PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004/DVD/WS 2.4/5.1/ENG-FREN-SPAN-SUB) DVD

The Phantom of the Opera
One of the most popular stage musicals in the history of Broadway and London's West End makes its long-awaited arrival on the motion-picture screen in this lavish adaptation directed by Joel Schumacher. Christine (Emmy Rossum) is a beautiful and gifted young woman who longs to join the company of the Paris Opera House. During rehearsals for one of the opera's grand productions, a backdrop falls and crashes to the floor, nearly crushing leading lady Carlotta (Minnie Driver). When several members of the company suggest this could be the work of the "Phantom of the Opera," a spectral presence said to haunt the building, Carlotta drops out of the show, and the fates permit Christine to step in as her replacement. Christine's performance is a triumph, and on opening night she becomes reacquainted with Raoul (Patrick Wilson), a former childhood friend who is now a wealthy and well-known nobleman. Christine soon finds herself smitten with the handsome Raoul, but the same evening she makes a startling discovery -- the story of the Phantom is not just a legend. A brilliant but horribly disfigured composer (Gerard Butler) lives deep in the depths of the opera house, and taken with the beauty of Christine's voice, he abducts her and brings her to his lair, where he offers to help her perfect her talents, offering to write an opera especially for her. As the terrified Christine is comforted by Raoul, the two fall in love, but the phantom sees her affection for Raoul as a tremendous betrayal, and the jealous phantom nearly kills Christine as he nearly killed Carlotta. When the phantom emerges to present the opera's management with the piece he has written for Christine, the singer is asked to put her life on the line in an effort to capture the mad genius once and for all. Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical version of Gaston Leroux's novel, which had already enjoyed several stage and screen adaptations in the past, opened in London in 1986 and has been a popular favorite around the world ever since; the show was still running in New York and London when the film version premiered in late 2004. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast Gerard Butler as The Phantom Emmy Rossum as Christine Daae Patrick Wilson as Vicomte Raoul de Chagny Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry Minnie Driver as La Carlotta Simon Callow as Gilles Andre Ciarán Hinds as Richard Firmin Jennifer Ellison as Meg Giry James Fleet as Lefevre Victor McGuire as Piangi Kevin McNally as Buquet Murray Melvin as Reyer Paul Brooke as Auctioneer Laura Hounsom as Young Mme. Giry Chris Overton as Young Phantom Imogen Bain as Carlotta's Maid Miles Western as Carlotta's Wigmaker Judith Paris as Carlotta's Seamstress Halcro Johnston as Passirino Oliver Chopping as Porter Alison Skilbeck as Nun/Nurse Lee Sellers as Chauffer Ramin Karimloo as Christine's Father Annabel Porter as Young Meg Max Thomas as

Crew Paul Kirby - Art Director John Fenner - Supervising Art Director David Grindrod - Casting Peter Darling - Choreography Nigel Wright - Conductor Alexandra Byrne - Costume Designer David Pearson - First Assistant Director Tommy Gormley - First Assistant Director Joel Schumacher - Director Terry Rawlings - Editor Julia Blackman - Executive Producer Jeff Abberley - Executive Producer Eli Richbourg - Executive Producer Keith Cousins - Executive Producer Paul Hitchcock - Executive Producer Antony Hunt - Executive Producer Ralph Kamp - Executive Producer Austin Shaw - Executive Producer Louise Goodsill - Executive Producer Jenny Shircore - Hair Styles Zachery Tucker - Lighting Andrew Lloyd Webber - Composer (Music Score) Nigel Wright - Musical Direction/Supervision Jenny Shircore - Makeup Anthony Pratt - Production Designer Terry Rawlings - Production Designer Nigel Stone - Cinematographer John Mathieson - Cinematographer Andrew Lloyd Webber - Producer Cinesite - Special Effects Tony Dawe - Sound/Sound Designer Anna Behlmer - Sound/Sound Designer Andy Nelson - Sound/Sound Designer Greg Powell - Stunts Coordinator Joel Schumacher - Screenwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber - Screenwriter Ryan Meredith - Production Assistant David M.V. Jones - Visual Effects Supervisor Nathan McGuinness - Visual Effects Supervisor Peter Hutchinson - Visual Effects Supervisor Debbie Kaye - Animal Trainer/Wrangler Tim Clark - Matte Artist John Rogers - Gaffer Panavision Grips - Grip Alexandra Coxon - Production Coordinator Animated Extras Intl. - Prosthetic Makeup Effects Michael Smith - Prosthetic Makeup Effects Jamie Stevenson - Visual Effects Producer Les McGee - Electrician Robert O'Brien - Electrician Peter Joslin - Electrician Garry Hedges - Electrician Vincent Clarke - Electrician Jennie Lee-Wright - Foley Artist Pauline Griffiths - Foley Artist Jen Hutchinson - Production Accountant Alexandra Coxon - Production Controller Celia Bobak - Set Decorator Gaston Leroux - Book Author Andrew Lloyd Webber - From Musical by Richard Stilgoe - From Musical by Charles Hart - From Musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber - Play Author John Stanborough - Color Timing Vince Jordan - Craft Service/Catering Crew Catering LTD - Craft Service/Catering Sophie Aitken - Craft Service/Catering Edward Colyer - Foley Mixer David Tyler - Foley Recordist Malcolm Wooldridge - Motion Control Camera The VFX Company Limited - Motion Control Camera Digna Nigoumi - Motion Control Camera Professional Negative Cutting Limited - Negative Cutter Promed Medical Support Services - Set Medic/First Aid Kosta Saric - Visual Effects Editor Brenden Donnison - Voice Casting Asylum Visual Effects - Title Design Justin Blampied - Title Design Zach Justman - Assistant Visual Effects Editor Sean Hedges-Quinn - Construction Department Vicky Ball - Construction Department Steve Adamson - Construction Department Gary Gleeson - Construction Department Rob Weller - Construction Department Christine Greenwood - Construction Department Ken Barley - Construction Department Michael Gardiner - Construction Department Paul King - Construction Department Geoff Newton - Construction Department Danny Webster - Construction Department Kathryn Prince - Construction Department Claas Henke - Compositor Mark P. Renton - Compositor Simon Cassels - Compositor Jo Ken - Compositor Steve Muangman - Compositor Mike Poterfield - Compositor Glen Bennett - Compositor

The Phantom of the Opera
Again proving himself game for any genre, Joel Schumacher takes the helm of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, a musical whose long delay to the screen represents a rare failure of Hollywood to strike when the iron is hot. No doubt thinking it could be his Chicago, Schumacher was probably as surprised as anyone to see his grandiose production shut out of the major Oscar categories. The film is an incredibly faithful rendering of the popular show. But with Webber's fingerprints all over it, it's never precisely more than that, and that's what separates it from Chicago. Coming only two years on the heels of that film, there's an unjust tendency to judge Phantom according to Chicago's success, and true enough, it doesn't measure up to either that or the stage phenomenon that inspired it. One real difference from the stage: it's unavoidable that the phantom (Gerard Butler) will lose some of his crucial mystery when brought up close and personal with the audience. Seen at a distance, lurking in the shadows, he's a more remote and effective figure. Emmy Rossum fares better as Christine Daae, projecting a disarming mixture of beauty and innocence, and Patrick Wilson is a dashing Raoul. All three leads -- not to mention a funny Minnie Driver as the opera's resident diva -- come off pretty impressively in terms of their singing, which sounds enough like the original Broadway recordings to please ardent fans of the material. In fact, the exquisite sets, lush costumes, and sweeping camerawork -- even the black-and-white frame story -- all compliment the performances well enough. The result is a costume drama that's at times genuinely rousing. It's just not an Oscar winner. ~ Derek Armstrong, All Movie Guide
 

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Anthony Pratt: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Celia Bobak: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Art Direction (nominated) Charles Hart: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Song (nominated) Emmy Rossum: Broadcast Film Critics Association, Best Young Actress (winner) Emmy Rossum: Golden Globe, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or C (nominated) Emmy Rossum: National Board of Review, Breakthrough Performance - Female (winner) John Mathieson: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scie, Best Cinematography (nominated)

Broadcast Film Critics Association, Best Picture (nominated) Golden Globe, Best Original Song (nominated) Golden Globe, Best Picture - Musical or Comedy (nominated)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel Additional Features: cc Theatrical trailer Languages: English & Français Subtitles: English, Français & Español MPAA Rating: PG13 DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 141 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 1. Public Auction [3:42] 2. Overture [3:44] 3. New Owners and Patron (Hannibal) [4:58] 4. Think of Me (I); Opera Ghost [4:26] 5. Think of Me (II) [4:56] 6. Angel of Music [4:11] 7. Little Lotte [2:34] 8. The Mirror [2:21] 9. The Phantom of the Opera [3:33] 10. The Music of the Night [6:37] 11. Magical Lasso [2:38] 12. I Remember/Stranger Than You Dream It [3:46] 13. Notes [7:28] 14. Prima Donna [3:34] 15. Poor Fool, He Makes Me Laugh [3:01] 16. Death From Above [4:09] 17. Why Have You Brought Me Here?/Raoul, I've Been There [2:54] 18. All I Ask of You [5:29] 19. All I Ask of You Reprise [2:26] 20. Masquerade [:29] 21. Why So Silent? [5:15] 22. Madame Giry's Tale [3:36] 23. Journey to the Cemetery [4:14] 24. Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again [3:30] 25. Wandering Child [4:08] 26. Crossing Swords [1:37] 27. We Have All Been Blind [2:06] 28. Don Juan [4:04] 29. The Point of No Return [2:48] 30. Chandelier Chaos [5:34] 31. Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer [2:53] 32. The Point of No Return Reprise [2:56] 33. A Kiss and a Ring [5:22] 34. Music Over [3:49] 35. Their Beloved [2:31] 36. End Credits (Learn to Be Lonely). [1:42]