The Phantom of the Opera - The Ultimate Edition (1925 Original Version and 1929 Restored Version)

Customer Reviews:

The most comprehensive Chaney Phantom set.......2007-08-20

Lon Chaney's realization of the deformed Eric is one of the great icons of horror cinema. This DVD set offers the most complete offering of all known versions of the film. The image quality of the 1929 restored version is quite good, but sadly that version is inferior to the 1925 version in almost every other way. For instance the images are from a different camera angle than the original and always less effective. Also, The story line is jumbled up.
The DVD offers still image recreations of the two premiere versions of the film through which a dedicated fan can track the creative development of the picture.
My chief misgiving is that no one has attempted to restore the original 1925 version of the film. The DVD uses a version from the only surviving 16mm print, but the quality of that print is appallingly poor. It is full of countless scratches and other blemishes. Imagine if the only copy of Citizen Kane looked like someone scrubbed every frame with steel wool. Why hasn't a film historian restored the 1925 phantom, the only true version? This disc should have done that rather than giving us a pristine B version and a decrepit A version.

The original Phantom of the Opera.......2007-06-20

Perhaps the most famous horror movie of all time, and still eerie enough today to give you goose-bumps, Julian's "Phantom" stars legendary spook Lon Chaney as the titular musical maniac. Not only did the film reinforce Chaney's huge celebrity status, it virtually solidified Universal Studios' reputation as purveyors of bone-chilling horror fare. Just watch the infamous unmasking of Chaney as he sits at the organ in the film's climax and you'll see why this creepy tale has inspired so many remakes, spoofs, and rip-offs, not to mention Weber's long-running musical.

THE ACTORS ACTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-06-12

Read some negative reviews(SIGH!)on this movie which displays
thee most horrific face in movie history!Lon Chaney is so one
of a kind that I could write a novel on him.For those of you who
are not to aware of his talent,this is a good place to start.
He was born to deaf parents and because of that it contributed
to his posture and form of acting.I am a HUGE movie fanatic and
have seen the best actress's and actors in the buisness but even
now 2007 NO ONE! Even you Peter Sellers(and I love ya)like everyone
else has to take a backseat to the MASTER of acting.Long live Chaney!
Also recommend The unholy 3(1930)

Love it!.......2007-05-06

One of the best movies I've ever seen. Lon Chaney is just great, and I really like the music. I love the ballet scenes too! This is a great movie, buy it!!!!

Non Existant Film.......2007-04-21

this is one of the very few silent pictures I've not picked up a good DVD version of yet and I was reading keviny01 review....

"On both DVDs, the "Bal Masque" scene is shown in two-strip Technicolor, with the color on the Milestone disc looking a little more realistic. Also, in order to duplicate the original film as much as possible, some of the color scenes on the Milestone disc were actually digitally colored (such as the phantom's red cape at the roof of the opera house), because there is no existing color footage for them."

do you mean for an original film negative or restored print?

Because if a restored print counts then YES ONE DOES!!!!
I first saw this movie in a customer's house the is a film collector and he has a restored Kodakrome print of it....with the red cape on the roof top scene. Every version I've picked up of this movie it's always in black and white which is a crying shame cause that is something to see.

Now mind you the Reds have bled out over the years but it's still something!

at least I know I can get to see it done up in this version when I pick it up.

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