Guillermo del Toro Recommends This Classic Horror Picture on Max: “The film enthrones the right morbid energy”
Celebrated director Guillermo del Toro partnered with the fine folks at the Criterion Collection to name his 10 favorite titles in the distributor’s impressive arsenal. Among his top selections is the 1932 horror classic Vampyr.
The auteur director has nothing but love for the picture, saying: “Vampyr is, strictly speaking, a memento mori, a stern reminder of death as the threshold of spiritual liberation. Like any memento mori, the film enthrones the right morbid imagery (skull, scythe, white limbo) in order to maximize the impact of the beautiful, almost intangible images that conclude it. If only Criterion had acquired my commentary track—sigh—from the UK edition.”
That’s pretty high praise from a very reliable source. If del Toro has you keen to check the film out for yourself, you are in luck. Subscribers can find Vampyr streaming on Max as of the publication of this post. Additionally, the film is currently free to stream on Plex.
The picture stars Julian West, Maurice Schutz, Rena Mandel, Sybille Schmitz, Jan Hieronimko, and Henriette Gérard.
The setup is as follows: After Allan Gray (West) rents a room near Courtempierre in France, strange events unfold: An elderly man leaves a packet on Gray’s table, and shadows that are seemingly alive lead him toward a castle. At a nearby manor, he witnesses the same man being murdered and gradually learns about the curse of the Vampyr. As Gray faces the horrors of the castle, he attempts to save the victim’s daughters–one of whom, Léone (Hieronimko), has fallen ill after mysteriously being bitten.
That’s all we’ve got for you for the time being. Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from the cinematic masters as we uncover them. And be sure to follow @DreadCentral on Twitter so you never miss an update.
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