Phantom of the Opera (DVD, 1999)

I heard about this movie years before I had the opportunity to watch it. I finally got the chance, but I can't say it lived up to expectations. If you're looking for an Argento film, this really isn't in the category. This honestly felt like a made-for-TV movie. The interpretation of the phantom is really the only thing that sets this version apart, of course a psychic phantom that looks like Fabio and lives in the sewers completely by choice is not something most of us are interrested in. Worth a watch but only if you're a huge phantom or Asia Argento fan.

Simply a God-Awful version of a great story. Nudity, crudeness, and a sophmoric attempt at humor make a wreck of the story. It's sure to disappoint any true fan of Gaston Leroux's original novel or the excellent movies that followed it. The 1925 Lon Chaney silent film by Universal should be seen. The following 1943 Universal with Claude Rains is worth it for those who like the story as is the Herbert Lom version of 1962 by Hammer Films. Andrew Lloyd Webber does the story and the music true justice. Go for one of those and jettison this piece of flotsum, obviously slapped together to make a quick buck.