Phantom of the Opera
(Dario Argento; 1998)
(A-Pix Entertainment)
-Overview-
Mysteriously, a series of terrifying accidents and brutal murders leaves a bloody body trail in the subterranean caverns of an opera house basement. Born into the murky sewer waters below the theater stalks a man/monster raised by creatures of the underworld. This Phantom’s dark and grotesque life is shattered when he becomes obsessed with a beautiful young singer, seducing her with his chilling but exotic presence.
An interesting take on the classic story, Giallo-style. Not Argento’s best film, but Phantom is well made and is crammed full of the requisite gratuitous gore and T&A that fans have come to expect. Julian Sands is great as always as the elusive Phantom, and Asia Argento couldn’t lip-sync opera vocals if her life depended on it. Some bad CGI is interspersed throughout but it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the film. Worth a look.
-Sound-
Good sound quality. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 as well as 2.0 stereo.
-Picture-
Good picture quality. Widescreen 1.85:1 (enhanced for 16X9 TVs) and Pan & Scan versions are included on the disc.
-Special Features-
- Photo gallery
- Filmographies
- Theatrical and video trailers
- Fangoria article
- Interview with Julian Sands
- Behind-the-scenes footage
-Packaging-
Standard DVD keep case.
Sound: 8
Picture: 8
Packaging: 5
(Rating scale is out of 10, with 1 being the worst and 10 the best)