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T2 WHATS UP! June 5 - 11, 2022 TV FEATURE BY DANA SIMPSON TV Media W hether you sub- scribe to the no- tion, famously at- tributed to famed Irish wit and writer Oscar Wil- de, that "life imitates art far more than art imitates life," there is no denying that HBO's newest series toes the line be- tween the two. "Irma Vep," premiering Mon- day, June 6, on the specialty net- work and its streaming service, HBO Max, follows Mira (Acad- emy Award winner Alicia Vi- kander, "Tomb Raider," 2018), a young American actress who travels to Paris to star as Irma Vep in a remake of the classic silent film "Les vampires." Cre- ated by French filmmaker Olivi- er Assayas ("Clouds of Sils Ma- ria," 2014) and based on his own film of the same name from 1996, "Irma Vep" is a unique ex- ploration of the boundaries be- tween fact and fiction. Those new to the intricate legacy of the "Irma Vep" story should know, firstly, that "Les vampires" is a real-life silent film series. First released as a serial between 1915 and 1916, the Louis Feuillade ("Fantômas," 1913-14) films span 10 episodes (for a total of roughly seven hours) and tells the story of a journalist and his friend who are investigating a string of crimes attributed to an under- ground criminal organization called the Vampires. What fol- lows is a string of suspicious deaths, potentially supernatural events, double-crosses and se- cret codes, all set against a haunting nouveau-gothique backdrop and involving a mys- terious Vampire named Irma Vep. Subsequently, the 1996 film "Irma Vep" follows Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung ("Hero," 2002), playing herself, in the leading female role of "Les vampires." Organized as a sort of film within a film, "Irma Vep" sees Cheung grow in- creasingly uncomfortable (or perhaps too comfortable, de- pending on which lens she is viewed through) with the direc- tor's unique vision of the Feuil- lade remake. Over the course of the film, Cheung begins to slip into her character more and more seam- lessly, each time losing herself a bit more to Irma. As reality gives way to fiction throughout the film-making process, it be- comes less and less clear where Cheung ends and Irma Vep be- gins. Following suit, the viewer also finds themselves wonder- ing where "Irma Vep" ends and "Les vampires" begins. If all of this is a bit confusing, rest assured you are not the only one who thinks so. One es- sayist, Fabrice Zagury, who fo- cuses largely on surrealism and classic film, stated in an essay on "Les vampires" that "Feuil- lade's narrative seldom origi- nates from principles of cause and effect. ... Rather it unwinds following labyrinthine and spi- ral-shaped paths." In its own way, the "Irma Vep" film follows suit, paying homage to Feuillade's film seri- al while commenting on the state of French cinema as a whole. All this to say: HBO's new series has its work cut out for it. Bentonville Acupuncture 5 x 5 continued on page T10 Alicia Vikander in "Irma Vep" Art-ificial TV www.nwaonline.com Did you know those images are available for purchase? IT'S EASY! Just go to nwaonline.com, click on "Photos" in the top menu bar and use the search to fi nd the photo you want. Then just click "Purchase" for sizing options. You can also have the image put on a coff ee mug, mouse pad, key tag, holiday ornament and more! Did you see a photo in our newspaper or on our website that you would love a copy of? Check it out!