Now to resume with episodes 6-8!
EPISODE 6 - "Les yeux qui fascinent" ("Hypnotic Eyes")
Released: March 24, 1916
QUICK RECAP: When we finished Episode 5, Moréno had made off with some of the Vampires' loot that they had stolen from the partygoers.
It is in this episode that we are first subject to Moréno's hypnotic eyes, a gaze so cold that even your big-mouthed Italian father would be intimidated by it. As he uses its power on the maid, Laura, pay close attention to his hands. They appear almost claw-like, don't they? I find that, coupled with the power of the hypnotic eyes, very interesting. I think Moréno should be the vampire, not the Vampires themselves. Not only that, but he bears a stunning resemblance to Bela Lugosi. Perhaps this episode should have been titled Dracula.
Phillipe and Mazamette attend a play, where Mazamette spots Irma Vep and the Grand Vampire onstage and stupidly calls them out to the whole audience, and of course no one believes him.
Meanwhile, the Grand Vampire has stayed at the Fontainebleu and taken the pseudo, "Count Kerlor." He reads an article in the paper about an American millionaire whose cashier fled to Europe with a woman, and is asking for an arrest of the thief in exchange for $200,000. In yet another case of Americans thinking they're important and good enough to be in a movie concerning a foreign country, the American woman introduced as Mrs. Horatio Warner runs into the back room with Mr. Horatio Warner, whose real identity is Raphael Norton, the thief.
At another hotel, Phillipe and Mazamette open the box. "Tens of thousands of dollars!" Mazamette exclaims. "We're rich!"
Moréno has checked into the Royal Hunt and, while "Count Kerlor" is reading his friends a particularly drab story that all of them are probably feigning interest in, he strangles Viscount Guy, a Vampire, as he/she is leaving the American's room. He gags him/her and reaches into the pocket of his/her suit to reveal the treasure map that the thief had stolen. "Count Kerlor" and Mrs. Werner prepare for departure. Kerlor tells Mrs. Werner to steal the Americans' loot before they go.
The police raid the hotel at dawn. Mazamette, providing comic relief as usual, demands that the commissioner go look for the Werners. He does so and Horatio Werner is exposed to be Raphael Norton. However, despite their success, the police, Phillipe and Mazamette are unable to account for the Count, Countess and Viscount Guy Kerlor.
In a bizarre turn of events, a title card informs us that Moréno has fallen in love with Irma Vep and no longer intends to turn her into the Grand Vampire. This episode is very confusing, and that makes it twice as confusing. He gets her to confess all the crimes that she has committed by hypnotizing her with his glare. Count Kerlor comes, and Moréno instructs Irma to kill him. Here, the film stays ahead of its time again. Of course, we all expect her to be the smart, cunning lady that she is and overcome Moréno's Jedi mind trick (George Lucas can thank this film, too!), but she does the opposite of what everyone expects and shoots the man the second he walks in the room, and what's more, she embraces Moréno. Embraces him! Embraces her rival! The nerve. Actually, I think it's rather cute. The episode ends with, again, much-needed comic relief, as Mazamette has purchased a lavish apartment with George Baldwin's money.
Be warned: as I mentioned earlier, this episode is extremely confusing. Be sure not to mix up your women (or watch it too late at night when your brain is half asleep).
EPISODE 7 - "Satanas"
Released: April 15, 1916
A man comes to visit Moréno and Irma. After paralyzing Moréno with a needle lodged in the palm of his glove, he reveals that Count Kerlor, the fake Grand Vampire, is just that: fake. This man, Satanas (Louis Leubas, who also played Father Silence), is the true Grand Vampire.
Later on, at the Happy Shack Cabaret, the newly-rich Mazamette treats Phillipe and a few lady friends to dinner and a show. The Happy Shack is a favorite hangout of Moréno and his gang, so they show up as well, Irma's arm through Moréno's. Moréno receives a note from Satanas saying that since he refuses to surrender, he will see the full might of his power at two o'clock. Hey, this scene doesn't beat a barroom brawl on Jersey Shore, but it's still good suspense.
Getting a close-up of Satanas defeats all the elements of horror this film has. Satanas defines the face of horror. Watch the episode and you'll see what I mean. At exactly two AM, he loads a cannon and fires directly at the Happy Shack, causing the ceiling to fall in. The next morning, Irma and Moréno come to Satanas' home to surrender. The three join forces and plot to rob George Baldwin. Moréno enlists Lily Flower to help him.
Mazamette stumbles upon Lily, who just happens to be his main squeeze from the Happy Shack, taking out a load of money from the bank. He informs Phillipe and the two head to her place, where Phillipe ties her to her chair. A typical journalist who thinks he can get girls just by showing them his card, Phillipe flashes his card to her. Unimpressed (and rightly so. Set your standards high, ladies! Don't date a man just by what's on his card!), Lily refuses to talk. Phillipe and Mazamette force her to call Moréno and tell him and Irma to come to her place. They do and fall down a trap door, once again ahead of its time, to the waiting police. Moréno and Irma have been captured. Yay! But I liked them together...
EPISODE 8 - "Le maître de la foudre" ("The Thunder Master")
Released: May 12, 1916
(I know, the title is very sexual to me, too)
Irma Vep has been sentenced to life in St. Lazarus prison. A transfer order sends her to a penal colony in Algeria. Before she leaves, she learns from Phillipe and Mazamette that Moréno was executed that morning. Shame, as I really did like them together.
Satanas disguises himself as a priest and infiltrates the ship where Irma is. He hands Irma a piece of paper that says "La verite sera a nu," an anagram for "La navire sutera," which translated means "The ship will blow up." More use of clever espionage. Sure enough, Satanas blows up the ship the very first try with his cannon (what great aim).
Phillipe and Mazamette (who reminds me more and more of Luigi of the Mario Bros. come to life) receive the news that there were no survivors on the destroyed ship and mourn (Mazamette does, at least), for one minute, Irma Vep. Because let's be honest, folks, one minute of mourning is all she deserves.
Talk about the least of the characters' worries. Mazamette's son, Eustache (René Poyen), gets sent home from boarding school for jokes and inappropriate behavior. Kids in 1916, am I right? I don't know. Back in my day, we behaved in school. Anyway, with Eustache in tow, Mazamette continues to investigate Montmartre for clues.
Satanas shows up at Phillipe's home posing as a civil engineer. After paralyzing Phillipe with the needle in his glove, Satanas shows him a declaration that he has been condemned to die by the Vampires to avenge Irma's death. After pinning the note to Phillipe like the smart-ass that he is, he also informs him that in five minutes his house will blow up. What a nice guy. Luckily, Mazamette of all people finds the bomb and disposes of it and then triumphantly claims that he knows where to find the Vampires.
In the climatic scene, Eustache confronts Satanas' servant first, while Satanas looks on through a creepy mask. He sees Eustache hide his father in a chest. He then confronts the boy, who for some reason has a gun (seriously, the kid looks like he's 7 or 8. He should NOT have a loaded gun). The police barge in and arrest Satanas and his servant. Poor Mazamette has a bloody nose from where the bullet hit!
Miraculously, Irma Vep is still alive (take THAT, atheists!) and trying to make her way back to Paris. She makes her triumphant return to the Howling Cat and everyone learns of Satanas' arrest. One of the Vampires, know only by the code name "Venomous" (Frederik Moriss), takes over. He has the instructions that Satanas left him in case of arrest.
Shockingly, but then again, not shockingly, Satanas commits suicide by poisoning himself, and the paper in the final scene of this episode asks the question we're all wondering, "Who provided the poison?" Stay tuned to find out!
(TO BE CONTINUED. THE FINAL TWO EPISODES WILL BE UP TOMORROW...)
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