"Vampyr" Gets the Criterion Treatment

Chalk this up as my good news of the day! The Criterion Collection will be releasing Carl Th. Dreyer's gothic 1932 silent horror film, Vampyr, on DVD July 22.

I'm drooling in anticipation already. Vampyr was Dreyer's follow-up to his masterpiece (and my favorite film of all time) The Passion of Joan of Arc, and remains to this day one of the creepiest films of all time.

Featuring some of the most eerie imagery ever put on film, Vampyr is an atmospheric tale of mysterious occurrences surrounding a remote castle, and continues Joan of Arc's standard of haunting, lyrical imagery, but the effect this time is much more chilling than emotional.

The film is in the public domain, and available in its entirety on Youtube, but I suggest waiting for this DVD. Criterion always does an excellent job of transferring and re-mastering their films, and I can almost guarantee that Vampyr will follow that same high standard.

I've been hoping Criterion would give this film the treatment it deserves for years, and I can't wait until my copy comes in.