Argento Phantom of the Opera Film

Any of you seen the Dario Argento Phantom of the Opera from 1998?

I actually want to hear what people have to say about it as I have my own opinions..LOL Be interesting to see what other people think!

I've seen it. I even own in. It was cheap.

Well.... I wanna say that everything around it is quite good. The Budapest Opera House is the perfect setting, and both the Raoul and the Christine is quite fitting for this alternate take. There's also some atmospheric moments in the beginning which is promising.

But everything involving the Phantom is just pathetically bad. Like, totally cringeworthy. Though I blame this one a lot more on the script/directing than the guy playing the Phantom, he probably does his best with extremely awkward material. Cause, seriously... The dialogues... The sex... The rats.... WTF?

I wish Argento had dared to make a true horror movie instead of this hybrid. It fails at all areas. Except, as mention, the settings. They're gorgeous. Poor Budapest Opera House, being connected with this movie...

As I figured, I share the same views as others do...haha

I also own the film. I am an Argento fan and bought his version of Phantom without seeing it first. Got it for a very cheap price. I agree with that the theater is beautiful and for the most part, the actors were chosen well. The lady who plays Christine is actually Argento's daughter, Asia Argento (wonder how she got the role...lol) I also love Julian Sands but alas, not in the role of the Phantom. The first shocker was that he had no mask and was not disfigured. I had NO idea that Sands refused to do this though, very interesting! I think the whole concept of the Phantom went down the tubes because that is the basis of the pain and torture of his character (the disfigurement). A bit too gory for my taste but I understand that is Argento's style.

It was the sex that was just too much for me. I know with actor Julian Sands that he's naked in just about every movie he does but...lol I felt this was not necessary for Phantom. I mean, like many other phans out there I want Christine and the Phantom to be together but they don't have to show it!! I often wonder what it was like for Asia Argento to do sex scenes with Julian Sands while her father was directing!!!!!

But it was sex with the rats as Anea talked about that was waaay too much for me! I mean, getting a little freaky in the bedroom is okay but...YICK!! What was Argento trying to accomplish with that?!! (Hope I'm not coming off like a prude because I'm faaaar from it!)

All in all I was glad I bought it but it would be at the bottom of my Phantom movies list. Like Anea said, the theater and location were gorgeous and really made the story seem lush and come to life. The casting wasn't bad either but it's too bad Julian Sands refused to wear a mask, etc. I think the film would have been much better if he would have.

I actually started this thread because I didn't see it talked about anywhere! I was actually surprised! So anyone else's thoughts, post away!

I've not heard anything about that it's Julian Sands who forced Dario Argento to re-write the original score. I hardly believe it after watching Argento's Opera (remember the flock of crows in the theatre and needles around the victim's eye? faugh).
Argento's Phantom (I mean the character) is really Penguin-from-Batman alike, isn't he?

Klavirista wrote:I've not heard anything about that it's Julian Sands who forced Dario Argento to re-write the original score. I hardly believe it after watching Argento's Opera (remember the flock of crows in the theatre and needles around the victim's eye? faugh).
Argento's Phantom (I mean the character) is really Penguin-from-Batman alike, isn't he?

I own "Opera." A bit gory but I could tell Argento was wanting to make a movie based loosely on Phantom. Then in 1998 he finally just made his own version! Knowing Argento's work, it is a bit over the time and gory/sexual at times. Actually, the film I really like by him is "Suspiria." He should get back to doing films like that. If he had made Phantom more like Suspiria I think it would have turned out better...that and having the Phantom wear a mask! lol....

I thought this movie was hilarious. I knew when it comes to Dario Argento films, you're going to get some hilarious sick stuff. And this did not disappoint.

... But the only problem I have with it is the whole 'I filmed my daughter having sex'. ... That's just weird and wrong to me.

Yeah, when watching Argento expect gore that's for sure! Oh and the thing I said about Argento filming his daughter doing a simulated sex scene...yup. I always thought that creepy because he was the director overseeing whichever scene they were filming and there's his daughter Asia who was playing Christine in the sack with the Phantom! YICK! Then again my husband pointed out to me that maybe over in Europe or that is wherever they filmed, that is acceptable. But it still creeps me out...leave it to me to think of that, sorry if it weirded you out!

ML6 wrote:I thought this movie was hilarious. I knew when it comes to Dario Argento films, you're going to get some hilarious sick stuff. And this did not disappoint.

... But the only problem I have with it is the whole 'I filmed my daughter having sex'. ... That's just weird and wrong to me.

I don´t like the movie. Some things are ok. John Malkovich as the Phantom that would be great.

SweetChristine wrote:I don´t like the movie. Some things are ok. John Malkovich as the Phantom that would be great.

John Malkovich for the Phantom would have been awesome, I LOVE him! But the nudity and sex...ahem...lol I've seen John M. do a lot but....hahahahahaha

Don't forget the rats!

operafantomet wrote:Don't forget the rats!

EWWWWW....thanks, now I'm picturing John M. with rats....(gotta go wash my hands or something...lmao)

It looks gorgeous - costumes, lighting, roses, sets - and it is interesting, but it is also clumsy and crude, and only character I sympathisized was Carlotta.

I wish someone could reach into my brain and remove the parts that remember this film.

While I don't hate this one, it's not my favorite, I'm amazed that anyone was able to get any background information on this one. The special features are in Italian is what I read on Amazon. I don't really see the problem with the sex or the rats, and the Phantom is mentally ill, I have heard the same talking points on another Phan group, I have seen worse versions of POTO Phantom of the Mall Phantom of the Grindhouse was just a bad movie. While I can't say I remember this one that well, I streamed it off of Netflix now to see it again I have to pay $30. ARGAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Any version where the Phantom and Christine end up together seems to be hated. Maybe the Universe is trying to tell us something?