Reviews (71)

Lon Chaney stars in the first great American horror film
It is a shame that in the popular imagination the classic 1925 silent version of "The Phantom of the Opera" has been reduced to the scene where Christine (Mary Philbin) unmasks the Phantom and reveals Lon Chaney's stunning make-up job. Because there is much more to this film than that sequence and the camera being out of focus as the Phantom moves towards Christine really bugs me. The visuals in this film are stunning, from the cavernous world below the Paris Opera house to the Phantom's entrance as the Red Death during the Masqurade Ball (filmed in Technicolor). For me the most memorable moment and Chaney's best scene comes at the end, when the Phantom is able to hold the mob that has hunted him down at bay because of the threat of what he holds in his hand. Then he starts to laugh at the fools, finally opening his hand to show it is empty and giving himself over to the violence of the mob. The scene is not in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, which relates how the bones of Erik were found years after the events told in this story, but it is a worthy addition to the tale. In regards to the famous unmasking scene, I do want to add that Rupert Julian's staging of the scene is really as impressive as the make-up, because the audience gets to see the face of the Phantom before Christine is presented with that horrible visage. I have always thought that Chaney's performance was so indelible that it was the reason that the Claude Reins and Herbert Lom remakes concocted an entirely new story, although it does make sense that when you add sound to the Phantom that you would take full advantage of the opera setting. Final note: When I got to see Michael Crawford perform as the Phantom in the Lloyd-Webber musical, I was not surprised that his outfit as the Red Death was clearly modeled on what Chaney wore in this film.

Very Good Restoration
The IMAGE entertainment restoration of the 1929 "Phantom of the Opera" starring Lon Chaney is a bit hit. The two-disk set is definately the definitive choice to own by all serious collectors. The clarity is better than any version I've seen to date, and for the first time, the correct running speed has been instituted here. The tradeoff however, is that the motion is somewhat choppy from too few frames. The characters move in proper real-time, and for the first time, you can see naturalistic movement in such scenes as the opening ballet sequence.

True fans need look no further than this two-disk Masterpiece Collection set from IMAGE. This is definately the one to own! The film is tinted and comes in a selection of three seperate sound tracks to choose from: a terrific new orchestrated score, the original sound score from the 30s, and a voice-over commentary track, which is insightful.

The second disk contains the original 1925 film, which few people have ever seen today. The quality is poor, but there are many scenes that are different from the version that we're all familiar with. It's worth watching.

But you cannot beat the restoration of the 1929 version on disk one of this set. It isn't quite the job that KINO put into Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" last year, but is terrific nonetheless. Thank you IMAGE. Great DVD!

One of the best
This is a beautiful (an absolutely beautiful) movie, one of the best I've ever seen. Lon Chaney, Sr. does a wonderfully dramatic performance as the tortured Phantom, who kidnapps an opera singer because he loves her. Unfortunately, she doesn't return the love, which drives him to madness.
The only thing that I disliked in the film was that Christine acts a little weird most of the time.
The dialogue is superb, and the Masked Ball scene is only one of the most memorable scenes in this movie

1925 Better than 1929
I am greatly disappointed with the 1929 version of the film. I thought it was going to be better than the silent one because it had sound, but I was wrong. The 1925 version is better than the restored one. Even though the restored version has sound, it takes the orginal and rearranges everything. They took the beginning of the 1925 and put it after Christine sings in the 1929 version. The person who plays Carlotta in the 1925 version is now Carlotta's mother and the Carlotta is different. The four stars is given to the silent 1925, the restored one is given 1 star.

Milestone version is the best!
Over the years, I have just about bought every version of the silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In my opinion, the Milestone version is THE BEST. The elements have been cleaned up and the image is crisp, clear with good contrast for 90% of the film. This two disc set has both the 1929 and hybrid 1925 original. Actually the film is cleaner and better looking in this version than a lot of the official Universal thirties classic that have come out.
It has an excellent commentary by Scott MacQueen and a real treat is hearing the music originally composed for the sound version accompanying the action from original sound elements.
The Technicolor sequences are the nicest I have seen and through proper use of the colorization process, other scenes originally in color, are presented and match the actual color stuff very well.
This version has been made from the initial Photoplay restoration which also includes Carl Davis' original stereo score for those that must have modern stereo for their films, however, I prefer the mood and music of the original '30 soundtrack. There are a plethora of extras, and I don't think it is false hype to say this is the ULTIMATE EDITION of this classic film.
That's my two cents..... ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Buster Keaton Collection presents three of the first films (one, The Cameraman, a near masterpiece) Keaton made for MGM beginning in 1928, an arrangement that gradually ushered the great comic actor and director into the sound era but ultimately deprived him of creative control. The Cameraman, considered by many to be Keaton's last important silent work, is an unusual story about a tintype portrait photographer (Keaton) who becomes a newsreel cameraman in order to win the heart of a secretary (Marceline Day). After flubbing an assignment by double-exposing some action footage, the hapless hero tries to prove himself in several memorable sequences of Keatonesque knockabout comedy (including a Chinatown street battle). There are also a couple of grace notes, such as a scene set in Yankee Stadium in which a solo Keaton exquisitely mimes the moves and attitudes of a pitcher. But The Cameraman's strange, almost subconscious power is in its variation on an old Keaton refrain: The hero's conflict over different kinds of authenticity, represented here on either side of a motion picture lens--the difference between capturing something real and living it.

The Cameraman shows obvious and unfortunate signs of MGM's insistence that Keaton, long accustomed to improvising scenes, conform to prepared shooting scripts. But it is less stifling than the second feature (Keaton's last silent movie) in this set, the 1929 Spite Marriage, a slight farce about a pants-presser (Keaton) who borrows his customers' fine threads to attend the theatre every night. There he worships an actress (Dorothy Sebastian) so furious with her caddish lover and co-star (Edward Earle) that she asks Keaton to marry her. The predictable results are unworthy of a Keaton film, but he does shine in several hilarious sequences, such as a disastrous turn as a bit player in his soon-to-be-wife's stage dramas. Finally, 1930's Free and Easy, Keaton's talkie debut, is a garish MGM valentine to itself, trotting out celebrity actors and directors (Lionel Barrymore, Cecil B. DeMille, Fred Niblo) in a wooden story set on a movie lot. But while Keaton struggles with dialogue and a script that frequently sidelines him, he has many good moments causing havoc on film sets. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Description

Chaney is Erik, the horribly disfigured Phantom who leads a menacing existence in the catacombs and dungeons beneath the Paris Opera.When Erik falls in love with a beautiful prima donna, he kidnaps her and holds her hostage in his lair. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Lon Chaney stars in the first great American horror film
It is a shame that in the popular imagination the classic 1925 silent version of "The Phantom of the Opera" has been reduced to the scene where Christine (Mary Philbin) unmasks the Phantom and reveals Lon Chaney's stunning make-up job. Because there is much more to this film than that sequence and the camera being out of focus as the Phantom moves towards Christine really bugs me. The visuals in this film are stunning, from the cavernous world below the Paris Opera house to the Phantom's entrance as the Red Death during the Masqurade Ball (filmed in Technicolor). For me the most memorable moment and Chaney's best scene comes at the end, when the Phantom is able to hold the mob that has hunted him down at bay because of the threat of what he holds in his hand. Then he starts to laugh at the fools, finally opening his hand to show it is empty and giving himself over to the violence of the mob. The scene is not in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, which relates how the bones of Erik were found years after the events told in this story, but it is a worthy addition to the tale. In regards to the famous unmasking scene, I do want to add that Rupert Julian's staging of the scene is really as impressive as the make-up, because the audience gets to see the face of the Phantom before Christine is presented with that horrible visage. I have always thought that Chaney's performance was so indelible that it was the reason that the Claude Reins and Herbert Lom remakes concocted an entirely new story, although it does make sense that when you add sound to the Phantom that you would take full advantage of the opera setting. Final note: When I got to see Michael Crawford perform as the Phantom in the Lloyd-Webber musical, I was not surprised that his outfit as the Red Death was clearly modeled on what Chaney wore in this film.

Very Good Restoration
The IMAGE entertainment restoration of the 1929 "Phantom of the Opera" starring Lon Chaney is a bit hit. The two-disk set is definately the definitive choice to own by all serious collectors. The clarity is better than any version I've seen to date, and for the first time, the correct running speed has been instituted here. The tradeoff however, is that the motion is somewhat choppy from too few frames. The characters move in proper real-time, and for the first time, you can see naturalistic movement in such scenes as the opening ballet sequence.

True fans need look no further than this two-disk Masterpiece Collection set from IMAGE. This is definately the one to own! The film is tinted and comes in a selection of three seperate sound tracks to choose from: a terrific new orchestrated score, the original sound score from the 30s, and a voice-over commentary track, which is insightful.

The second disk contains the original 1925 film, which few people have ever seen today. The quality is poor, but there are many scenes that are different from the version that we're all familiar with. It's worth watching.

But you cannot beat the restoration of the 1929 version on disk one of this set. It isn't quite the job that KINO put into Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" last year, but is terrific nonetheless. Thank you IMAGE. Great DVD!

One of the best
This is a beautiful (an absolutely beautiful) movie, one of the best I've ever seen. Lon Chaney, Sr. does a wonderfully dramatic performance as the tortured Phantom, who kidnapps an opera singer because he loves her. Unfortunately, she doesn't return the love, which drives him to madness.
The only thing that I disliked in the film was that Christine acts a little weird most of the time.
The dialogue is superb, and the Masked Ball scene is only one of the most memorable scenes in this movie

1925 Better than 1929
I am greatly disappointed with the 1929 version of the film. I thought it was going to be better than the silent one because it had sound, but I was wrong. The 1925 version is better than the restored one. Even though the restored version has sound, it takes the orginal and rearranges everything. They took the beginning of the 1925 and put it after Christine sings in the 1929 version. The person who plays Carlotta in the 1925 version is now Carlotta's mother and the Carlotta is different. The four stars is given to the silent 1925, the restored one is given 1 star.

Milestone version is the best!
Over the years, I have just about bought every version of the silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In my opinion, the Milestone version is THE BEST. The elements have been cleaned up and the image is crisp, clear with good contrast for 90% of the film. This two disc set has both the 1929 and hybrid 1925 original. Actually the film is cleaner and better looking in this version than a lot of the official Universal thirties classic that have come out.
It has an excellent commentary by Scott MacQueen and a real treat is hearing the music originally composed for the sound version accompanying the action from original sound elements.
The Technicolor sequences are the nicest I have seen and through proper use of the colorization process, other scenes originally in color, are presented and match the actual color stuff very well.
This version has been made from the initial Photoplay restoration which also includes Carl Davis' original stereo score for those that must have modern stereo for their films, however, I prefer the mood and music of the original '30 soundtrack. There are a plethora of extras, and I don't think it is false hype to say this is the ULTIMATE EDITION of this classic film.
That's my two cents..... ... Read more

Reviews (71)

Lon Chaney stars in the first great American horror film
It is a shame that in the popular imagination the classic 1925 silent version of "The Phantom of the Opera" has been reduced to the scene where Christine (Mary Philbin) unmasks the Phantom and reveals Lon Chaney's stunning make-up job. Because there is much more to this film than that sequence and the camera being out of focus as the Phantom moves towards Christine really bugs me. The visuals in this film are stunning, from the cavernous world below the Paris Opera house to the Phantom's entrance as the Red Death during the Masqurade Ball (filmed in Technicolor). For me the most memorable moment and Chaney's best scene comes at the end, when the Phantom is able to hold the mob that has hunted him down at bay because of the threat of what he holds in his hand. Then he starts to laugh at the fools, finally opening his hand to show it is empty and giving himself over to the violence of the mob. The scene is not in Gaston Leroux's 1910 novel, which relates how the bones of Erik were found years after the events told in this story, but it is a worthy addition to the tale. In regards to the famous unmasking scene, I do want to add that Rupert Julian's staging of the scene is really as impressive as the make-up, because the audience gets to see the face of the Phantom before Christine is presented with that horrible visage. I have always thought that Chaney's performance was so indelible that it was the reason that the Claude Reins and Herbert Lom remakes concocted an entirely new story, although it does make sense that when you add sound to the Phantom that you would take full advantage of the opera setting. Final note: When I got to see Michael Crawford perform as the Phantom in the Lloyd-Webber musical, I was not surprised that his outfit as the Red Death was clearly modeled on what Chaney wore in this film.

Very Good Restoration
The IMAGE entertainment restoration of the 1929 "Phantom of the Opera" starring Lon Chaney is a bit hit. The two-disk set is definately the definitive choice to own by all serious collectors. The clarity is better than any version I've seen to date, and for the first time, the correct running speed has been instituted here. The tradeoff however, is that the motion is somewhat choppy from too few frames. The characters move in proper real-time, and for the first time, you can see naturalistic movement in such scenes as the opening ballet sequence.

True fans need look no further than this two-disk Masterpiece Collection set from IMAGE. This is definately the one to own! The film is tinted and comes in a selection of three seperate sound tracks to choose from: a terrific new orchestrated score, the original sound score from the 30s, and a voice-over commentary track, which is insightful.

The second disk contains the original 1925 film, which few people have ever seen today. The quality is poor, but there are many scenes that are different from the version that we're all familiar with. It's worth watching.

But you cannot beat the restoration of the 1929 version on disk one of this set. It isn't quite the job that KINO put into Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" last year, but is terrific nonetheless. Thank you IMAGE. Great DVD!

One of the best
This is a beautiful (an absolutely beautiful) movie, one of the best I've ever seen. Lon Chaney, Sr. does a wonderfully dramatic performance as the tortured Phantom, who kidnapps an opera singer because he loves her. Unfortunately, she doesn't return the love, which drives him to madness.
The only thing that I disliked in the film was that Christine acts a little weird most of the time.
The dialogue is superb, and the Masked Ball scene is only one of the most memorable scenes in this movie

1925 Better than 1929
I am greatly disappointed with the 1929 version of the film. I thought it was going to be better than the silent one because it had sound, but I was wrong. The 1925 version is better than the restored one. Even though the restored version has sound, it takes the orginal and rearranges everything. They took the beginning of the 1925 and put it after Christine sings in the 1929 version. The person who plays Carlotta in the 1925 version is now Carlotta's mother and the Carlotta is different. The four stars is given to the silent 1925, the restored one is given 1 star.

Milestone version is the best!
Over the years, I have just about bought every version of the silent PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. In my opinion, the Milestone version is THE BEST. The elements have been cleaned up and the image is crisp, clear with good contrast for 90% of the film. This two disc set has both the 1929 and hybrid 1925 original. Actually the film is cleaner and better looking in this version than a lot of the official Universal thirties classic that have come out.
It has an excellent commentary by Scott MacQueen and a real treat is hearing the music originally composed for the sound version accompanying the action from original sound elements.
The Technicolor sequences are the nicest I have seen and through proper use of the colorization process, other scenes originally in color, are presented and match the actual color stuff very well.
This version has been made from the initial Photoplay restoration which also includes Carl Davis' original stereo score for those that must have modern stereo for their films, however, I prefer the mood and music of the original '30 soundtrack. There are a plethora of extras, and I don't think it is false hype to say this is the ULTIMATE EDITION of this classic film.
That's my two cents..... ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Buster In Decline
The second half of "Parlor, Bedroom and Bath" picks up a bit with some fine slapstick from Buster involving a slippery marble floor, but the first half is a total waste. Unless, that is, you find some historical interest in the views of the Keaton mansion. But, how stupid could MGM be? THIS stupid: they had here one of the greatest physical comedians of all time, and they kept flat on his back in bed for almost half the picture! Pathetic... no wonder Buster started drinking.

"Speak Easily" is even worse. The Keaton/Durante "partnership" was a marriage made in Hell (again, by MGM). There's no chemistry whatsoever between the two, and Buster often looks pained in his role as the professor. His timing is starting to go downhill, too, probably the result of his increasing alcohol problem. Add to that the sloppy direction, the cheesy production (it sounds like MGM spent more money on the snappy theme music than on the rest of the film), the third-rate script, and you've got a real prize turkey. NOT recommended, except to masochists.

Speak Easily
SPEAK EASILY is very sad. I've read several times where this is one of Buster's best (if not the best) talkies he made. I don't care for it at all. I have it only becuase I am a Buster fan. It reminds me of most of Laurel & Hardy's movies after they left Roach. The Buster in Speak Easily is a shadow of the Buster character in his silents. Jimmy Durante is overbearing and unfunny. MGM should be ashamed of themselves.

Keaton's Best MGM Talkie
Despite his personal troubles during the early 1930s, Buster Keaton reveals another dimension of his comic talent in "Speak Easily." He gives a splendid performance as Timolean Zanders Post, an isolated professor who believes he has inherited $750,000. With this mistaken financial security, he manages a struggling vaudeville troupe that he takes to Broadway. "Speak Easily" was the second MGM film to pair Keaton with Jimmy Durante. Though an unusual combination, they work remarkably well together in this enjoyable musical-comedy -- one of the few movies that displays Keaton's flair for verbal humor. The result is the best of Keaton's MGM talkies. However, his finest sound feature would be made in France: the excellent and rarely seen "Le Roi des Champs-Elysees (The King of the Champs-Elysees)," released in 1934 after Keaton was fired by MGM. The French certainly had a better appreciation of Buster's talents than MGM. Nevertheless, "Speak Easily" proves that Keaton could make a memorable comedy within the constraints of the studio system. ... Read more