Film Details:

Directed By Dario Argento (Suspiria, Opera, Deep Red)

Written by
Gerard Brach (The Fearless Vampire Killers, Quest for Fire, Name of the Rose)
Dario Argento (Susperia, Opera, Deep Red)
Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux

Starring
Julian Sands (Yeah, that guy from Warlock)
Asia Argento (xXx, B. Monkey, New Rose Hotel, Stendhal Syndrome)
Andrea Di Stefano (The Citizen, Before Night Falls)

Unapix

Review: by Don (e-mail your faithful reviewer)

Yes, another telling of the classic tale. It's been done a hundred times and in a hundred ways, but Argento's is one of the better ones. By no means on par with his previous shot at Opera, this horror-ized version still boasts some groovy stuff. The Beautiful Asia Argento (the director's daughter and latest Hollywood "it" girl for her role opposite Vin Diesel in xXx -- unfortunate, that) stars as the ill fated opera singer who finds herself the object of the affection of the Phantom. In this film, said Phantom is played by the wonderful Julian Sands, and he does his creepy best as always. The film suffers in places, as many Italian films do, from lack of explanation (when she suddenly starts getting telepathic messages from the phantom, why doesn't she freak out?). Yet, it is still a good film overall. To be honest, it's a bit too long, but it's easy to sit through for all of that.

Sands' Phantom is not a disfigured freak; he is a raving psychopath who was abandoned as a baby to die in the sewers and raised by, of all things, rats. He actually considers himself a rat, and there's this bit towards the end with him all shirtless and panting and covered in rats and... you'll know the bit when you see it.

Anyway, as I implied before, this is Dario's second Phantom shot, the first being a more modern retelling called Opera which was actually a much better film. Dario was always obsessed with the Phantom story and wanted to make another movie about it, so this is his most faithful version of the story.

Asia does a wonderful job as always in her part, and her lip-synching to the opera bits is in fact pretty good. She also looks great in the costumes, which is also a good thing. Check it out if you get a chance, but if you only have a choice between the two Operas, pick up the other one. Anchor Bay did a great edition of it.

DVD Details:

5.1 Dolby Digital sound
P&S and Anamorphic Widescreen
Spanish subtitles
Interview with Julian Sands
Behind-the-scenes featurette
Fangoria article
Photo galleries

Further Information:

Internet Movie Database

In Brief

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