The Phantom of the Opera (1989)

User Rating:

4.9/10   

Director:

Dwight H. Little

Writers:

Gaston Leroux (novel)
Gerry O'Hara (based on a screenplay by)

Release Date:

4 November 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Music

Tagline:

The final curtain is about to drop.

Plot:

A darker version of the classic Gaston Leroux novel. A young soprano becomes the obsession of a horribly disfigured composer who has plans for those oppose himself or the young singer.

Plot Keywords:

Devil | Opera | Composer | New York | Singer

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Robert Englund	...	Erik Destler / The Phantom
Jill Schoelen	...	Christine Day
Alex Hyde-White	...	Richard Dutton
Bill Nighy	...	Martin Barton
Stephanie Lawrence	...	La Carlotta
Terence Harvey	...	Insp. Hawkins
Nathan Lewis	...	Davies
Peter Clapham	...	Harrison
Molly Shannon	...	Meg (New York)
Emma Rawson	...	Meg (London)
Mark Ryan	...	Mott
Yehuda Efroni	...	The Rat Catcher
Terence Beesley	...	Joseph Buquet
Ray Jewers	...	Elise
Robin Hunter	...	Roland

Also Known As:

Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera
Phantom of the Opera: The Motion Picture (USA)

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-15 (re-rating: 2001) | Finland:K-16 (original rating) | Netherlands:16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | France:-12 | Singapore:M18 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

21st Century Film Corporation

Trivia:

This was the first version since the 1925 film to feature the Masquarade Ball sequence, and the Phantom dressing as 'Red Death' as depicted in the original novel by Gaston Leroux.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Christine first leaves to visit her fathers grave, she has pink and white flowers. When she arrives at the grave, she has only five red roses.

Quotes:

Erik Destler: You love the music. I am the music. Now you are married to the music. You cannot serve two masters. Do not see another.
Christine: I promise.
Erik Destler: Tonight, you shall be my bride.

Movie Connections:

References The Shining (1980)

Soundtrack:

Joan of Arc

A Total Guilty Pleasure

My friend, a fellow Phantom Phan recommended this to me. I had my doubts when I picked this up but I sat down to watch it at about midnight, Ha! biggest mistake of my life. This was possibly the most disturbing, gory, creepy interpretation of Phantom ever, and you know what? I LOVED it.

This is possibly one of my favorite film versions of this story, giving even Lon Cheney a run for his money. Robert Englund's Erik was insane but brilliant and amazingly witty. He had the most amazing lines ("Love and music are forever").

The story begins in modern day New York City when Christine Day and her friend Meg discover two pages of Don Juan Triumphant in an old archive, written by the mad genius Erik Destler. When Christine sings the piece for her audition, a sand bag falls on her and she passes out and is swept back to her past self and finds herself the object of the obsessive Erik.

An amazing film in it's own right with beautiful music. But remember everyone, you are not sitting down to classic literature, you are sitting down to a gory slasher/horror film. It was a refreshing change from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical which quite frankly I both hate and love.

I'm a Leroux purist when it comes to Phantom but still this movie is one of my favorites.