For those who are familiar to the previous films of the story, this movie is based on a novel by Gaston Leroux. Leroux is best known as a Poet, Journalist and Novelist. Everyone knows the Story from Leroux's novel, which is about a man who lurks underneath the opera theater. He waits for a greater talent to come, one who could act and sing in the opera house. Once he sees that talent from afar, this man would does anything in his power to turn that talented singer into a big star. But this man is also a mysterious figure and he keeps everything into himself hiding from the world.
Unfortunately this 1989 feature turned to a near-slasher movie (But the original story still remains). Like the previous films about the phantom. It is still a horror movie. The Phantom of the Opera is played by Robert Englund (Who is better known his role as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare in Elm Street Series). Englund does some of his best work as the phantom. He plays a man who was talented as a musician but once sold his soul to the devil so that his music would be immortalized, but instead he becomes an immortal, and his music remains unheard or simply unfinished masterpieces. The film starts in 1989 as an ambitious young female singer (Jill Schoelen) finds music notes in the basement at a New York Public Library. She is hoping to find great music to impress her next audition in any famous theater in the city. When she surprised people at the audition, when she nearly got killed in the stage by accident. She mysteriously finds herself transported back to Victorian-Era London 1881.
Then she becomes fascinated by a mysterious man who never shown his face to her. This stranger helps her sing and in order become a major star in the opera. Unfortunately this talented young star is overshadowed by a mean-spirited diva (Stephanie Lawrence) who doesn't want her to co-star in the play with her. Then trouble being when the Phantom starts committing murder in her honor so that nothing gets in her way. He will never stop committing these crimes until she become a star, his possible chance at redemption and to complete his music with her. Maybe even a second chance in love.
This film is directed by Dwight H. Little, who directed a successful film the previous year:Halloween 4-The Return of Micheal Myers. Which it was a pretty good sequel. Little has a decent film career who went on to direct:Marked to Death, Rapid Fire (Starring the late:Brandon Lee), Free Willy 2, Murder at 1600 and just recently the sequel to Anaconda. This film is nicely well directed and it does deliver the goods (Especially in the horror sequences). For a low budget production is well produced but the film has a few obvious mistakes. At times the production values could have been much better if the film had larger budget. But what makes up for some fatal flaws are the Cast, Terrific Make-Up effects work by Kevin Yagher and a good music score by Misha Segal.
This film was briefly released in the fall of 1989. Once it was released in theaters, the film was too slow for the true horror audience yet too much for the larger audiences. Several film critics really hated this film, because of the graphic violence. Which caused a problem with the rating boards before the film's release. The film originally received an X-Rating. It was a year before the new rating NC-17 existed. Furthermore the film had a limited release because of an independent distribution.
The Phantom of the Opera found an audience, when it came out on video and it sort of lived on ever since to become a cult-classic. Well, i liked this film maybe because the horror elements in it. It is certainly One of the Fascinating Horror Movies of the late 1980's. It was also a little different than most horror movie back then. It is also a very unusual movie because it was shocking, beautiful and elegant at times.
Since it came out on DVD recently, it has been revamped with better picture quality and sound. It may find more life like in this format. The film isn't perfect but to me, It is a worth a look. Centainly Horror Fans may like it also. You know there is something odd happens in the film's credits. When the producers credit this 1989 version as This motion picture is not associated with any current or prior stage play or motion picture of the same title. Isn't that weird ? I guess The Producers didn't want to get sued from the previous films or especially Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical Play of the Phantom ! (***/*****).
Unfortunately this 1989 feature turned to a near-slasher movie (But the original story still remains). Like the previous films about the phantom. It is still a horror movie. The Phantom of the Opera is played by Robert Englund (Who is better known his role as Freddy Krueger in the Nightmare in Elm Street Series). Englund does some of his best work as the phantom. He plays a man who was talented as a musician but once sold his soul to the devil so that his music would be immortalized, but instead he becomes an immortal, and his music remains unheard or simply unfinished masterpieces. The film starts in 1989 as an ambitious young female singer (Jill Schoelen) finds music notes in the basement at a New York Public Library. She is hoping to find great music to impress her next audition in any famous theater in the city. When she surprised people at the audition, when she nearly got killed in the stage by accident. She mysteriously finds herself transported back to Victorian-Era London 1881.
Then she becomes fascinated by a mysterious man who never shown his face to her. This stranger helps her sing and in order become a major star in the opera. Unfortunately this talented young star is overshadowed by a mean-spirited diva (Stephanie Lawrence) who doesn't want her to co-star in the play with her. Then trouble being when the Phantom starts committing murder in her honor so that nothing gets in her way. He will never stop committing these crimes until she become a star, his possible chance at redemption and to complete his music with her. Maybe even a second chance in love.
This film is directed by Dwight H. Little, who directed a successful film the previous year:Halloween 4-The Return of Micheal Myers. Which it was a pretty good sequel. Little has a decent film career who went on to direct:Marked to Death, Rapid Fire (Starring the late:Brandon Lee), Free Willy 2, Murder at 1600 and just recently the sequel to Anaconda. This film is nicely well directed and it does deliver the goods (Especially in the horror sequences). For a low budget production is well produced but the film has a few obvious mistakes. At times the production values could have been much better if the film had larger budget. But what makes up for some fatal flaws are the Cast, Terrific Make-Up effects work by Kevin Yagher and a good music score by Misha Segal.
This film was briefly released in the fall of 1989. Once it was released in theaters, the film was too slow for the true horror audience yet too much for the larger audiences. Several film critics really hated this film, because of the graphic violence. Which caused a problem with the rating boards before the film's release. The film originally received an X-Rating. It was a year before the new rating NC-17 existed. Furthermore the film had a limited release because of an independent distribution.
The Phantom of the Opera found an audience, when it came out on video and it sort of lived on ever since to become a cult-classic. Well, i liked this film maybe because the horror elements in it. It is certainly One of the Fascinating Horror Movies of the late 1980's. It was also a little different than most horror movie back then. It is also a very unusual movie because it was shocking, beautiful and elegant at times.
Since it came out on DVD recently, it has been revamped with better picture quality and sound. It may find more life like in this format. The film isn't perfect but to me, It is a worth a look. Centainly Horror Fans may like it also. You know there is something odd happens in the film's credits. When the producers credit this 1989 version as This motion picture is not associated with any current or prior stage play or motion picture of the same title. Isn't that weird ? I guess The Producers didn't want to get sued from the previous films or especially Andrew Lloyd Webber's Musical Play of the Phantom ! (***/*****).