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Movies / On DVD / The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera

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The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

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Reviews Counted: 33

Fresh: 29

Rotten:4

Average Rating: 7.9/10

Consensus: Decades later, it still retains its ability to scare -- and Lon Chaney's performance remains one of the benchmarks of the horror genre.

Runtime: 3 hrs 28 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: The Phantom lives deep in the recesses of the Paris Opera House, well hidden from cruel and prying eyes. But when he falls in love with the beauteous Christine Dane, he becomes aware of his intense... The Phantom lives deep in the recesses of the Paris Opera House, well hidden from cruel and prying eyes. But when he falls in love with the beauteous Christine Dane, he becomes aware of his intense loneliness; in desperation, the Phantom kidnaps his love and carries her back to his secret lair. Assuring Christine that he will never harm her, he asks only one thing: that she never remove his mask. [More]

Starring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Snitz Edwards

Starring: Lon Chaney, Mary Philbin, Norman Kerry, Snitz Edwards, Gibson Gowland

Director: Rupert Julian

Director: Rupert Julian

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jul 21, 1998

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Lon Chaney is Erik, the horribly disfigured Phantom who leads a menacing existence in the catacombs and dungeons beneath the Paris Opera House. When Erik falls in love with a beautiful prima donna, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage in his lair. This horror classic, presented in its 1929 re-edited reissue version, features a rare early 2-color Technicolor sequence.
  • Source: Image Entertainment, Inc.
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Phantom of the Opera

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Though Mr. Chaney wears a more grotesque make-up than ever, the film play seems only pretty good.

    Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
    10/19/08
    TIME Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The main inducement to watch remains Chaney's tragic, ineffably sad figure.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    08/12/08
    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    [A] silent classic.

    Full Review Source: DVDLaser | comment Comment
    08/12/08
    Douglas Pratt
    DVDLaser

    Kerry is a colorless hero, Philbin contents herself with being pretty and becoming terrorized at the Phantom, and Chaney is either behind a mask or grimacing through his fiendish makeup.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    08/12/08
    Variety Staff
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Lon Chaney's magnetism and the overall impact of the suspense and reveal is still impressive.

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    08/12/08
    Alan Morrison
    Empire Magazine

    Spectacular set pieces and grand design form an impressive backdrop for Chaney's powerful and moving performance.

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    08/12/08
    Channel 4 Film
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This silent film adaptation of Gaston Leroux's novel is one of the classics in the history of the horror genre.

    Full Review Source: ESplatter | comment Comment
    07/23/08
    Steve Biodrowski
    ESplatter

    Lon Chaney's performance is priceless.

    comment Comment
    07/15/08
    Cole Smithey
    ColeSmithey.com

    While many chunks of the film are indeed effective (and several downright terrifying), the overall effect is unsatisfactory and bipolar.

    Full Review Source: Projection Booth | comment Comment
    04/26/08
    Rob Humanick
    Projection Booth

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/29/08
    Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
    Goatdog's Movies

    Rupert Julian's 1925 silent film doesn't have much going for it apart from the famous unmasking scene.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    09/19/07
    Dave Kehr
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A pinnacle of the Hollywood fantastic.

    Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
    09/19/07
    J. Hoberman
    Village Voice
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    One of the most famous horror movies of all time, The Phantom of the Opera still manages to frighten after more than 60 years.

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    09/19/07
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    07/29/07
    Neil Cohen
    Echo Magazine

    The highs are way up there with the best in the tradition of Gothic fantasy.

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Time Out
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    The Phantom of the Opera is an ultra fantastic melodrama, an ambitious production in which there is much to marvel at in the scenic effects.

    Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
    03/25/06
    Mordaunt Hall
    New York Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It has two elements of genius: It creates beneath the opera one of the most grotesque places in the cinema, and Chaney's performance transforms an absurd character into a haunting one.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
    01/20/06
    Roger Ebert
    Chicago Sun-Times
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    08/19/05
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    12/03/04
    Jeremiah Kipp
    ToxicUniverse.com

    It's not the best Chaney film -- it has slow, convoluted stretches -- but it occasionally bursts into life with its peculiar atmosphere.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    11/01/04
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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