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Post by Simple Rose on Oct 26, 2005 19:33:34 GMT -5
Since I've apparently set this board up poorly, we'll have to include all other versions and combined versions in the "Books" sections.
But to the topic, what is your favourite version of this wonderful story?
I've only read bits of the Leroux book, but from what I've read, I can already tell that I still like the movie better. There's simply more passion displayed and pure love... the Christine of the Leroux book seems manipulative and strange. Nothing like Emmy Rossum!Christine who I relate to incredibly.
Though, from what reviews I've heard, I can expect the Susan Kay novel to quickly replace the movie for me.
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Post by LittleLotte394 on Oct 27, 2005 8:05:06 GMT -5
Hmmm...the movie was very good, and it was the first POTO I saw. Leroux rather creeped me out- I still did my book report for English class on it, though  . The stage version- my friend gave me all these descriptions, and I'm probably going to see it this weekend. I say "probably" because the theater lost power due to Hurricane Wilma  . So...I'm sticking with the movie, though what I've heard of various stage shows makes the stage version a close second- the reason why stage!Erik is my favorite Phantom. |
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Post by Angel on Oct 28, 2005 21:20:24 GMT -5
Well, again, the movie is the only complete version I've seen. I know several trivial bits and pieces about Leroux and Kay, which I find quite interesting. As for the stage show, I know the libretto and have listened to the OLC recording and seen a few clips. I love the movie because it was the first time that I fully grasped the Phantom story and fell in love with the whole concept. Despite not actually having seen it (oh, but I will when it comes Down Under in ... 2007  ), I love the stage show because it was my very first taste of POTO via the OLC. My mum sort of summarised the story for me, but I was a little young to completely understand. Again, despite not having read either (except a few pages of Leroux), I love the book versions for their different takes on the story - especially Leroux for starting it in the first place! So, until I've seen it all, I'm not going to pass judgment But I do love the movie - for all its shortcomings. |
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Post by Jaycee on Oct 29, 2005 10:25:32 GMT -5
Well, the movie was my first and, so far, only, version except for a few chapters of Leroux. From what i have read, I like the movie way better, but it's really hard to judge a book by the first few chapters. One of these days I'll have to get around to finishing it! As for the stage version, I've heard about two songs from it, and so I really can't judge on that one. So, so far I'll have to stick with the movie, maybe if i finish the book i'll like it better (but...Raoul wtih a mustache? I just can't picture that! ) or if i see the stage version. But I'll probably stick with the movie, because I tend to get rather attached to my first version of everything.
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Post by Angel on Oct 29, 2005 21:13:25 GMT -5
You and me both, Jaycee Usually I look at the canon versions of things first, then go on to the altered versions. Obviously it was different with POTO, so while I'm pretty sure ALW is going to remain my preferred version of events, I don't have as much of a problem with the big differences between Leroux, Kay and ALW. Yeah, but like I said, usually I'm a canon-fanatic. I really can't sit through Disney's Hercules because I can't stand the blatant changes they made ... I haven't seen it for a few years but I seem to remember Hera being Hercules' mother ... ::cough no she wasn't Zeus had an affair with a mortal but we wouldn't want THAT in a children's film now would we cough:: Ahem. And the characterisation of Eponine in the Les Mis musical really annoys me. I love the musical, but come on! She pretty much tried to kill Marius in the book! Oops. A little tangent there ::hides:: |
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Post by Jaycee on Oct 31, 2005 19:28:53 GMT -5
Heehee! Cool, Angel. I thought i was the only one who was like that!
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Post by raoulsgem on Nov 3, 2005 19:38:45 GMT -5
I thought the movie was ok, but I loved Leroux's book (I know I'm strange) I just think that it was so romantic, it was a little odd, but I thought it was mostly romantic. I loved the ALW stage show too, I went to see it for school and most of my friends went. (just so they could understand my obsession)
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 11, 2005 15:59:34 GMT -5
Did your friends like it, gem? I made all of my friends watch the movie with me and I think they all liked it. My sister loves it almost as much as I do and she loves Raoul (but not as much as me). Now i just have to convince my mom to watch the whole thing.
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Post by Angel on Nov 11, 2005 17:54:53 GMT -5
I had a few problems when I wanted other people to watch the movie with me. My friends didn't want to see it with me ("Ick, it's a musical and musicals suck! ), so my dad took me the first time I went to see it in the cinema. He fell asleep. I managed to coerce my then-nine-year-old sister to come along, which turned out to be a mistake, because she just kept asking questions the whole way through, about 83% of them about the monkey music box. The third time I went with my mum - and finally somebody sat through the whole thing without annoying me. Anyway, I started trying to convince friends to watch it. About seven surrendered. One told me that she downright hated it (but at least she was RC), two were indifferent, but still shoot me exasperated looks when I talk about anything POTO, another reckons she hates it and can't stand it, but absently hums Think of Me and Prima Donna when she thinks no-one's listening ;D And so ends Angel's Saga Of POTO Movie Watching With (Or Without) Friends. |
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 20, 2005 20:08:50 GMT -5
That's ok, you can always watch it by yourself! I usually do. I think I've seen it almost 30 times now. *gasp*! I haven't seen it in a week! I'll to watch it tonight after the kids I'm babysitting are asleep!
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Post by Angel on Nov 24, 2005 4:10:58 GMT -5
I've lost count of how many times I've seen it, actually. I went skiing with my family a few months ago and got sick, so I holed up in the hotel room and just watched it over and over again. Good times. (Holy cow, how did I manage to get 100 posts? Do I really have that much free time? ) |
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Post by Jaycee on Nov 25, 2005 20:07:04 GMT -5
Heh, that's so funny, Angel. I went skiing with my family last year and got sick too. Unfortunately that was before I became obsessed.
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Post by Angel on Dec 25, 2005 7:20:24 GMT -5
Guess what? I bought a $5 copy of Leroux the other day. I was stoked. A bit upset that there was a white half-mask on the cover (facepalm), but stoked nonetheless.
And now I have officially finished it. Party.
I really, really liked it. It's almost impossible to say whether I like Leroux or ALW better, though, as they're really chalk and cheese. What I did really like about Leroux, though, was how a lot of first to middle-ish section was focused around Raoul. That just rocked. Although it also meant I spent about half the book thinking how much of a b*tch Christine was being.
Anyway. I'm not sure if I can say it's my favourite version, but I definitely enjoyed the original. Erik was just so much more insane in this one, which I thought was morbidly awesome. Like when he ripped at his own face with Christine's fingernails. Gross, but cool. Sort of. Plus, it's got the Persian in it. I thought he was rather spiffy, too.
Anyway, snaps for Leroux.
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Post by The Black Domino on Jan 29, 2006 17:14:10 GMT -5
The Leroux version definitely has to be my favorite, w/ the 1925 version right after.
For me the original version was magnificent, and I loved the fact that Erik was more insane, and also that Christine and Raoul's love was pure and logical. You don't get that in many other versions, like Susan Kay's version for example... Christine and Raoul's romance seemed to be plastic in that version. Not my taste.
Same thing for the 1925 version.
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Post by Angel on Jan 29, 2006 20:32:58 GMT -5
Firstly, welcome to SYLM, Black Domino! (Love the screenname, by the way ) Secondly, I wish I could comment on Kay and the Lon Chaney versions, but I haven't read/seen them ::grumbles about incompetent video rental places and general lack of cash:: Anyway, I do agree that Insane!Erik is great  |
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Post by The Black Domino on Jan 30, 2006 17:32:13 GMT -5
Thank you! ;D ...And I like insane Erik too! ...Though I also liked that Raoul was a nervous reck when he was around with Christine at the beginning of the story. It seemed that that showed his love for her a lot... I found that priceless. |
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Post by LittleLotte394 on Feb 13, 2006 21:57:46 GMT -5
I do believe I have a new favorite version. I mentioned that I recieved Susan Kay's Phantom for Christmas- where do I begin? The book was 10 times better than what the reviews say. It was just so real- the characters seemed like real people, instead of just characters in a book. But Kay didn't change a single character's personality around. Also, it's not in third person, like Leroux. She gave main characters their own personal narratives- Raoul has one, too! The story was just perfect, in every way.
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Pam
Childhood Sweetheart
Posts: 10
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Post by Pam on Feb 14, 2006 18:31:48 GMT -5
I *LOVE* Kays book the most of all the books, the ALW stage show more than any other staged version and the Charles Dance/Teri Polo movie the most of all the movies.
Now I adore the 2004 ALW movie, but as I mentioned, that is my favorite musicalized version of POTO, so I will say the TV mini series is my favorite movie version.
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Post by Jaycee on Apr 2, 2006 21:03:42 GMT -5
I do believe I have a new favorite version. I mentioned that I recieved Susan Kay's Phantom for Christmas- where do I begin? The book was 10 times better than what the reviews say. It was just so real- the characters seemed like real people, instead of just characters in a book. But Kay didn't change a single character's personality around. Also, it's not in third person, like Leroux. She gave main characters their own personal narratives- Raoul has one, too! The story was just perfect, in every way. Really? That surprises me. I've heard that Kay's version is very EC. |
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Post by LittleLotte394 on Apr 5, 2006 17:58:45 GMT -5
True, Jaycee, Kay's is mostly E/C, but she does give Raoul and Christine a fair amount of time, if not as much as the stage version, or the Leroux book. Still, I love Kay's book best.
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Post by Angel on Apr 7, 2006 3:28:43 GMT -5
Now I really wish I could afford Kay ... I'm saving all my money for shopping in France and hardly have a spare cent. Does anyone know how much one can expect to pay for a copy? Last time I checked the cheapest I could find was about $70 (Australian). It does sound totally worth the cash, though.
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Post by Jaycee on Apr 15, 2006 22:56:33 GMT -5
Now I really wish I could afford Kay ... I'm saving all my money for shopping in France and hardly have a spare cent. Does anyone know how much one can expect to pay for a copy? Last time I checked the cheapest I could find was about $70 (Australian). It does sound totally worth the cash, though. 70$?!!! For a book? Maybe it has something to do with the difference in currency I was never very good with money. But if not, it doesn't look like i'll be reading Kay any time soon. Unless they have it at the library. I'll have to check. But i shoudl probably finish Leroux first. |
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Post by Angel on Apr 18, 2006 14:17:46 GMT -5
Now I really wish I could afford Kay ... I'm saving all my money for shopping in France and hardly have a spare cent. Does anyone know how much one can expect to pay for a copy? Last time I checked the cheapest I could find was about $70 (Australian). It does sound totally worth the cash, though. 70$?!!! For a book? Maybe it has something to do with the difference in currency I was never very good with money. But if not, it doesn't look like i'll be reading Kay any time soon. Unless they have it at the library. I'll have to check. But i shoudl probably finish Leroux first. Lol, Jaycee. The Aussie dollar is really pathetic. I don't know what the exchange rate is, but I think $AUS70 works out around $US40, or a bit more, but don't quote me on that; I haven't checked the exchange rate for yonks. |
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Post by Jaycee on May 23, 2006 22:03:44 GMT -5
Huh, U.S. 40....still no clue...that's definitely more here, so it';s still kinda expensive! Even hardcovers are only usually about thrity bucks, I thought. Anyway...
I finally read Leroux! You may congratualte me on the endo f my procrastiniation. To be honest, I was putting it off because I was kind of afraid I wouldn't like it. When I read the first bit in the library, I thought it seemed a bit wierd, which it is, but then, It's kind of hard to take the wierdness out of a story about a madman that goes around seducing innocent young women who are in lov with other men. But I really loved it. I still say the movie is my favourite for sentimental reasons. It;s hard to forget your first POTO experience! But the book was definitely better in some ways. I thought that the R/C relationship was very cute and Raoul wasn't nearly as whiney and pathetic as I'd heard. Christine was a little nasty to him at times, but, after all she was being haunted my an insane genius, can't blame her for being a bit temperamental. I'm so glad I finally got around to reading it. Itonly took me about 2 days! I guess Kay's book is next, although I don't know if I should bother. I've kind of psyched my self into thinking I'm going to hate it.
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Post by Angel on May 24, 2006 4:51:22 GMT -5
I would definitely agree about still having a soft spot for the movie ... I'm actually not so keen on it as I once was, but I just can't not like it And yeah, the RC-ness in Leroux is just adorable. Basically, Kay is expensive because it's out of print ... although I think they're reprinting it, so here's hoping ::crosses fingers:: |
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. The stage version- my friend gave me all these descriptions, and I'm probably going to see it this weekend. I say "probably" because the theater lost power due to Hurricane Wilma 
. So...I'm sticking with the movie, though what I've heard of various stage shows makes the stage version a close second- the reason why stage!Erik is my favorite Phantom.
), I love the stage show because it was my very first taste of POTO via the OLC. My mum sort of summarised the story for me, but I was a little young to completely understand.
