THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925/1929) - Kino Classics - October 13, 2015

[Akijama]

Coming October 13th on Blu-ray and DVD!



THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (1925/1929) - Starring Lon Chaney and Mary Philbin - Directed by Rupert Julian.



Disc 1



THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA



24 frames-per-second version (78 Min.) 1920 x 1080 (1.33:1 pillarbox)

• Music composed and performed by Alloy Orchestra (2.0 Stereo)

• Theatre organ score arranged and performed by Gaylord Carter (2.0 Mono)



20 frames-per-second version (92 Min.) 1920 x 1080 (1.33:1 pillarbox)

• Musical setting composed by Gabriel Thibaudeau (2.0 Stereo)

Performed by I Musici de Montréal; Conducted by Yuri Turovsky; Claudine Côté, Soprano

• Audio commentary by film historian Jon Mirsalis (2.0 Mono)





Disc 2



THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

1925 Version (114 Min.) Standard Definition (4x3)

• Musical Setting Arranged and Performed by Frederick Hodges (2.0 Mono)



EXTRAS:



Original Screenplay (91 Min. video scroll)



Montage of Stills (13 Min.)



Interview with composer Gabriel Thibaudeau (9 Min.)



Two travelogues by Burton Holmes, depicting Paris in 1925:

PARIS FROM A MOTOR (3 1/2 Min.)

A TRIP ON THE SEINE (3 1/2 Min.)

[redrunner97]

[warrian]

Aaaaaaand YES!

[Banned User]

Probably stick with the previous copy of this from image entertainment.

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-P...Blu-ray/25557/

Can't see the image quality being that much better, but maybe if it is I'll bite.

[bigshot]

This looks like a repackage of the previous release.

[The Great Owl]

I've been wanting to get the Image release for a while now, but I'll just wait for this Kino release. I used to have the Milestone DVD edition, and I loved it.

[warrian]

It definitely looks like a repackage, but with the Image Entertainment release falling out-of-print, this title needed it. It's an absolute classic and being in the public domain has not been kind to it, from a home video perspective.

[oddbox83]

Bit of a shame to US fans that the found sound reel and the 1925 cut in HD still remain exclusive to the BFI edition.

[evilive]

This is good news...... very, very good news.

[oildude]

Originally Posted by oddbox83

Bit of a shame to US fans that the found sound reel and the 1925 cut in HD still remain exclusive to the BFI edition.

The BFI is region free, though. Easily worth an import.

[EddieLarkin]

The 1929 cut of this film, which has unjustifiably become the de facto primary version, is such a devastatingly crap botch edit of the original cut that I find it impossible to watch now. The 1925 cut is a vastly superior film and can only be experienced in any sort of watchable form via the region free BFI disc.

[oddbox83]

Originally Posted by EddieLarkin

The 1929 cut of this film, which has unjustifiably become the de facto primary version, is such a devastatingly crap botch edit of the original cut that I find it impossible to watch now. The 1925 cut is a vastly superior film and can only be experienced in any sort of watchable form via the region free BFI disc.

I like both, though the '29 cut remains an oddity regardless since it isn't just the talkie reissue without the sound even though it does use a little of the 1929 shot footage and no one has quite worked out why and what for it was made.

The existing 1925 cut isn't the original cut either. The first cut is sadly lost and I'd love to see it. I mourn the loss of the talkie reissue the most though - the reel on the BFI disc is a tantalising glimpse of what they did with the movie and newly shot footage. Even if it turned out to be appallingly awful, it would still be utterly fascinating which is why it's one of my personal lost movie holy grails.

I think it's clear that I simply love this movie in all it's forms. The more I dug into it's history, the more fascinated with it I've become.

Just to finish my post off, I think Kino have made a superb choice of cover art. I know the Phantom unmasked isn't exactly a spoiler these days since it's so famous, but having it slapped huge over a Photoshop job on the Image disc was ensuring no one new to the film getting the Blu-ray by reputation would ever get the chance to have a shock at his unmasking, the make-up still stands up today.

[Professor Echo]

I also picked up the BFI edition and kept my 2-disc Milestone DVD for the extras that aren't on the UK Blu.

The cover on the latter was excellent artwork and also discouraged me from giving up the set. I used custom art of an original poster for the Image Blu before I gave that release away and I think that was my favorite. It was very subtle compared to most of the spectacular graphics this film had attached to it and was adapted by a very talented custom cover artist who posts a lot on HTF. He was kind enough to share it with me after the person who commissioned him for the art said it was ok. After I picked up the BFI version I decided not to sell the Image one and gave it to my brother since he loved the custom art as much as I did. I decided to stick with the BFI cover as it too is tremendous. You can't go wrong with any of the original advertising designs for this movie, which only makes Image's decision to photoshop a cliche monster close up even more embarrassingly ridiculous.

[RandyK]

Like others, I'm happy with the BFI disc. Anyone who hasn't seen the movie in any form should definitely pick up that disc or this one. The movie is a classic.

It's also the basis for one of my all time favorite songs (skip to 2:43):

Iron Maiden - Phantom of The Opera - Live Sweden (2005) - YouTube

[DVD Phreak]

Note to all: the 1929 version comes into two forms, the Blackhawk edition and the Photoplay edition, each done by different people and resulted in different shots, different picture quality, different scores, and some color shots in one edition and not in others. In other words, two different cuts. Serious collectors should consider getting both the Blackhawk and Photoplay editions.

Blackhawk editions:
1997 Image DVD (2011 reissue cover)
2011 Image Blu-ray
2015 Kino Blu-ray

Photoplay editions:
2003 Milestone DVD
2013 BFI Blu-ray

[sa5150]

Originally Posted by DVD Phreak

Note to all: the 1929 version comes into two forms, the Blackhawk edition and the Photoplay edition, each done by different people and resulted in different shots, different picture quality, different scores, and some color shots in one edition and not in others. In other words, two different cuts. Serious collectors should consider getting both the Blackhawk and Photoplay editions.

Blackhawk editions:
1997 Image DVD (2011 reissue cover)
2011 Image Blu-ray
2015 Kino Blu-ray

Photoplay editions:
2003 Milestone DVD
2013 BFI Blu-ray

which 29 version would have better picture quality ? the Kino/image or the bfi?

[The Great Owl]

I decided to order the region-free BFI set of The Phantom of the Opera, since the 1925 version, which I prefer by a considerable margin, is available in 1080p in that set.

Right now on Amazon UK, I got the BFI set for $27.96 U.S. dollars, including shipping.

I may yet buy the Kino version later on, though, depending on the merits of that edition.

[Page14]

I find all these different editions very confusing to sift through and very difficult to decide if one is preferable to another. There seem to be so many variables to weigh. Or maybe the confusion is simply because there are so many editions.

[dsman71]

Probably, but Im sticking with the Kino version. I also prefer the 90 minute version, that color *Masque* sequence is astounding for its time.

[Boob-Ray]

Originally Posted by Page14

I find all these different editions very confusing to sift through and very difficult to decide if one is preferable to another. There seem to be so many variables to weigh. Or maybe the confusion is simply because there are so many editions.

This movie's history completely confuses me. Has anyone ever provided a nice, easy to read list of the different versions? Blackhawk, Photoplay, 20fps, 24fps, 1929, 1925, talkie, part-talkie.

I remember going through all this last year, but I gave up.

I'll probably pick up the Kino version anyway. I watch this movie a ton around the Halloween season. And that cover art/slipcase looks fantastic.