#1925 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA COSTUME MOVIE#

I like it, I own it, I watch it again from time to time. Again, of the three versions on the disc, I found myself preferring the shorter, cleaner 24 frames version, but lovers of this film might want to opt for the original vision.My first exposure to the story, 'Phantom of the Opera', was the current 2005 film version, featuring beautiful costumes, perfect filming, and on DVD a superb surround sound track. But it's the best version of the original print that has ever emerged. It's a pretty hazy experience, with very little depth and washed out colors, not to mention heavy damage. The 6MM version looks about as good as it can. This version is also tinted and features the same issue when red tinted scenes are displayed. It also yields a hint of motion blur throughout. The 20 frames version is a bit dirtier, with not nearly as much depth. Again, some kind of explanation on the disc would have been appreciated. The film's red tinted sequences also tint the black bars on each side which proves remarkably distracting.

This print is color tinted as well, which is both good and bad. Despite heavy print damage, this encode yields plenty of depth and texture, more so than I imagined. The 24 frames version looks the best of the bunch, with dust and dirt mostly wiped away. The transfers themselves are decent, but don't expect to be wowed, at least not in the traditional sense. There's also the film script and a theatrical souvenir program – all found on the disc (not as physical extras). Other extras on the release include a 10-minute interview with composer Gabriel Thibaudeau, a still gallery and the original theatrical trailer. Some material is covered in the audio essay, but a more pointed bonus feature would have been an invaluable addition. It's a shame Image didn't include a booklet or some sort of restoration commentary/featurette to detail the entire process that went into making this disc. It's great to have all three versions of the film here in one place, but admittedly unless you're a hardcore fan, you might not know of all the differences. It's a much different edit of the material and is well worth the price of the disc alone. If you're a hardcore lover of Chaney or this film, this is the version to watch. This version does not contain the technicolor footage, though those scenes are still here.

This version in presented in 1.37:1, with a piano score by Frederick Hodges. And both cuts here feature the technicolor 'Bal Masque' sequence.įinally, there's a standard definition copy of the original, vastly different, 114-minute original theatrical release – this is the longest known copy of the film, which has been struck from a recovered 6MM print. This cut includes an immeasurably in-depth feature-length audio essay with film historian Dr. From what I gather, it's basically the same film as the 78-minute cut, just played a bit slower. There's also a 92-minute version of the film, presented in 1.2:1, 20 frames a second, with a score by Gabriel Thibaudeau. It's probably the best version of the film available, retaining the best aspects of the film without some of the more tedious elements. There's a tightly edited 78-minute cut, presented in 1.2:1, 24 frames a second, with a score by Alloy Orchestra and Gaylord Carter (mixed in stereo).

There are three versions of the film on this Blu-ray.

#1925 PHANTOM OF THE OPERA COSTUME MOVIE#

If you're in the mood for a vintage slice of horror, The Phantom of the Opera is a great movie to explore. His performance is haunting and visceral, and the self-applied makeup effects employed to bring his monstrous face to life are just breathtaking for the era. Lon Chaney is the real reason to see this film. Phantom also doesn't quite reach the intensity of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Universal's second monster movie, following the short film Dr. It's a great film, to be sure, but a movie that probably would have been much better had it been made just a few years later, outside the silent film era.

1925 phantom of the opera costume