Lon Chaney's Phantom of the Opera to get Special Edition treatment!

[mutleyhyde]

Yes! DVDDrive-in reports that Image will be rereleasing Lon Chaney's genre defining classic Phantom of the Opera in a two disc special edition! It'll include the original 1925, 110 minute version with a score by Jon Mirsalis, and the 1929 restored 98 minute version (98 mins.) with two soundtracks by Carl Davis and the original theatrical soundtrack.



It's rare enough that attention is given to the classics, but to give them "the treatment" is even rarer. Will I double dip on this though, having already bought the original single disc release? You bet your ass I will!

Man, this should be awesome! I have the cut Alpha disc which I thought would be passable, but after reading about this, I will need to replace it!

[X-human]

Makes me glad that I did only get the Alpha disc, that why I didn't really waste my money when I pick this up.

[dwatts]

Me too. This is an exciting release. Metropolis recently got nice treatment, and now this..... something good in the air!

[marioscido]

Looks great, but it also means that I will have to replace my Image disc (the present release), which has the 1929 cut only.

[Jeffrey Dahmer]

Absolutely fantastic, one of the greatest early horror movie. I've only saw this one in a retrospective of Lon Chaney greatest works in a cinematheque. Been a while so it will be with great pleasures I'll watch this again.

Sound like something any serious horror fans should get really.

[mutleyhyde]

Folks, I just picked this up at Best Buy for 17.99, and that's their regular price, not a sale. I had no idea it was gonna be this cheap, but I'm not complainin'.

Haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but I just wanted to let y'all know this dvd is bargain priced. Hell, even Borders has it for only 19.99. Image did us right by this one.

[Jimbo]

This is an great 2 disk set.The only thing i wish they did was put a booklet with the set.The is only a chapter listings insert.But still for the price this is a must buy.

[mutleyhyde]

Hey, at least it's not a snapper... Image, you've come a long way, baby!

I just saw it on TV for the first time last night and I'll definitely pick up the dvd. I don't know which version they showed...might have been the 98 minute one, as it seemed fairly short. But either way, the movie came around the perfect time for a silent film.

[marioscido]

So, Mutley, what's the scoop? I'm dying to know what the transfers look like, especially in relation to the previous Image release of the 1929 print? And what is the 1925 release transfer like? I heard it was quite poor?? Let us know!

[MaxRenn]

life_o_petey, if you saw Phantom on TCM it was the reissue they showed.

What is the difference between the 1925 version and the 1929 reissue?

[mutleyhyde]

Sorry-o Mario! I just haven't had a chance to check it out yet.

I'll try this weekend.

[marioscido]

Originally Posted by MaxRenn

What is the difference between the 1925 version and the 1929 reissue?

From ww.silentera.com (a great site!):

Milestone Film & Video is the first home video producer to offer the complete original 1925 version of the film on DVD. And while this 1925 version [110 minutes] has not survived in the best of condition, it is intact and offers the viewer a more coherent storyline than the reedited 1929 rerelease version [98 minutes]. This version of the film features a stereo music score by Lon Chaney enthusiast Jon Mirsalis.

Also included in this edition is the Photoplay Productions edition of the 1929 part-talkie rerelease version of the film, featuring a stereo music score composed and conducted by Carl Davis. This 1929 version has survived in a photographically superior 35mm print, which is the version of the film most-often seen in theater revivals and most-often offered on home video. This version features the original Technicolor footage (preserved by George Eastman House), including the bal masque sequence, that has been previously available on home video.

[mutleyhyde]

Mario I got a quality report for ya!

I watched the '29 version tonight, and spot checked the old Image release to boot.

I have mixed feelings. While the new transfer is beautiful, with very crisp contrast and is extremely clean as far as print artifacts go, the speed bugs me. It seems to me that the old dvd has a more natural speed, whereas with the new dvd, all the action seems to be slightly in slow motion. People float as if under water. I know that the old silents are a bitch to present regarding speed though, so I can forgive this. The only thing is that with as clean as the print is, and as slow as it is, you see tracer like effects in many spots where the fine lines of movement detail get kind of muddled.

One scene that comes to mind is early on, when we first see the dancing girls on the opera house stage. They're doing their routine, they come to the edge of the stage, and turn to their right. In this turn, there is an army of slender calves and ankles that quickly criss-cross, scissor like, against each other. In the old dvd, this action is clearer, the outlines of the legs more clearly defined even while in motion, whereas in the new dvd, they blend together.

This is indicative of the whole film. Where there is quick, successive movement, the moving objects tend to blur. It's not that bad, but for those of us who scrutinize, it can itch a bit.

Having said that, the new dvd is so much cleaner that I think I would say it wins out. The scene where Erik places the fainted Christine in her confinement bedchamber is a blatant example. While this scene is probably the most marred of the film, it is miles above cleaner than the old dvd. You can actually see the cool as shit bed she lies on (it looks like a ship) and you can actually see detail in her face in the close up. The scene on the old dvd is as if you're looking through a smoke stained cheesecloth.

A few other differences; with the old dvd, between the opening credits and the introduction of the opera house, there is an odd scene, in red sepia, where a figure is stoically haunting the catacombs. DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM

Spoiler: I'm not sure, but I think this is the secret police detective that shows up later in the film.

He does nothing of interest. He just stands there, with his lamp, moves once, maybe twice, while in the background, we catch a few glimpses of someone's shadow... the scene doesn't do much to set up the story, but I find it odd that they completely left it out on the new dvd. Granted, it's a long scene, which leaves you scratching your head, saying "Okay, what the fuck is going on here?", and the image is also very soft, the contrast virtually nonexistant, but I just wonder what compelled the cut.

Another scene; the Bal Masque. In the famed color scene, the old dvd is again, as with the bedchamber scene, marred by print artifacts and is pretty dark, and the color is not that well defined. With the new dvd, the image is crisper, the colors are more vibrant, and it has considerably less artifacts. The only drawback is that the image is slightly too bright for my tastes, but again, even with that drawback, I think it's better than the old dvd.

Finally, the scene on the opera house rooftop; As with the rest of the film, the scene on the new dvd is cleaner, but what's interesting here is that Erik is filmed in color, while the background, Christine, and Raoul are all in black and white (dark blue sepia, actually). With the old dvd, Erik is in black and white as well. I'm not sure how I feel about this. It seems kind of gimicky, super-imposing color on one object in the frame, but then again, the image is striking, with Erik's crimson cape billowing in the wind, possibly expressing Erik's increasing rage as he eavesdrops on Cristine and Raoul as they plan their escape.

To sum up, the only major concern I have is that the speed is slightly slower on the new dvd, but the print is soooo much easier on the eye that it wins out. If you don't have the old dvd, you can still see an example of what I'm getting at - the trailers on the new dvd click along at the same rate as the old dvd, so you'll at least be able to get an idea of the difference.

When all is calculated, I can only recommend the new release highly.