Fantomas (1964) Apr 2026

A cocky journalist who mocks the police for failing to catch the criminal. He goes so far as to publish a fake interview with Fantômas, complete with a staged photo.

The Laughing Menace: Revisiting André Hunebelle's Fantômas (1964) Fantomas (1964)

Jean Marais (Fandor/Fantômas), Louis de Funès (Juve), Mylène Demongeot (Hélène) Genre: Crime / Comedy / Adventure A cocky journalist who mocks the police for

Long before modern franchises mastered the "action-comedy" formula, French director delivered a masterclass in genre-bending with the 1964 revival of Fantômas . By blending the dark, pulp roots of the original 1911 novels with a "swinging sixties" aesthetic, this film transformed a terrifying literary killer into a campy, tech-savvy supervillain who paved the way for the Bond-era spy craze. The Plot: A Man of a Thousand Faces By blending the dark, pulp roots of the

While fans of the original silent films by Louis Feuillade might miss the gritty darkness, Hunebelle's version is a pure "pop-art" joy. It’s a film that exists between worlds: part crime pulp, part Bond-ian spy adventure, and part slapstick comedy. Key Details at a Glance André Hunebelle