Phantom of the Opera

Starring:Switchblade Symphony
Studio: Music Video Dist.
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Although it's not as bold as Oscar darling Chicago, The Phantom of the Opera continues the resuscitation of the movie musical with a faithful adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's blockbuster stage musical. Emmy Rossum glows in a breakout role as opera ingénue Christine Daae, and if phantom Gerard Butler isn't Rossum's match vocally, he does convey menace and sensuality in such numbers as "The Music of the Night." The most experienced musical theater veteran in the cast, romantic lead Patrick Wilson, sings sweetly but seems wooden. The biggest name in the cast, Minnie Driver, hams it up as diva Carlotta, and she's the only principal whose voice was dubbed (though she does sing the closing-credit number, "Learn to Be Lonely," which is also the only new song).

Director Joel Schumacher, no stranger to visual spectacle, seems to have found a good match in Lloyd Webber's larger-than-life vision of Gaston LeRoux's Gothic horror-romance. His weakness is cuing too many audience-reaction shots and showing too much of the lurking Phantom, but when he calms down and lets Rossum sings "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" alone in a silent graveyard, it's exquisite.

Read our CD buying guide
Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties.

DVD Features
The special edition of The Phantom of the Opera has two major extras. "Behind the Mask: The Story of The Phantom of the Opera" is an hourlong documentary tracing the genesis of the stage show, with interviews of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, director Harold Prince, producer Cameron Macintosh, lyricists Richard Stilgoe and Charles Hart, choreographer Gillian Lynne, and others. Conspicuously absent are stars Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford. Both do appear in video clips, including Brightman performing with Colm Wilkinson at an early workshop, and Crawford is the subject of a casting segment. Other brief scenes from the show are represented by a 2001 production. The other major feature is the 45-minute making-of focusing on the movie, including casting and the selection of director Joel Schumacher Both are well-done productions by Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group.

The deleted scene is a new song written by Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart, "No One Would Listen," sung by the Phantom toward the end of the movie. It's a beautiful song that, along with Madame Giry's story, makes him a more sympathetic character. But because that bit of backstory already slowed down the ending, it was probably a good move to cut the song. --David Horiuchi

More on The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)
The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)

Evita (DVD)
Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD)
More Broadway DVDs

Description

Musical Drama based on Andrew Lloyd Webber's celebrated musical phenomenon. The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a disfigured musical genius (Gerard Butler) who haunts the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera, waging a reign of terror over its occupants. When he falls fatally in love with the lovely Christine (Emmy Rossum), the Phantom devotes himself to creating a new star for the Opera, exerting a strange sense of control over the young soprano as he nurtures her extraordinary talents.

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:"No-one Would Listen" Approx. 4 Mins.
DVD ROM Features
Documentary:Behind the Mask - The Story of the Phantom of the Opera
Easter Eggs
Featurette:The Making of The Phantom of the Opera in 3 Spellbinding Acts: Preproduction, The Director, Production

Customer Reviews:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie. .......2007-07-09

Where to begin...I've seen the play 5 times in London and was left wanting seeing it once more on stage, i must have burned a hole in the CD of the original London cast (Where I came to know about Sarah Brightman).

When I heard they made a movie out of it I was thrilled and expected something good, I missed it in theatre, and somehow resisted the temptation to buy the DVD, and I'm glad I did for I got to see the thing on TV.
And it's an utter disaster, Emmy Rossum would do well to take acting classes pronto as I've never seen such a pathetic act : no emotions, stupid open mouth all the time. Gerard Butler could do better in acting but was by far not the worse...too bad he skipped singing classes because you just can't play the Phantom when you can't sing. Some of his songs are just plain painful to hear. The two directors show no passions or emotions in their roles. The role of "Raoul" is soapy, marshmallowy and badly played. I think the only one I truely enjoyed in this movie is Minnie Driver in her role as "Carlotta" as not only she can sing, but she can act.
Why they didn't cast some of those who played it on stage in the movie is simply beyhond me.

Could have used a better phantom.......2007-07-09

To start, I have seen the Phantom of the Opera on stage two times and regularly listen to the recording of the Broadway Cast, so perhaps I was expecting too much...

The Good ---------- The opening of the film was amazing and really grabbed my attention. The sets were amazing and the costuming was great. They were really able to bring the world of the Opera House to life. The director very closely followed the stage production, which I really appreciated. Emmy Rossum, who plays Christine is gorgeous and does a great job for the most part with the singing. Minnie Driver does a superb job portraying the diva, Carlotta. The rest of the supporting cast were great as well (singing, dancing and acting). Now for the bad...

The Bad ---------- In one of the songs, as they are traveling on the Phantom's boat for the first time, they added a very unnecessary and distracting electric guitar part to the song. Gerard Butler was a poor choice as the Phantom. In some songs, he is successful but the rest he does a very poor job on. I'm not sure why they couldn't just cast the Phantom with one of the Broadway/Off-Broadway actors who play the Phantom. Obviously they can act and sing since they perform the part night after night. Perhaps, it was felt that an actor that had been in previous films was necessary instead of a stage actor. If that was the case, maybe they should have had Butler lip-sync Michael Crawford singing the part. In addition to Gerard Butler's singing, the Phantom looks "too good." In the stage version, the Phantom's lip under the mask is noticeably disfigured. In the screen version, the Phantom has no noticeable disfigurement outside of the mask and is too much of a "pretty boy."

Conclusion ---------- If you've never seen the stage version, you will probably enjoy this film. But if you have it on stage or have listened to it by the Broadway Cast on CD...you will likely be disappointed by numerous parts of the film.

amazing.......2007-06-30

This set is amazing! The only thing I wish that was different is that you could get all the non song parts too. Other than that, the songs are wonderful, the music is amazing, and I've learned all the words!

Visually stunning but could have been much better.......2007-06-30

Although I have never seen the stage production, I do own a soundtrack of the original cast. I must say this pales in comparison. The two largest problems with this is that Emmy Rossum can sing but not act and Gerard Butler can act but not sing. Hardly a recipe for something wonderful. Rossum goes through the movie with two expressions, open-mouthed horror and open-mouthed awe. Butler, while he can keep pitch, does nothing close to justice to the incredible songs he has to sing. The actor of Raoul was fairly disappointing as well, not being what one would imagine a young dashing hero to be. The scene of him arriving on a white horse was especially cliched. It didn't help that the fight that follows was pretty unexciting.
That being said, it is a gorgeous looking movie. The sets and costumes are incredible and actually seeing what is happening does clarify some things on the soundtrack. I was let down by the masquerade ball however. Having everyone in black and white didn't make any sense, especially in contrast to the lyric's description of the ball itself. The Phantom in red could still have been stunning without the rest of the costumes being so drab.
All in all I was disappointed. They certainly could have picked better actors/singers to play the leads.

Captivating movie.......2007-06-28

Talk about total obsession, I bought this a year ago and held on to it until I saw the play the other nite, I have to say this is a well made movie, Gerard Butler as the Phantom was absolutely the man for the movie, I cant imagine anybody else playing his part, I saw the clips from the original with Sarah and there's no comparison, Gerard was so powerful as an actor, the way he portrayed the part especially when he was trying to seduce Emmy,sooooooooo sexy, anyway, I give this movie a 5 star.

The Phantom of the Opera (Full Screen Edition)

Average customer rating:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie.
Could have used a better phantom
amazing
Visually stunning but could have been much better
Captivating movie

The Phantom of the Opera (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler , Emmy Rossum , Patrick Wilson , Miranda Richardson , and Minnie Driver
Director: Joel Schumacher
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack)
Phantom of the Opera: Film Companion
Attila
The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel

ASIN: B0007TKNIS
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Those who consider the stage musical shallow and overblown probably won't have their minds changed by the movie, and devotees will forever rue that the movie took the better part of two decades to develop, which prevented the casting of original principals Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman. Still, The Phantom of the Opera is a welcome exception to the long line of ill-conceived Broadway-to-movie travesties. --David Horiuchi

Description

Customer Reviews:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie. .......2007-07-09

Could have used a better phantom.......2007-07-09

amazing.......2007-06-30

Visually stunning but could have been much better.......2007-06-30

Captivating movie.......2007-06-28

The Phantom of the Opera (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie.
Could have used a better phantom
amazing
Visually stunning but could have been much better
Captivating movie

The Phantom of the Opera (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Gerard Butler , Emmy Rossum , Patrick Wilson , Miranda Richardson , and Minnie Driver
Director: Joel Schumacher
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack)
Phantom of the Opera: Film Companion
Attila
The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel

ASIN: B0007TKNII
Release Date: 2005-05-03

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie. .......2007-07-09

Could have used a better phantom.......2007-07-09

amazing.......2007-06-30

Visually stunning but could have been much better.......2007-06-30

Captivating movie.......2007-06-28

Average customer rating:

Great musical
If you love Phantom, this is a MUST HAVE
In dreams he came
Great transfer
Video Quality Review (Blu-ray)

The Phantom of the Opera [Blu-ray]
Starring: Imogen Bain , Paul Brooke , Alan Cumming , Ciarán Hinds , and Kevin McNally
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray]
The Departed [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]
Chicago [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000JLSLZQ
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Description

Customer Reviews:

Great musical.......2007-04-13

I bought this movie from Fry's. My whole family loves it. It has beautiful musical, and story. It is totally beyond my expectation. On 50" 1080i plasma with HDMI, the image is crytal clear and gorgeous. A great buy.

If you love Phantom, this is a MUST HAVE.......2007-04-01

At less than $20, this is a no brainer. If you are planning to own the movie, have it in blu-ray.

Aside from the well known picture quality differences between DVD and the blu-ray, this disc includes special features that must be close to two hours. From how this phantom project got started, to the casting of the crew, to showing all the team members (singing to the tune of the phantom), these special features simply help complete the story.

I LOVE the original musical, this movie version only adds to it. Of course, movies are not as intimate as watching live theatre, however, the camera angles, the visual effects, the costume all makes this a really nice movie to own. Love the movie cast!

Last but not least, a DVD upscaled provides a nice picture already. However, having it in high definition just makes the scenes and details so real.

In dreams he came.......2007-03-19

Sumptuous, rich, lush and inviting. Like a gilt-edged dream, Joel Schumacher's "Phantom of the Opera" is a triumphant love note to beauty, song and scenery.

Adapted from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical (and Gaston Leroux's novel), this movie ends up being beautiful in every scene, with solid acting and and a tragic antihero. The singing, the sumptuous sets, the acting -- all are the ingredients of a musical tour de force.

In 1870, a Paris opera house is under new management -- just as diva Carlotta (Minnie Driver, a glorious diva-from-hell) is almost killed by a stage curtain, and stomps out. Fortunately Christine Daae (Emmy Rossum), taught by a mystery tutor, can take over the soprano's role, and soon becomes famous for her singing. Even better, it catches the attention of her childhood sweetheart, Vicomte Raoul (Patrick Wilson).

But Raoul doesn't realize that Christine was taught by a disfigured, tortured genius who hides under the opera house. And the Phantom of the Opera is not only determined that Christine should be the star, but also be his wife. And he's willing to kill for it. Can Raoul break the Phantom's hold over Christine, or will she embrace "the music of the night"?

Watching this, it's hard to believe that it was directed by the same guy who did "Phone Booth" and the awful "Batman and Robin." Instead it looks as if the love child of Jean Cocteau and Peter Jackson decided to direct a musical, swathed in masks, roses, gilt angels, snow and velvet.

And it all wraps around Webber's solid songs ("Turn your face away from the garish light of day/turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light/and listen to the music of the night!") from the stage musical. Most of the lines are sung, which surprisingly doesn't detract from their believability. And there's plenty of fun with the cameras, whether it's the dizzying views of the backstage, or a zoom through a stone floor to the Phantom's face.

Schumacher also adds a few extra scenes, including a sword fight between Raoul and the Phantom, which makes the vicomte seem more passionate; and a flashback to the Phantom's horrific childhood. What's more, the story is framed by scenes from forty years later -- sepia-toned scenes in the dusty remains of the Opera.

The three most prominent roles are what make or break this movie, and in this case, the casting is nearly ideal. Rossum has the ingenue looks -- and the powerful pipes -- to carry off the role of Christine, torn between her love and her passion. Similarly, Patrick Wilson gives some brains and strength to Raoul, and despite the romantic appeal of the Phantom, Raoul isn't hard to cheer for.

Gerard Butler is a bit more difficult. Most of the time his singing is solid, and his acting is powerful and tragic as the "loathsome gargoyle, who burns in hell, but secretly yearns for heaven." The scene where he tries to seduce Christine is deeply sensual. But occasionally his performance gets really hammy, such as the unmasking, where he flings himself around screaming, "You little prying Pandora! You little demon!"

And how does the blu-ray measure up? Well, the regular DVD was hailed for its sumptuous colours and visuals, as well as the lovely songs. Those things are all enhanced by the blu-ray release -- everything just seems so much more brilliant.

Lush, exquisite and passionate, "The Phantom of the Opera" is a solid adaptation of Webber's musical, with good acting and excellent direction. A triumph for "the music of the night."

Great transfer.......2007-02-19

I haven't seen the musical, but have the soundtrack to it. I think this movie is a faithful rendition of the musical. The video transfer is great quality, the colors are fantastic! There were some jerky frames at the beginning for some reason. The audio is also excellent. Great dynamic range and clarity. I highly recommend this disc!

Video Quality Review (Blu-ray).......2007-01-31

The Phantom of the Opera has been the premier demo disk for High Definition TVs and Projectors for some time now. When trying to show off, at various trade shows, not only the detail but the contrast of a new product the HD-DVD of The Phantom of the Opera would always find its way on screen. Now we have it on Blu-ray, the same encoding in fact. It isn't just the transfer, near perfect, which makes this disc such a treat but the lavishness of the film itself. Rich colors, ornate details, vibrant bright scenes next to detailed dark ones; a sense of depth is throughout this musical. What little film grain there is is in keeping with a perfectly maintained film source. This is a top shelf Blu-ray release that will bring out the full range of color and contrast that your TV can display.

(PS3 - 1080p projector - 92")

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)

Average customer rating:

Very Interesting
Should have read the other reviews before purchasing.....
Night Creatures
hammerseries
Defective Discs

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Starring: Hammer Horror Series
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Horror | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

( H ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)
The Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)
Hammer Horror Collection (The Curse of Frankenstein / Dracula Has Risen from the Grave / Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed / Horror of Dracula / The Mummy / Taste the Blood of Dracula)
Dracula A.D. 1972
The King Kong Collection (King Kong 2-Disc Special Edition/Son of Kong/Mighty Joe Young)

ASIN: B0009X770O
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Description

Hammer Films, one of the most celebrated horror studios in the history of cinema, presents 8 classic horror films in one collection. From Dracula to Frankenstein, werewolves to phantoms, the Hammer Horror Series showcases some of the most terrifying monsters in the history of cinema and features legendary performances by Peter Cushing, Oliver Reed and Janette Scott.

Customer Reviews:

Very Interesting.......2007-07-03

This collection contains eight movies that propose a different kind of suspense and horror. The most of them are filmed in color, but there are two (Paranoia and Nightmare) that were done in black and white. Although the temes are classic of the horror movies( vampires, werewolfs, etc), the style of the cinematography is different.

If you like the good horror films, this is an excellent choice.

Should have read the other reviews before purchasing............2007-06-06

I was so excited when my Hammer Horror Series DVDs came in the mail yesterday. But when I started watching it last night, during Curse of the Werewolf, it completely froze up. I should have read the other reviews of this before purchasing. I didn't even bother to watch any of the other films because I finally read all the negative reviews and am just going to send it back. I truly hope Universal has changed from DVD-18 to DVD-9, because I was really anticipating watching these!

I hope the problem has been fixed by this time.

Night Creatures.......2007-05-13

Remembered from my youth, really enjoyed catching up with it again. I could not get my player to play without the subtitles but it didn't spoil it.

hammerseries.......2007-04-11

save your cash.this is a letdown collection.don't misunderstand:that's not to say that hammer studios failed to live up to their usual great standards concerning the horror movie genre;it's the powers-that- be that determine which movies go into a particular collection.no studio makes great movies with every attempt;hammer's no exception to this rule.there's really only one good movie in this collection(evil of frankenstein):brides of dracula is also passable.everything else...junk.

Defective Discs.......2007-03-25

While I enjoyed the movies in this set that I was able to access, I had to return it because neither Evil of Frankenstein nor Curse of the Werewolf would play properly. I should have been advised by the warnings of other customers who had similar problems. Live and learn.

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Edition) [HD DVD]

Average customer rating:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie.
Could have used a better phantom
amazing
Visually stunning but could have been much better
Captivating movie

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Edition) [HD DVD]
Starring: Wilson , Richardson , Hinds , and Rossum
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Musicals & Performing Arts | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Phantom of the Opera (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack)
Phantom of the Opera: Film Companion
Attila
The Phantom of the Opera: The Original Novel

ASIN: B000E5KJD4
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Product Description

HD DVD - Phantom Of The Opera Actors: Gerard Butler, Emmy Rossum, Patrick Wilson, Miranda Richardson, Minnie Driver Directors: Joel Schumacher Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.) Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 Number of discs: 1 Studio: Warner Home Video DVD Release Date: April 18, 2006 DVD Features: Available Subtitles: English, Spanish, French Available Audio Tracks: English (), English (), French () 1080p High Definition 16x9 Dolby True-HD English 5.1, Dolby Digital-Plus English 5.1, Dolby Digital-Plus Francais (Quebec) 5.1 Behind the Mask: The Story of the Phantom of the Opera Three making-of featurettes: preproduction, the director, production Additional scene: No One Would Listen Theatrical trailer Cast & crew singalong

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

If you loved it on stage...give a total miss to the movie. .......2007-07-09

Could have used a better phantom.......2007-07-09

amazing.......2007-06-30

Visually stunning but could have been much better.......2007-06-30

Captivating movie.......2007-06-28

Phantom of the Opera [1990 TV Mini Series]

Average customer rating:

Artistic Phantom with a twist
By Far "The" Phantom.
Bravo
Holy smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Worth more than 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Phantom of the Opera [1990 TV Mini Series]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Miniseries | Television | Genres | DVD | Video

The Phantom of the Opera
Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)
Phantom
Phantom of the Opera

ASIN: B000AIR1CC

Product Description

This is a Region Free DVD of the classic 1990 TV mini series THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA starring Burt Lancaster, Teri Polo and Charles Dance This adaptation of Gaston Leroux's indefatigable 'grand guignol' piece "The Phantom of the Opera" stars British actor Charles Dance as Erik the Phantom. This adaptation by playwright Arthur Kopit soft-pedals the horrific elements of the story to concentrate on the love the tragic Erik bears toward innocent chorus singer Christine Daee (Teri Polo). The film boasts a stronger supporting cast than was usual for a TV movie, including Burt Lancaster (as the masked phantom's father), Ian Richardson and Jean-Pierre Cassel. The 1990 Phantom of the Opera reunited director Tony Richardson and composer John Addison, who'd both won Oscars for "Tom Jones". Filmed on location in France, Phantom was originally telecast in two 90 minute installments. Please note this is a Korean import DVD. Although there is some Korean writing on the outer packaging, the film menus and audio are completely in English. There are optional (removable) Korean and English subtitles available. The movie quality is equal to the US version.

Customer Reviews:

Artistic Phantom with a twist.......2007-07-07

This verison of the Phantom is like watching a picutre diary of the Phantom and Christine's love story. THe love story begins when Gerard Carrier(Burt Lancaster) is dismissed from his post as manager of the Paris Oper house, and new manager named Cholet and his wife Carolotta take over management of the opera hous. Erik the Phantom(Charles Dance) can't stand Carolotta with her diva personality and her husband who will give her anything she wants. At this time of transition Christine Daae(Terri Polo) comes to the Paris Opera house sent by the Comte de Chagny(Adam Stoke) for music lessons. Carolotta can't stand the fact that Christine is beatiuful and lovable so she puts her to work in the costume department. She has no place to stay and lives in an old storage room in the Opera hous. One night as Christine is singing by herself on the stage Erik sees her and approaches her with an offer for music lessons. As the lessons progress Christine becomes an angelic singer and Erik the Phantom falls more in love with her.
Weeks later, she sings at the Bistro and everyone is awestruck with the voice that came from the silent girl. Christine then begins to rekindle her relationship with the Comte de Changhy. Later she is asked to sing the lead in "Faust", but Carolotta gives her something and she loses her voice. The Phantom is fuirous, and he makes the...fall. Then he takes Christine down to his lair where he reverages Carlotta for Christine. Carrier finds Christine and tries to convince her to go, but she doesn't leave. Carrier begins to tell her the story of Erik's past, and he confesses that he is father to Erik. Christine decides not to leave, and goes on a pinic with Erik in the lovely forrest near his home. She asks to see his...and faints. Then Christine tries to escape and does. Soon, "Faust" is sung again with Christine and the Phantom and the end of this movie will touch your heart and make you feel romantic!
This film is highly romantic unlike the other Phantom reworkings of the story, and was based on a play by Arthur Kopit, which is supposed to have been the greatest hit to never come to Broadway or the West End. The director of photography did a wonderful job with the frames of this film. The light is lovely, and though the film is slow-paced you feel as if is it worth your time for the character development. Charles Dance and Terri Polo definetly have chemistry on screen. Though it may have never made it to the big screen this film is made with the greatest quality work. This great for any Phantom fan who didn't get enough from ALW 2004 film, I wonder why they won't do another one? Recommended for family watching as well. Praise all artist who worked on this film with such loving caring.

By Far "The" Phantom........2007-05-10

I first saw this version of the Phantom several years ago, on A&E, for Mother's Day and was swept off my feet. I hunted all over for it everywhere, except online, with no success. I hoped that this was the right version of the Movie I was looking for. I didn't get my hopes up until the openning scenes of the Opera House. I lost my breath and cried in those moments because, I had found it. I cast off my plans for the day to stay and watch. By the end of the movie, I was swept off my feet again. My second time with this chance to see this one again, I was left in an afterglow that could only be explained with chocolate covered strawberries, champagne, and being wrapped in silk. Everyone is going to be jealous they don't have one....

Bravo.......2007-02-24

This is the best of Phantom--the production in London is excellent, the newer version is well done--especially the beginning, yet for me, none compare to this version of Phantom. One of the best...great enjoyment.

Holy smokes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-01-02

Tis is the best of the best, it's the bomb, this phantom story sort of follows the Broadway musical because it has the chandelier crash at the end of the 1st act. The only thing i dislike about it is at the end when the phantom gets shot and falls off the opera but the film does have some comedy in it.

Worth more than 5 stars!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2006-08-10

Oh...my...gosh! This is best film version of The Phantom of the Opera ever!!!!!!!! Charles Dance is brilliant as the Phantom!!! He was meant for the part of the Phantom! Burt Lancaster was great as the Phantom's Daddy;It's so depressing that he's dead:( Teri Pollo was great as Christine as well.

Average customer rating:

NOT AT ALL ACCURATE, BUT VERY ENTERTAINING!
Phantom of the Opera
NO LONGER A PHANTOM!!
Love quadrangle in the 40's
a little more phantom,a little less opera might have made this one good

Phantom of the Opera
Starring: Nelson Eddy , Susanna Foster , Claude Rains , Edgar Barrier , and Leo Carrillo
Director: Arthur Lubin
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Period Piece | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)
The Phantom of the Opera
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Phantom of the Opera
Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera

ASIN: 078324097X
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Amazon.com

This 1943 version of the horror story is more Technicolor musical than scare piece. Claude Rains plays the unfortunate, masked anti-hero, but he doesn't get the room to showcase a promising and sympathetic performance. Susanna Foster and Nelson Eddy, on the other hand, get plenty of screen time to warble. Well worth a visit just for the look of the film, which won an Oscar for cinematography. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

NOT AT ALL ACCURATE, BUT VERY ENTERTAINING!.......2007-04-15

CLAUDE RAINS WAS A PHANTASTIC PHANTOM IN THE 1943 MOVIE! HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT AT ALL ACCURATE, THIS PHANTOM WAS NAMED ENRIQUE, WAS SCARRED BY ACID, AND PLAYED ONLY THE VIOLIN AND PIANO. SUSANNA FOSTER DID VERY WELL AS CHRISTINE. SHE WAS POLITE, BUT COULD BE ASSERTIVE...SHE WAS BLONDE:-). BUT HER LAST NAME WAS DUBOIS! OH WELL, THE MUSIC WAS GREAT...I RECOMMEND THIS TO ALL PHANTOM AND CLASSIC HORROR FANS.

Phantom of the Opera.......2006-08-22

I enjoyed and am enjoying this film--not the usual Nelson Eddy but still good. DVD received in good condition.

NO LONGER A PHANTOM!!.......2006-07-26

I SAW THIS MOVIE AS A CHILD ON TV MANY YEARS AGO WHEN TELEVISION PROGRAMMING INCLUDED CLASSIC MOVIES ON A DAILY BASIS. IT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES. ALTHOUGH THE FILM DOES NOT INCLUDE A TRUE ACCOUNT OF THE CHARACTER CHRISTINE, AND HER RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT OF THE ACTOR, CLAUDE RAINS, AS IT IS PORTRAYED IN THE BOOK; I AM STILL GLAD THAT I FINALLY HAVE COPY OF THIS MOVIE. I AM A LOVER OF "LONG HAIRED" MUSIC, AND I WATCH THIS MOVIE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, JUST TO SEE THE OPERA SEQUENCES. THE SPECIAL FEATURES ARE A DEFINITE ADDED TREAT. THANKS!!

Love quadrangle in the 40's.......2006-07-01

Classic tale, told with a dated look, likeable but also empty.

What's more amazing is the life story of "Susanna Foster" (Christine Dubois), loved by three ardent men and adored by hundreds in this fiction, and living a downhill life in real life.
It's interesting for opera buffs like myself to see a bit of the "backstage" of the renowned Paris Opera, the jealousies, miseries and intrigues. The best phrase, by far, is the one put into the mouth of "Liszt": "So many crimes have been committed in the name of music, we may well make one to prevent one" (but better said). There's also a joke that's actually fun made by the music director, at least the audience agreed with me when we saw it.

The characters are made in cardboard, as fake as the scenery. "Vereheres" is a case in point.
Specially what Neil Doyle from U.S.A. points out in IMDB: "silly routines as they compete for the hand of Foster".
As Gary F. Taylor "GFT" (Biloxi, MS USA) writes in Amazon: "The Phantom had gone musical. (...) But in terms of actual story interest, the film is only so-so". It has a "sanitized" tone, surely explained by it being made during the war. I also agree to his: "pace is slow, sometimes to the point of clunkiness".

The only acting I liked was the one of Claude Rains. Find his complete quote in IMDB: "Often we'd secretly like to do the very things we discipline ourselves against..".
He's got very beautiful (albeit mad) lines while he's taking Christine to the Opera's catacombs. But they get muddled into the whole pastiche...
Music is very good, specially if you've heard the operas before. I liked the scene with Oneguin a lot, found it fun and refreshing.
As many reviewers write, there's no horror, just a musical. And the phantom is NEVER seductive, unless you can call a destructive mad wreck of a human being so.

Funnily enough, the main characters have chic French surnames (Dubois, D'Aubert), which leads me to confirm that at least some Americans think French equals chic. Whereas the "baddies" are Italian "Signor Ferretti", and the mischievous Biancarolli. "Italian means mafia" for Hollywood? The stereotype is long lived...

The jokes are tart, the heroines wear too much makeup, and the villain never really convinces as a menace. The ending is fine, truly!

After watching this, I don't feel sorry for having missed the 2004 remake by Schumacher, nor paying a dime and spent valuable time in London to watch the L. Weber musical.
Well, Joel has made some the worse films ever, ie "Bad company"... And Lloyd Webber... Woody Allen says it all in a subtle second of his masterful "Match Point".

I guess it's good to watch films like this or the superior King Kong (1933) with the helpful aide of an art house critic, who can enlighten the uninitiated -like me- to things like the gothic element underlying the rococo exterior. Or the romantic idea of beauty leading to suffering.
While it doesn't achieve cult status, it's a nice addenda to any "Phantom completist", as another reviewer puts it.

Overall, much less than anticipated. "Beauty and the beast" but without the emotion that the old Kong can yield.

a little more phantom,a little less opera might have made this one good.......2006-05-24

with over half the running time taken up with opera songs this is really a musical instead of a horror movie. if you like opera you may find something here you like,but if chills are what you want, SKIP IT!!!!!!!

The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)

Average customer rating:

The original Phantom of the Opera
THE ACTORS ACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love it!
Non Existant Film
Wow

The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)
Starring: Olive Ann Alcorn , Joseph Belmont , Arthur Edmund Carewe , Lon Chaney , and Roy Coulson
Director: Rupert Julian , and Ernst Laemmle
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Phantom of the Opera
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
TCM Archives - The Lon Chaney Collection (The Ace of Hearts / Laugh, Clown, Laugh / The Unknown)
The Phantom of the Opera

ASIN: B0000AKY58
Release Date: 2003-09-09

Customer Reviews:

The original Phantom of the Opera.......2007-06-20

Perhaps the most famous horror movie of all time, and still eerie enough today to give you goose-bumps, Julian's "Phantom" stars legendary spook Lon Chaney as the titular musical maniac. Not only did the film reinforce Chaney's huge celebrity status, it virtually solidified Universal Studios' reputation as purveyors of bone-chilling horror fare. Just watch the infamous unmasking of Chaney as he sits at the organ in the film's climax and you'll see why this creepy tale has inspired so many remakes, spoofs, and rip-offs, not to mention Weber's long-running musical.

THE ACTORS ACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-12

Read some negative reviews(SIGH!)on this movie which displays
thee most horrific face in movie history!Lon Chaney is so one
of a kind that I could write a novel on him.For those of you who
are not to aware of his talent,this is a good place to start.
He was born to deaf parents and because of that it contributed
to his posture and form of acting.I am a HUGE movie fanatic and
have seen the best actress's and actors in the buisness but even
now 2007 NO ONE! Even you Peter Sellers(and I love ya)like everyone
else has to take a backseat to the MASTER of acting.Long live Chaney!
Also recommend The unholy 3(1930)

Love it!.......2007-05-06

One of the best movies I've ever seen. Lon Chaney is just great, and I really like the music. I love the ballet scenes too! This is a great movie, buy it!!!!

Non Existant Film.......2007-04-21

this is one of the very few silent pictures I've not picked up a good DVD version of yet and I was reading keviny01 review....

"On both DVDs, the "Bal Masque" scene is shown in two-strip Technicolor, with the color on the Milestone disc looking a little more realistic. Also, in order to duplicate the original film as much as possible, some of the color scenes on the Milestone disc were actually digitally colored (such as the phantom's red cape at the roof of the opera house), because there is no existing color footage for them."

do you mean for an original film negative or restored print?

Because if a restored print counts then YES ONE DOES!!!!
I first saw this movie in a customer's house the is a film collector and he has a restored Kodakrome print of it....with the red cape on the roof top scene. Every version I've picked up of this movie it's always in black and white which is a crying shame cause that is something to see.

Now mind you the Reds have bled out over the years but it's still something!

at least I know I can get to see it done up in this version when I pick it up.

Wow.......2007-04-19

Now I used to own a copy of this on VHS, you know the type: the one with all the worn lines running on and off througout the movie. Anyway I finally upgraded it to DVD a few weeks ago...oh my god, the picture is freakin increadable! You can SEE EVERYTHING!! Someone went to great pains to make sure of it too, every detail is crisp with the occasional blurr and age lines, but that's to be expected, I mean the film's pretty old. But other than that, you got yourself an extremely upgraded Chaney flick, one of his most famous ones I think. Oh, did I happen to mention you actually have MUSIC going on during this too? That's right, some sound with your movie. I encourage you topurchase this, you won't regret it, at least I didn't...

Average customer rating:

ACCURACY IS QUESTIONABLE
Hmmm...
Freddy's got a new gig
What The Hell!!!!!!
First Freddy, then the Phantom, Whose Next...

The Phantom of the Opera
Starring: Robert Englund , Jill Schoelen , Alex Hyde-White , Bill Nighy , and Stephanie Lawrence
Director: Dwight H. Little
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)
Dario Argento's Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Phantom of the Opera [1990 TV Mini Series]

ASIN: B00062IVLM
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Amazon.com

Trading tragic romance for Faustian malevolence, the 1989 version of The Phantom of the Opera is a surprisingly good example of '80s horror. It was dismissed as gory trash by most critics (no doubt because Kevin Yagher's gruesome makeup effects are effectively revolting), but horror buffs will be more forgiving of this lush production, which ranks well above average for horror films of its time. Set in Victorian London and shot mostly in Budapest, Hungary (for period architecture), the film reunites director Dwight Little (Halloween 4) with "Freddie Krueger" himself, Robert Englund, who had worked together on the Nightmare on Elm Street-based TV series Freddie's Nightmares. It's a good pairing, as Englund does some of his finest work as the Phantom, seen here as a horribly disfigured composer who patches his scarred and mangled face with stitched-on flesh, and makes a deal with the devil to be immortalized through his music. His muse, as always, is the lovely diva-to-be Christine, and the casting of Jill Schoelen gives the film added cachet among genre fans (who will recognize her from the 1987 cult hit The Stepfather). While bearing little resemblance to Lon Chaney's 1925 classic, this Phantom is actually more loyal to Gaston Leroux's original novel, and therefore deserves as much acknowledgement as any other version of the story. Certainly not a classic, but well worth a look. --Jeff Shannon

Description

In this house of music, evil strikes the final chord! Horror legend Robert Englund (A Nightmare on Elm Street) assumes the classic role of the Phantom in this shocking, nerve-jangling retelling of Gaston LerouxÂ's timeless tale of music, madness and murder! An aspiring opera singer finds herself transported back to Victorian-era London Â- and into the arms of a reclusive, disfigured maestro determined to make her a star. The silver-throated Christine (Jill Schoelen) enjoys success through the arrangements of her new lover (Englund)Â...until she realizes that he has been committing unspeakably grisly murders in her honor and wonÂ't stop until heÂ's completed his masterpieceÂ...in blood!

Customer Reviews:

ACCURACY IS QUESTIONABLE.......2007-04-15

YES, THIS VERSION HAS KEPT THE FAUSTIAN ELEMENT IN THIS CLASSIC TALE HOWEVER, THEY MADE THE PHANTOM INTO A SLASHER!!!! HE IS NOT ENTIRLEY EVIL, NOR IS HE A HOPLESS ROMANTIC, ERIK IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MYSTERY, AN UNATAINABLE SPECTRE WHO IS EVERYTHING A MAN CAN BE. SO HE HAS THE SLASHER THING IN HIM, JUST DON'T OVER DO IT! THE MUSIC WAS FINE. I AM JUST A LITTLE UPSET BY THE WHOLE "TIME-TRAVEL" THING...

Hmmm..........2007-04-08

I hate to say this, but no matter what perspective I take on this movie, I just don't like it.

I am an obsessive PotO Phan, so this movie in regards to being a tragic tale of romance and passion was a huge disapointment. It turned out to be completely lust on Erik's part, and quite well taken care of at that (He didn't really need Christine). Before watching it the first time, knowing it was a blood-and-guts slasher I decided NOT to make any comparisons of the romances portrayed in any other version, but I couldn't help but feel extremely dissapointed in that aspect.

As a horror, this movie hits near the top of most gory movies I have seen, up there with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, but the story istelf and the characters had little to no developement. The one part I enjoyed was when the Phantom acted like the Phantom is supposed to, enraptured in the gentle embrace of Christine's voice (of which there was very little); but right after that he went out and randomly killed some more people.

All this movie was was a lot of blood and guts with a famous title on it to make it seem better than it was.

I have to admit the effects where amazing, and the makeup immaculate, however, in real life there would be a lot of scar tissue over a wound like that, and it would not bleed buckets of fresh blood everytime he aired his wounds. Especially since it was so... clean when he wore "makeup."

The time-paradoxes really bothered me too, as does the fact that very very little is explained at all, such as WHY he's obsessed with Christine, WHY he goes all ninja in the alleyway, and WHY he goes through the painful process of reconstructing his face every day instead of just wearing a freakin mask.

I liked the red death costume. I didn't like the red death mask. But that's just me, and has nothing to do with the rating of the film. I didn't like it, but you might. At any rate, if you're looking to expand your experiances or maybe just your collection of the Phantom, I would reccomend it, if you can get a good deal on it.

Freddy's got a new gig.......2007-02-27

I really liked this movie. It is a nice change to the orginal Phantom of the Opera and a gory one at that. The acting was very good and the story line solid. Don't get me wrong, I do like the orginal and the remake of the orginal that was a big Hollywood hit. But this one puts a different edge on the story and it makes it a little different and interesting also. I do recommend it to any horror fan that likes the story of The Phantom of the Opera.

What The Hell!!!!!!.......2006-06-04

I'm sorry but this movie is the wierdest. First of I love Robert Engund, but no mater what part he is playing his face is always screwed up. To tell you the truth you cant see him with his scared face, but when he takes his face off he look much better lol. Anyay in this POTO story he skins his victims and takes there skins and puts it on his (that can't be healthy). And Chrastine is an AMERICAN singing at a LONDON OPERA HOUSE NOT A FRENCH OPERA HOUSE. I hate it when they screw up the story and change Chratines last name. Anywho back to the story, once agian Raul's name isnt Raul its Richrad, but is not really importen because I don't really care about him. In this movie they try to make it a cool action movie. You know the ones with the really crappy sound affects, that what is in this film. So if you are a big ass POTO fan like me and have to see every POTO movie, then its pefect for you. Oh two more things, in the beginning its modern times, but then Chriatine gets knocked out during her auddition for Les Miseable (it seems like it probely not) it flashes back to the past and then when the past is done they go back to maderen times, and POTO stands for The Phantom Of The Opera for those who didnt know that.

First Freddy, then the Phantom, Whose Next..........2006-05-09

Robert Englud is the only reason to see this film. He takes the role of The Phantom to the extreme. Robert is an excellent pick for this film to play the phantom. The movie really dosen't follow the broadway version. Or by the original book. But it was still pretty good. But i think it could've been a little scaryer. But Robert Englund Rocks.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

The Girl from Monterey (1943) DVD

Damned: Final Damnation

Lucky Luke, Vol. 4: Ma Dalton

DVD: Ghost Chase

Reel Stories - The Truth Behind Hollywood Blockbusters - Tro

The Phantom of the Opera (Special Extended Edition Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (2004 Movie Soundtrack) (CD)	The Phantom of the Opera (Original 1986 London Cast) (CD)
Evita (DVD)	Andrew Lloyd Weber: The Royal Albert Hall Celebration (DVD)	More Broadway DVDs