News

Underrated Horror: ‘Phantom of the Opera’ (1943)

Published

9 years ago

March 18, 2015

Erique Claudin floats adrift in the dark seas of a lonely life, growing older, growing weaker. His only beacons of light are his passion for music and the care he bestows upon a young rising star of the Paris Opera, Christine DuBois. But in one personal calamity after another, Erique’s life falls apart, and he is driven to madness and murder. Such is the tragedy at the heart of the 1943 version of Gaston Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera.

Typically, any piece of media regarding the classic tale of the spook beneath the Paris Opera House is about either the legendary Lon Chaney silent film or the modern classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Between the two stands this underrated take on the story, which shows the Phantom in a much more sympathetic light. As Erique, Claude Rains hits all the right notes of melancholy and menace. Erique is a violinist for the Paris Opera, but he has developed an arthritic condition in his left hand which has impacted his playing. The conductor has noticed, and Erique is unceremoniously dismissed after twenty years with the Opera. To make matters worse, he has been using his wages to anonymously pay for Christine’s singing lessons, and now without a steady salary Christine won’t be able to continue them. But Erique has a backup plan—the concerto he has written, which he is confident will be published and land him a significant pay day. Erique takes his music to the local publisher, Playel & Desjardin, and hands it over. The look on his face while he anxiously waits for a response is affecting. When he’s had enough waiting, he ventures down to see Playel himself. Playel doesn’t like Erique, and doesn’t know or care what happened to his concerto, speculating it must have been thrown in the wastebasket. Dejected, Erique is preparing to leave when he hears a familiar melody from somewhere in the building. It is none other than Franz Liszt playing his music in another room. Liszt and the man standing with him comment on the high quality of this piece, saying it is sure to be published. Unfortunately, Erique is not in their presence, and because of his sour relationship with Playel, he believes the publisher is stealing his music. He snaps, strangling Playel, and is splashed in the face with engraving acid by Playel’s assistant. Erique flees the building in agony and, with the police in pursuit, finds refuge in the city sewers. After stealing a cloak and a prop mask to hide his acid-burned appearance, Erique begins his haunt of the Paris Opera House as the Phantom. He sets about doing whatever it takes to see his daughter succeed, even if it means more death and destruction to those who stand in their way.

Yes, that’s right—Christine is Erique’s daughter this time around. He has a vested interest in her career, and it’s not because he’s going through a midlife crisis by creeping on a beautiful young woman. It’s because he is her long lost father, and he feels guilty for abandoning her many years ago. Paying for Christine’s singing lessons and keeping an eye on her from the orchestra pit is Erique’s way of trying to make it up to her. It’s a father’s love, even though she’s unaware of it. While this isn’t explicitly stated in the film, it is confirmed on the DVD extras as the origin of their relationship, and a scene explaining it was ultimately cut. But the clues remain throughout the film. For instance, Erique’s concerto is based around the melody of one of his favorite lullabies, and Christine later recognizes it from her childhood when the concerto is played during the film’s climax. This father-daughter dynamic intensifies the tragedy of Erique’s downfall, and it makes the sadness cut deeper. For as much depth as the relationship between Erique and Christine gives the proceedings, the film does falter whenever a baritone named Anatole and a boring inspector named Raoul aim for comic relief with their bumbling attempts to win Christine’s heart. The scenes detract from the serious tone of the story and feel unwelcome, plus they take up time which could have been used to further flesh out Erique’s dreary life in the catacombs.

In many ways, this film is not a conventional horror film, despite Universal Studios selling it as part of their Classic Monster Collection. While there is murder and mayhem, the real horror comes from seeing a well-meaning man completely broken by the circumstances around him, sending him into the pits in both body and mind. We fear the Phantom, but we pity the man. Sympathetic villains don’t always work in horror films, but Erique Claudin is a heartbreaking exception.

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Editorial

Yay or Nay: What’s Good and Bad in Horror This Week

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Welcome to Yay or Nay a weekly mini post about what I think is good and bad news in the horror community written in bite-sized chunks.

Yay:

Mike Flanagan talking about directing the next chapter in the Exorcist trilogy. That might mean he saw the last one and realized there were two left and if he does anything well it’s draw out a story.

Yay:

To the announcement of a new IP-based film Mickey Vs Winnie. It’s fun to read comical hot takes from people who haven’t even seen the movie yet.

Nay:

The new Faces of Death reboot gets an R rating. It’s not really fair — Gen-Z should get an unrated version like past generations so they can question their mortality the same as the rest of us did.

Yay:

Russell Crowe is doing another possession movie. He’s quickly becoming another Nic Cage by saying yes to every script, bringing the magic back to B-movies, and more money into VOD.

Nay:

Putting The Crow back in theaters for its 30th anniversary. Re-releasing classic movies at the cinema to celebrate a milestone is perfectly fine, but doing so when the lead actor in that film was killed on set due to neglect is a cash grab of the worst kind.

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Lists

The Top-Searched Free Horror/Action Movies on Tubi This Week

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

The free streaming service Tubi is a great place to scroll when you’re unsure what to watch. They are not sponsored or affiliated with iHorror. Still, we really appreciate their library because it’s so robust and has many obscure horror movies so rare you can’t find them anywhere in the wild except, if you’re lucky, in a moist cardboard box at a yard sale. Other than Tubi, where else are you going to find Nightwish (1990), Spookies (1986), or The Power (1984)?

We take a look at the most searched horror titles on the platform this week, hopefully, to save you some time in your endeavor to find something free to watch on Tubi.

Interestingly at the top of the list is one of the most polarizing sequels ever made, the female-led Ghostbusters reboot from 2016. Perhaps viewers have seen the latest sequel Frozen Empire and are curious about this franchise anomaly. They will be happy to know it’s not as bad as some think and is genuinely funny in spots.

So take a look at the list below and tell us if you are interested in any of them this weekend.

1. Ghostbusters (2016)

Ghostbusters (2016)

An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.An otherworldly invasion of New York City assembles a pair of proton-packed paranormal enthusiasts, a nuclear engineer and a subway worker for battle.

2. Rampage

When a group of animals becomes vicious after a genetic experiment goes awry, a primatologist must find an antidote to avert a global catastrophe.

3. The Conjuring The Devil Made Me Do It

Paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren uncover an occult conspiracy as they help a defendant argue that a demon forced him to commit murder.

4. Terrifier 2

After being resurrected by a sinister entity, Art the Clown returns to Miles County, where his next victims, a teenage girl and her brother, await.

5. Don’t Breathe

A group of teens breaks into a blind man’s home, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect crime but get more than they bargained for once inside.

6. The Conjuring 2

In one of their most terrifying paranormal investigations, Lorraine and Ed Warren help a single mother of four in a house plagued by sinister spirits.

7. Child’s Play (1988)

A dying serial killer uses voodoo to transfer his soul into a Chucky doll which winds up in the hands of a boy who may be the doll’s next victim.

8. Jeepers Creepers 2

When their bus breaks down on a deserted road, a team of high school athletes discovers an opponent they cannot defeat and may not survive.

9. Jeepers Creepers

After making a horrific discovery in the basement of an old church, a pair of siblings find themselves the chosen prey of an indestructible force.

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News

Morticia & Wednesday Addams Join Monster High Skullector Series

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Timothy Rawles

Believe it or not, Mattel’s Monster High doll brand has an immense following with both young and not-so-young collectors.

In that same vein, the fan base for The Addams Family is also very large. Now, the two are collaborating to create a line of collectible dolls that celebrate both worlds and what they have created is a combination of fashion dolls and goth fantasy. Forget Barbie, these ladies know who they are.

The dolls are based on Morticia and Wednesday Addams from the 2019 Addams Family animated movie.

As with any niche collectibles these aren’t cheap they bring with them a $90 price tag, but it’s an investment as a lot of these toys become more valuable over time.

“There goes the neighborhood. Meet the Addams Family’s ghoulishly glamorous mother-daughter duo with a Monster High twist. Inspired by the animated movie and clad in spiderweb lace and skull prints, the Morticia and Wednesday Addams Skullector doll two-pack makes for a gift that’s so macabre, it’s downright pathological.”

If you want to pre-purchase this set check out The Monster High website.