The Phantom of the Opera ** (1989, Robert Englund, Jill Schoelen, Alex Hyde-White, Bill Nighy) – Classic Movie Review 5103

This 1989 big-screen remake of the famous Gaston Leroux novel had a convoluted production history. It was to be directed by John Hough and released by Cannon Films but Menahem Golan’s new 21st Century Film Corporation picked it up, after Cannon filed for bankruptcy and Golan fell out with partner Yoram Globus. Hough was replaced by Dwight H Little and it is now credited as written by Duke Sandefur, based on the screenplay by Gerry O’Hara.

Its new spin of a story focuses on the idea that one way to make it in musicals is to summon up the shade of the nightmarish Phantom of the Opera (Robert Englund), who is always ready to help a pretty, young Broadway baby like New York Julliard student Christine Day (Jill Schoelen) become a star in modern-day Manhattan.

While Christine auditions with an old opera piece called Don Juan Triumphant, written by a composer named Erik Destler, an accident with a falling sandbag sends her unconscious and shatters a mirror. She awakens in London in 1881, as the understudy to the jealous opera diva La Carlotta (Stephanie Lawrence).

This time, Erik Destler/ the Phantom murders a stagehand, whose flayed body is discovered by La Carlotta (London show lead Stephanie Lawrence). Her voice is paralysed by the shock and, before you can say Andrew Lloyd Webber, youngster Julliard Jill goes up the hill to stardom. The following day an influential music critic who has given her a bad review is found dead. Fair warning to all critics!

Englund shows all the relish that makes him such a hissable villain as Freddy Kreuger and Schoelen is a suitably sexy siren, while director Dwight H Little brings a few new twists and that adults-only 18 certificate to his entertaining, dark-toned 1989 horror movie version of the old Gaston Leroux story Le Fantöme de l’Opera.

Also in the cast are Alex Hyde-White as Richard Dutton, Bill Nighy as Martin Barton, Terence Harvey, as Inspector Hawkins, Nathan Lewis as Davies, Molly Shannon as Meg and Peter Clapham.

It is written by Duke Sandefur and Gerry O’Hara, shot by Elemer Ragalyi, produced by Harry Alan Towers, scored by Misha Segal and designed by Tivadar Bertalan.

Like the 1983 The Phantom of the Opera, it was also filmed in Budapest, Hungary, as well as London and New York City.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5103

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