantomas Returns! is a Blu Ray boxset bringing together the three 1960’s French adventure comedies featuring Fantomas, a blue masked supervillain who wants to take over the world. The films draw from a huge range of influences, from The Pink Panther and James Bond to Silver Age superheroes and Dr Mabuse. Each is a lot of fun, with some great moments of suspense, comedy, action, gadgets, and camp. This set is from Eureka Entertainment- each picture gets an HD scan, new commentary tracks, with featurettes and a sixty-page inlay booklet.
All three films on the set were directed by Meudon, Hauts-de-Seine, France André Hunebelle. Between the late 40’s and 70’s, he had thirty-five feature credits to his name, be decidedly varied in the genres he covered. Going from WWII set drama Mission à Tanger (1949), romantic comedy swashbuckling The Impossible Mr. Pipelet (1955 adventure Captain Blood (1960), and atmospheric/ slowly paced spy film Shadow of Evil (1964),
First up, we have Fantomas, which is from 1964. It is a joint French/ Italian production, moving from Paris and out into the French countryside. The film runs for one hour and forty-four minutes- and remains engagingly entertaining throughout.
We open in the city, as a moustached, ageing aristocrat turns up at a large jeweller's with his wife- they pay for several expensive necklaces, getting back in their car with them…just as the writing disappears on the cheque he paid with.
We find out that the city of Paris is under attack from Fantomas- a seemingly criminal of a thousand faces, who is committing robberies and creating all manner of chaos. Blading, short, and constantly agitated inspector Juve (Louis de Funès) is desperate to catch him.
Also, rather fascinated by Fantomas is the gravelly voiced local newspaper journalist Jean Marais (Robert Dalban). And with his blond-haired girlfriend Hélène(Mylène Demongeot), they decide to do a fake interview with the master criminal. This rather backfires- as he gets knocked over the head, waking up in the grand Candelabra-dotted hideaway of Fantomas, who wears a blue coloured bald mask. The journalist is tied to a chair, branded with the letter F, and told to tell his readers he faked the interview.
As the film unfolds, we have more jewel robberies, rooftop chases, a casino heist, out in the countryside car chases, helicopter ladder attacks on submarines, and lots of mask switching/ cackling laughter from our villain.
Fantomas is a rewarding blend of caper film, action, and comedy. All the cast is good/ well placed- but I think the highlight here is De Funès, who is wonderful as the self-important/ bumbling/ constantly rowed up inspector.
On this first disc, we find a good selection of all-new extras. First up, there’s a commentary track with genre film expert and Video Watchdog founder Tim Lucas. He opens by commenting on the grand fountain in the pre-credits and how the water bookends the film. We find out that the film was first released on Wednesday, November 4th, 1964, in Paris. Lucas talks about how he first saw the film at the age of twelve, which led him to become a lifelong fan of the Fantomas books, comics, and films. He touches on the early adaptations to the screen and points out actors as they appear. He comments on locations and touches on the screenwriting team that wrote all three films. Later on, he points out great sight gags and moments of meta humour, he discusses the career of female lead Demongeot and talks about the film's commercial fortune. Another very well researched track from Mr Lucas.
Otherwise, we have: International Supercrooks (20.59) Leon Hunt discusses Fantômas and his connection to other European supervillains in the 1960s. Juve and De Funès (22.36) French cinema expert Mary Harrod on Louis de Funès, French comedy and the Fantômas trilogy. Reigns of Terror (22.21) a video essay by Radio Times editor Calum Bake looks at Fantômas' history, from the books to the films.
Moving onto disc two, we find Fantomas Unleashed, and Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard- plus, of course, extras.
So first out of the gate, we have Fantomas Unleashed, which was from 1965. It was co-directed by André Hunebelle & Warsaw-born Haroun Tazieff. Tazieff had two other director's credits to his name- taking in two volcano-focused documentaries The Devil's Blast (1959) and Le Volcan Interdit (1966).
Fantomas Unleashed picks up a year after the first film. The masked super villain hasn’t been seen for a year, and we see Inspector Juve getting a medal for all he did to see off as Fantomas. We get some humour from him being presented with his medal, as his worth, looks, and statue get mocked.
Next thing we see, Fantomas and his hazmat-suited team breaking into a lab and kidnapping a professor, who we find out has been developing a way of controlling people.
Gravelly voiced Journalist Jérôme Fandor is sure the masked villain is behind the kidnapping, but the inspector is getting cross/ denying it all on TV- then the signal gets broken, our blue masked friend appears to confirm, yes, it was him- with us then dropping back to the studio to see the inspector and the interviewer all tied up
We are then introduced to a balding, grey-haired, and moustached Professor Marchard (Albert Dagnant), who had been doing similar work to the kidnapped professor. So, it journalist Jean Marais should disguise himself as the professor and get on a train to Rome, where he is due to speak at a scientific convention.
As the film unfolds, we get the inspector disguised as first a moustached general, then a catholic priest when they get to Rome. More people dress up as the prof. There’s a custom party in a grand mansion, a new underground lair for Fantomas. And a very cool car chase switches into an air race, as the blue masked one's car turns into a car.
Oh, and there are also some neat/not-so-neat gadgets- for the latter, we have a double false arm/ gun shooter, and an exploding cigar- both, of course, go off at unplanned moments.
Fantomas Unleashed is an entertaining sequel- with some great laughs, some neat set-up, and all the same key cast members returning once again.
Finally, we have 1967’s Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard, which is largely set around a castle in Scotland, with our super villain often pretending to be different people, by way of realistic face masks. There is a slightly more macabre edge to proceedings- with glances of dead bodies, killings, and the legs of those being hanged- though the film is still full of moments of bumbling comedy/ super villain action.
We open up to see a moustached, bowl hat-wearing, and cane-wielding man travelling in the back of a grand car, travelling first through a city, then out into ragged countryside, landing at a castle. This is the home of blading, plump, and moustached Lord Edward MacRashley(Jean-Roger Caussimon), who we find out is one of the richest men in the world. The bowl-hatted man seems to be known by Lord Edward- but as he starts mockingly pretending to hack at him with a sword, something is amiss…and you guessed it, he pulls off his mask, and underneath is Fantomas.
The super villain reveals that he’s demanding protection money from Lord Edward, and a group of other ultra-rich men from around the world…if they don’t pay up, within a month, a 10% surcharge is added, then if another month passes, the millionaires will be killed.
Calls are sent out to France- so Inspector Juve, his bumbling sidekick, journalist Jean Marais , and his girlfriend Hélène head to Scotland- to try to catch Fantomas. We get a rather campy gothic/Scooby Doo edge to the proceedings of this film, with breakdowns in misty woodland, castle corridors sometimes darting with spirits, and bodies that appear/ then disappear in bedrooms.
Once again, De Funès as the bubbling inspector is a highlight- at points he gets wonderfully upset/ almost manic, with all the tricks Fantomas is playing on him. This film is less gadget/action-based compared with the other two films, with most of the focus being on disguises/ trickery. Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard is another decent sequel, and I’d say the shift in tone works well, giving it a different feel from the other two films.
On this second disc, aside from original trailers, we get a commentary track for both films- these are both from film historian and author David Kalat. So first up on the Fantomas Unleashed track, he starts by talking about the animated credits by André Hunebelle, and possible visual connections to the Pink Panther films & the original Batman series. He points out locations, including a nuclear power plant. He discusses the history of the masked supervillains and touches on the film’s connection to James Bond. Later on, he discusses the film's visual depth. Talks about the Mount Vesuvius location, comments on the stunt driver, who went on to feature in several James Bond films.
Next, we have Mr Kalat’s track for Fantomas vs. Scotland Yard. He begins by talking about the pre-credits footage of Scotland- this was filmed over just one week, with the main castle, its interior, and forests all shot in France. He touches on the film's rather confusing title, as it doesn’t feature any characters from London's New Scotland Yard. He talks about how the key to all three films' success is down to the returning cast. He touches on the creation of the supervillain's mask, and how he’s at his most ruthless in this film. He gives a bio of director André Hunebelle, and among other things, we find out that he started off in life's work as a craft glass maker. He points out notable bit part actors. Later on, he discusses the hunting element of the film and discusses the forest, which is one of Frances' great national forests. He discusses the moments of back projection, and how Louis de Funès was a very serious/quiet man when he wasn’t playing the uptight/ bumbling inspector.
The finished release is limited to just 2000 copies. The two discs are presented in a hardcase with a package design by Nick Wrigley. With a sixty-page book featuring new writing on the Fantômas trilogy by film writer and programmer Ryan Finnigan, spy cinema expert Llewella Chapman and Krimi! magazine co-editors Boris Brosowski and Holger Haase.
Before this boxset, I was only aware of Fantomas in passing- and I must say Eureka have once again done an excellent job with this boxset. Each film takes in a great HD scan, with commentary tracks for each film, as well as fascinating featurettes. If you enjoy pulpy/ comic book fare, with amusing edges- this boxset is a must!.