The Phantom of the Opera

Rating:
Summary: a must-own for fans pf gothic horror
Review: Image's lavish 2-disc set does justice to Lon Chaney's riveting performance as the "Phantom of the Opera." This has long been one of my favorite films, but felt as if I had only seen it for the first time after watching the 1929 edition included in this set. The print is beautiful, and the commentary by Scott MacQueen is insightful. The technicolor has been added to the "Bal Masque" scene, and there is a gorgeous scene of a red-cloaked Erik poised against an anotherwise blue-tinted background. Plus there are loads of stills, promotional materials, alternate music and soundtracks, as well as the 1925 cut of the film. Absolutely essential for fans of gothic horror.

Rating:
Summary: The original PLUS a beautiful restoration.
Review: I have loved this movie for 20 years or more. It is my second favorite silent film. I cannot explain my astonishment of seeing this beautiful version on DVD. I have at least 2 other versions of this film on DVD and this is hands down the winner. First off, both the original 1925 version is here, plus the 1929 reissue is here as well. The reissue is far superior than all other versions. Almost pristine except for a couple of minor scratches. Even the scene with Mary Philbin in the custom made bedroom in the phantoms lair, which in all other versions looked like it was on the verge of deterioration is fixed up the best it could be here. Now for the audio. The good news is there are some of the original dialogue segments here on the original 1929 sountrack (though none with Lon Chaney) but they sound a little distorted so you have to listen carefully. They are essential however. Also The Bal Masque scene is the best resoration I have ever seen. Chaneys red cape looks fantastic. Too bad they couldn't locate any additional technicolor scenes (there were other scenes filmed that way, but they seem to be lost). The original 1925 version is here and it is complete but it does however not appear in the best of conditions. But better than nothing. Other than just a couple of seconds, there is no additional Chaney scenes. All in all a must have for your DVD collection.

Rating:
Summary: Beware: The Phantom is Silent, But Deadly!
Review: I recently became obsessed with "The Phantom of the Opera." I don't know why. I read the libretto and listened to the soundtrack for the Andrew Lloyd Webber version. Then, I read the Gaston Leroux novel and loved it. One day, while in the library, I picked out a copy of the original silent film. I watched it as soon as I got home.

The film sticks very close to the original novel, which I thought was good. Lon Chaney's performance as the Phantom is remarkable. When Christine Daae yanks the mask off of his face in that famous scene, it is so frightening! It is perhaps the most frightening moment ever shown on screen.

There is a technicolor scene, which was restored in the 1929 version. The color change happens during the Masquerade scene, which I thought was a very neat scene. Lon Chaney's costume in that scene as Red Death is wonderful.

The end of the film is probably the best part. It is very fast. One moment, The Phantom is riding in a carriage with Christine, being chased by a mob, the next, he is being thrown into a lake. The film ends.

You are sure to love this film, no matter what. It's a classic, just as much as Boris Karloff's "Frankenstein" or Bela Lugoisa's "Dracula." It is probably mush better than some movies that have recently comne out. All in all, Lon Chaney in "The Phantom of the Opera" is a remarkable film, silent: but deadly.

Rating:
Summary: Very Nice
Review: A bit of a let down after the ALW musical, but a fabulous interpretation! It is very true to the origional book, an aspect which most Phantom movies have lost. Lon Chaney is spectacular as Erik, the escaped madman who longs for the love of Christine Daae, played by a lovely Mary Philbin. I recommend getting the DVD so you can have better sound and visual quality. And yes, it does have that famous unmasking scene which "made women faint with fright" when it first came out in theatres.

Rating:
Summary: amazing
Review: Although it was silent, (and i normally hate silent movies because i adore music and, well, I talk a lot :-D)it was great. It followed so closely to the original story! I think this is even the ONLY version that showed the scorpion and the grasshopper! My ONLY negative comments are that I was disappointed that Christine and Erik did not kiss one time the entire movie, and the fact that Erik did not just let Christine go, he tried to get away with her while running from a mob, but soon let her fall... then he drowned :( other than that, I loved it and I am extremely happy that I purchased it! I am a huge Phantom Phan and I highly suggest you buy this movie! It is a classic!

Rating:
Summary: Phantom fan
Review: The Phantom of the Opera is definitely one of the most well knowm and well done horror movies of all time. This DVD is no exception. The movie was made well done and and corected to the right running speed. There are also editional movie stills that are good to look at. A nice bonus was the original trailer of the movie. If you are a fan of classic horror movies I couldn't recommend this movie more. Buy it!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Classical
Review: I would love to collect a complete musical format of Phanton of the opera. Is this a musical DVD or the opera?

Rating:
Summary: Superb restoration by Image
Review: There's a couple reviews on here that slam Image Entertainment for its DVD presentation of this Lon Chaney classic, particularly a harsh review entitled "I hate this Image DVD." I believe the reviewers who gave it a thumbs down must actually be the producers of inferior DVD/VHSeditions because the special collector's version I now own is spectacuar. Allow me to rebut the negative criticisms.1. I like the tints. Ths IS the way the movie was originally exhibited and it certainly enhances the film.2. The Thibaudoux score doesn't stop at all like some reviewers would make you believe. It is continuous throughtout the film and most deinitely increases the suspense. It's a wonderful composition and works great with the movie.3. One reviewer complained that the black bars on each side of the screen makes him feel like he's watching the movie through a saloon door. Not the case for me. After the first minute, I didn't even realize the bars were there. Just like when I watch a widescreen movie, the black bars in this case don't bother me at all. At least I know I'm seeing the complete image.4. The action flows smoothly and DOES NOT "ooze" aross the screen like molasses in January. I think they person who said that ought to stick with Keystone Kops flicks if that's what he or she is looking for.Overall, I enjoyed this DVD presentation of Phantom tremendously and highly recommend it. The Image version is, by far, the best on the market.

Rating:
Summary: I HATE this Image DVD
Review: (Five stars for the film itself, though.)

When I was a kid I had a VHS copy of this film put out by "Goodtimes Video", one of those cheapjack public domain knock-off operations. There was no tinting, no technicolor, no score... but I loved it. Every Halloween I'd watch Dracula, Frankenstein, and Phantom before I went trick-or-treating. So I was eager to see what Image had done in this restored version.

In the opinion of this reviewer, it's bad news all around.

First of all, the Thibaudoux score is far from inspired. It's generically spooky and has little to do dramatically with what's happening on screen. There are a few gimmicky exceptions, which can cause much head scratching if you let them. We can hear the soprano singing, but why not the audience screaming? We can hear the Phantom playing his organ, but why not characters talking? Do you see what an aesthetic can of worms this opens up? And where's Carl Davis when you need him?

The score isn't continuous either. It seems to have been recorded in hunks and pieces, so every now and then the music just stops - I guess for the orchestra members to toss back a shot of something to help get them through the recording session - and we're left with twenty or thirty seconds of complete silence, oftentimes in the middle of a tense sequence.

Compare this to the score for The Unknown that TCM uses and realize what might have been.

The film is also projected too slow. Now, I realize that projection speed is a matter of fiery controversy. If you want to see a real bench-clearing brawl, just walk into a room full of silent film fans and shout "Metropolis should be played at 18!", then sit back and watch the carnage as they tear each other to pieces. But the much vaunted 20 frames a second on this DVD is way too slow for Phantom. People don't move, they just sort of ooze across the screen like chilled molasses. Frightened women don't peer around corners, they peeeeeeeerrrr arooouuuund coorrrrneeerrrs. The unmasking scene has you looking at your watch, when it should be violent. The ballet is slow, the chandelier takes forever to fall; it's just all wrong. (The final chase seems faster than the rest of the film, thank heaven.)

Silent films were usually projected faster than they were filmed. Look at the stuff with Snitz Edwards and the ballerinas. This is silent slapstick, and as Walter Kerr points out in his book The Silent Clowns, silent slapstick absolutely demands the abstractness that sped-up projection imparts. It requires that the performers be ultra-quick, ultra-light on their feet, and more real than reality. Sort of comic supermen. Otherwise their actions don't seem funny, they just seem odd. And that's just the way it is in this version of Phantom: a bunch of completely ordinary people behaving very strangely. Imagine Chaplin moving like a normal person and you begin to get the idea of what we've lost here.

And I don't think this is merely a matter of my personal taste. Back in my editing days I was told that the rule for showing text on the screen was to hold it there long enough that a normal reader can get through it twice. In Phantom a number of letters from the Phantom to Christine are held up for the viewer to read. On my old 24 fps tape I could read through the text twice, then just start on a third; on the image version I could read them FOUR TIMES. This is just too darn long and too darn slow.

Now here's the real kicker. Image decided in its wisdom to put black bands on all four sides of the screen.

ALL!

FOUR!

SIDES!

So we get a little postage-stamp-sized picture in the middle of a field of black. It's like watching the action through the door of a speakeasy.

Again, I realize the frames of silents were a bit more square than a TV, but really, how much picture would we lose if it were full-screen? A hair-thin strip along the top and bottom? I wouldn't complain, believe me. If Image gave you an option to view it full-screen, it would be alright, but I can't find this option anywhere in their bare-bones menu.

If the chug along score and tar-like pacing isn't enough to distance you from the action and keep you from getting emotionally involved, this masking should finish the job.

So what I'm saying is I'm disappointed. Once again purism has diminished a great movie in order to "save" it. If the cheap eighties knock-off is more entertaining than the twenty dollar high-brow edition, there's a problem.

NOTE: Some have said the transfer is out of focus...not so. There are few times when it is SUPPOSED to be out of focus - the point of view shots of the terrified Christine during the unmasking scene, for instance - but the image is sharp elsewhere. Occasionally there are hairs and junk at the edge of the frame. The technicolor is kind of faded compared to the pristine Ben Hur, but it's better than nothing.

Rating:
Summary: The greatest horror movie ever
Review: I'd been wanting to see the Phantom of the Opera for a long time but I never knew it would be this good. The plot is about a deformed man that lives in the depths of the Paris Opera House. He's madly in love with Christine, an opera star, and he'll do anything (even murder) to get her. I liked the movie because the Phantom's face was about the scariest thing I've ever seen, and it made it ultrascary becuase in every scene the Phantom was in, the screen semed to be in shadow. The reason that Lon Chaney Sr. looked so scary was because he used wires to extend his eyes and gums.