Phantom Of The Opera (DVD)

Like most people who can’t carry a tune in a padded backpack, I am always faintly awestruck by good singers. And never more so than in musicals. Opera singing is so clearly a skill beyond most mortals that, perversely, I view it as a glorious party trick, while we all think we know about the vocal manipulations required to get your average popster to the level of passable mediocrity. And then, in the middle, you have these people who can fill large theatres with their voices, often competing with whole ORCHESTRAS, and move audiences to tears with songs about amnesiac cats, Old Testament prophets and South American dictators. It’s special. Filming Andrew Lloyd ...  Read the complete review

I've watched a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical performed in the theatre and have been both excited and some and disappointed with others. As for Phantom of the Opera I can only remember snippets of it as I went to it as a 10 year old on a day when I wasn't feeling very well and was a tad grumpy. However, I've heard plenty of music from it being played around my house and was pleased to see it being advertised in the cinema a few months back. The movie version directed by Joel Schumacher is a movie of the musical and not of the book Phantom of The Opera, and Andrew Lloyd Webber himself was involved in the making of this film. Making this film ...  Read the complete review

*** This review was first published by myself at http://www.epinions.com/content_168009109124 *** This film version of The Phantom of the Opera is, of course, based on the popular musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I have never been a fan of his work although there are some really nice songs I’ve heard from Phantom. (Never did think that Sarah Brightman could sing though…) Anyway, this is the film of the musical. I’m presuming it is reasonably authentic to the original since Lloyd Webber was heavily involved in the film, co-writing and co-producing it. Mysterious Decision… The choice of Director (Joel Schumaker) left me puzzled (I guess ...  Read the complete review

There are two types of people in the art world; those who love musicals, and those who hate them. There are no mediators when it comes to adding a song or dance or two to a perfectly serious story. I have always been one of those haters; having found it difficult to stomach the usually cheesy interlude of wistful songs and badly choreographed dance steps. Hooooowever: I, lover of all things rock and roll, allowed myself to go see ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ on the big screen. Why? Because from the small snippets I’d seen, the songs and dances were prolific, dark, menacing pieces. No cheesiness here. So off on my merry way I went to see it in the cinema. I actually loved ...  Read the complete review

This updated version of the hugely popular Broadway show was released in 2004 and has a running length of 2hours 23 minutes. Starring as the mysterious Phantom is Gerard Butler who had previously starred alongside Angelina Jolie in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life and the Phantom's obsession Christine is brilliantly played by Emmy Rossum (Mystic River and the soon to be released blockbuster Poseidon). Other notable characters include the hilarious Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting & Sleepers) as Carlotta. The movie is directed by, a strange choice I think, Joel Schumacher (who, alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the screenplay) who has also directed the ...  Read the complete review