Customer Reviews

Phantom of the Opera [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I suppose most "purists" consider earlier versions starring Lon Chaney and Claude Rains, respectfully, as being the best of this oft-interpreted story. I, for one, have fond memories of this Hammer adaptation starring Herbert Lom, the hapless police commissioner in "The Pink Panther" series.

His "phantom" is sympathetic, forceful, and completely mesmerizing. The actor has a voice that commands attention. It is amazing to me that his career was not more remarkable that it was.

The music, especially the last aria "sung" by "Christine," is superb. Obviously, Hammer felt that that element deserved a full treatment so they sparred no expense in that area.

Terence Fisher has crafted a wonderful film that ranks as one of the studio's better adaptations of classic literature.

Michael Gough, late as "Alfred" in the "Batman" series, plays Lord D'Ambrose Darcy with such complete arrogance and deceit that you cringe every time he is on screen. No one else could have played such an unlikeable character.

Let this Phantom cast his spell over you!

Hammer's version of the Phantom starts right in with odd happenings at the opera like missing music, destroyed instruments and stories of ghosts. On opening night of the opera (which is about Joan of Arc) a man is hanged and the star singer leaves because of it. The opera's producer and the house manager try to find a replacement and deal with the opera's obnoxious creator who tries to control every step of the opera. A young women named Christine is picked for the starring role, but the Phantom hears her and takes her away to his underground lair. This is the finest version of the Phantom because the Chaney version offers a strong performance for the phantom, but the story strays and becomes very awkward at times. The Universal version offers a fine phantom played by Claude Rains, but gets bogged down by too much singing and it takes the film nearly half an hour to really get going. This version jumps right into the story and never slows down, the interest level is high throughout the film and the the pace is consistent. Herbert Lom offers a more low key, almost sympathetic phantom. Michel Gough deserves mention for a great job as the overbearing Lord Ambrose D'Arcy. The Phantom did not really need an assistant and he never professes his love for Christine as much as he does just for the musical ability she has. This is still a fine film for Hammer and the best Phantom to date.

Although this Phantom may seem a bit " corny " to some folks, I like it much better than the other two film versions, and it is MUCH better than the insipid stage production by Lloyd-Weber. I love this Herbert Lom Phantom for a number of reasons, but mainly I enjoy the totally convincing bittersweet performance given by Herbert Lom as the Phantom, and I also truly love the somewhat sentimental, but gorgeous MUSIC throughout the movie. I especially enjoy one of the final scenes, when Christine, (the "prodigy " of the Phantom), sings the role of Joan of Arc(written by the Phantom, but stolen and published by Lord D'Arcy). This film music, which I believe was actually taken from a work by Charles Gounod, is so beautiful and poignant, that I weep like a baby every time that I see it---which is something I almost never do watching a movie. At any rate, get the movie by heck or by high water, but please get it, you will enjoy it.

I've seen all of them from the original with organ backgroud music to the latest Hollywood attempt. This version to me was the best. There seems to be alot of character development where all the others just want to see who can create more violence. We have to remember in alot of ways that this is really a love story of music and a opera. This version with its, i think, original music is wonderful. I have always wished that there was a recording of this somewhere because the music is extremely powerful, climatic and strong. The acting is the best you'll see on the screen in years the voice of Christine is magical. Wish this version would come out on DVD. I'm just wondering how the musical version will hold up seeing that there isn't any talent in Hollywood these days. I hope Andrew Loyd Webber has the good sence to do this film right and stay away from American Movie actors. I hope that his new movie attempt of stars come from the stage. We will see in December 2004!

Like the 1990 version of the Phantom movie starring Charles Dance as my beloved Erik, I got quite a few guilty pleasures out of this particular version of the movie.

Yes, just like most of the other movies on the Phantom, this one took extreme liberties with the story. Don't look to this one for technical and/or "historical accuracy." (ie-it's not much like Leroux's story).

However, the SPIRIT of what makes Erik so appealing is kept intact. I never viewed Erik as a sinister man, and so the sympathetic portrayal is well appreciated by this viewer.

According to the novels I have read on Erik, he is a tough, workaholic Maestro. However, he also has a side to him that is big-hearted and passionate enough to put his own personal safety on the line. This side of Erik which I find appealing is all kept intact.

If you are looking for a movie that remains loyal to Leroux's novel, this one is not for you. If you just want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good gothic horror/romance movie, this one is a good choice to consider.

*** SPOILERS ***
This 1962 Hammer Films' Herbert Lom version of The Phantom of the Opera still speaks to me more than all the other versions, even though it is far different from the Gaston Leroux story, and likewise different from the Webber musical. Some of the reasons the Hammer Film works for me more than the others are the cast, the foggy London atmosphere, the art direction and above all, the score by Edwin Astley. It made perfect sense to have the opera within the story be based on Joan of Arc rather than Don Juan which we see in some of the other versions. Joan of Arc, like the Phantom in this version, was consumed by fire, and Christine (exquisitely played by Heather Sears), like Joan, hears voices instructing her. Joan hears the voice of God and Christine hears the phantom, (Professor Petrie in this version) who instructs her that if she listens to him her singing will be greater than the greatest.

As many know, the real villian in this version is Lord Ambrose D'Arcy, performed with relish by Hammer regular Michael Gough. He's truly sleezy and arrogant and the scene at a fancy restaurant where he attempts to coerce Christine to get her to come to his apartment for "training" is classic Hammer. There are a few good scares in the film, but the violence in this version is not assigned to the phantom, but to a mute dwarf character who seems to be the phantom's protector and confidant. I know many Hammer fans dislike this aspect of the story, but I always felt the idea believable and correct. It gave the catacombs/sewers sequences an added sense of realism.

As the love interest / the director of the opera, Edward de Souza couldn't have been a better choice. Class and charm all the way, his scenes with Heather Sears - particularly the night coach ride - have a romantic chemistry that few Hammer films equal. Herbert Lom, who plays the Professor Petrie / Phantom character is really a fine actor, and although I've read that he didn't enjoy working with Hammer, his performance is one of the best things about the film. His voice has a deep resonance that fills one with dread while suggesting intelligence and compassion at the same time. And that one-eyed mask he wears! Simple and horrific - really scarier than the scarred face beneath.

Astley's score is probably the best ever to come out of Hammer, and it's a shame it's unavailable as a soundtrack release. It's full-blown and memorable, complete with a Joan of Arc opera the composer wrote just for the film. Joan's Aria at the story's cllimax with Petrie watching from Box 5, is one of the great moments in Hammer history.

This film was released in a so-so laserdisc version years ago, but it needs to be remastered for DVD in the letterbox format. The aspect ratio is probably 1 to 1.66, so the letterbox would be slight, but it makes a difference, particularly with the opera sequences. And the audio really needs to be cleaned up - the laserdisc was atrociously noisy. This is not a film for those who are hung up with the Webber musical (which I also like). If that's what you expect going into this, you'll be disappointed, but if you understand what Hammer Films were trying to achieve within their limited budgets, you might really enjoy this moody version of the story.

This film takes place in the 1700s in a London opera house. It is a more gothic version and contains a great original opera "Joan of Arc" sung/played in minor chord. Made by the low budget film company Hammer films, this film came out stunnungly well. Though this film strays from Gaston Leroux's original novel and is more of a remake of the 1943 film version, this film makes excellent usage of color, music, costumes, sets, has great actors, and an excellent script. This film satisfies most audiences, but the sad ending sometimes leaves first time viewers feeling a little depressed. It has drama, romance, terror, mystery, action, suspence, and some great plot twists. The great thing about this film is that it gets better with each viewing. It includes the original theatrical trailer (before the film) which spoiles most of the film's climactic scenes, so if you what to be in for a really great treat, fast forward through the trailer (watch it later) and watch the film at night in the dark.

I like this movie! Yes, i like it! I find the film very deviating from the book, but the actors and the window blinds are much impressing!

I spent years being caught up in articles about the different versions of Phantom of the Opera in Famous Monsters and other magazines during the 1970s. At the time, there were only three versions. There are now 10 versions. (After writing my review for the 1925 DVD, I stumbled on another version.) I'm not including musicals. There have been 8 live action and 2 animated movies. There are also 3 different musicals I know of - Ken Hill, Andrew Lloyd-Webber, and Maury Yeston. I think there might be a 4th musical version, but I can't confirm that yet.

The 1962 verion with Herbert Lom and Heather Sears was the first version I ever saw. It was a midnight broadcast on my local ABC station around 1980, and I taped it. That TV broadcast had the subplot with Liam Redmond as one of the detectives investigating the strange happenings at the Opera House.

Redmond is incorrectly listed in the cast for this tape. He does not appear on this edition. It does not have the subplot Maltin mentions in his review. To me, that kinda makes the tape incomplete for me because I know scenes are missing. However, the subplot is not necessary for the storyline. If you never saw the other version, you aren't missing much.

The movie is not very loyal to the original Leroux novel, but it is still an enjoyable horror movie. The Phantom is not in love with Christine here, but he does have a professional interest in her. He feels she is the only one who can do justice to his opera. The story was moved from France to England which is a nice touch for the approach Hammer chose to take with this version. The streets of London during this time period add a nice touch to the overall feel of the movie that I have trouble imagining Paris doing. The English setting provides a touch of mystery and horror. It's the same streets you might see Jack the Ripper. (Jack the Ripper was mentioned in the subplot by a detective.)

Hammer has made many great horror films, and this version of The Phantom of the Opera is up there. I wish they had stuck more closely to the original story or at least kept the basic elements like the love story. It's still an enjoyable Hammer Horror movie.

For those interested in trivia, this movie has Michael Gough who has been seen more recently as Alfred in the Batman movies. Take a close look at the ratcatcher too. Patrick Troughton should be familiar to Doctor Who fans. He played the second Doctor during the late 1960s and also appeared in the movie, The Omen.

This is more of the story that was given by the Claude Rains Version with some of the novel put in. The Phantom is causing havoc in the London "instead of Paris" Opera House by sending a homicidal Dwarf to kill people and we have a snobbish
Lord Ambrose Played by Michael Gough who fires people as soon as look at them and the name of christine is changed to Christine Charles. Right anyway Christine is kidnapped by the dwarf and is taken to the Phantom's Lair where she is taught by the phantom to be the best singer but her lover Harry "Instead of Raoul" Follows, when he stumbles on to the scene and shouts the phantoms real name "Professor Petrie" he backs away in fright then he reveals himself by telling his story "Back when he wasnt a Phantom Professor Petrie wrote some Music and went to Lord Ambrose to have it Published but in jealousy Ambrose wrote his name on the music for himself when petrie finds out he breaks into the print plant and starts throwing the music into a incenerator a little bit of paper falls out and a fire starts The Profesor in Panic picks up a bucket of liquid "Thinking it is water" and throws it at the flames however it was Nitric Acid and some of the acid splashes back into his face he runs out screaming and jumps into a River and Drifts into the sewers where the dwarf rescues him" we come back to the lair and the phantom begs christine to let him teach her on the night of which joan of arc goes on the phantom is watching from his box and christine is performing the dwarf is discovered and he jumps onto the chandelier where it begins to fall the phantom tears his mask off revealing his scared face jumps from his box to push Christine out of the way and is killed by it.

this is really a remake of the Claude rains movie with bits of the novel put in but is a Decent Hammer Film