I like this man a lot. I always know it but forget what it really means to like him. Luckily, a night ago, I rewatched Lon and Mary and it seems like every time I see the 1925 movie I appreciate it a little more.

The first time I was like "eh. It dragged," and I think I had a headache afterward. The second didn't come for years later and I thought to myself "you know, this deserves way more credit and has great physical acting", and the third I was actually sort of entranced by the scene where Erik takes her down to the lair for the first time.

I specifically noticed that it was a lot like the 2004 movie's scene of the same thing, and it was fascinating to think "here, this modern movie has everything it can to tell the story: great high definition camera that could pick up on a mark on someone's teeth, vibrant colors, top-notch music (singing the famous The Phantom of the Opera theme no less) and yet..." This silent film was the one that captured the real meaning and mood of that journey down.



You could practically imagine it. Going into the ground, where the air gets cold and damp, where you can sort of sense the immense pressure above you, knowing civilization is somewhere outside the range of your screams if you realize you don't want this. And there's no more day; no more light. That's without saying that you're with some strange person covering his face and urging you down nearly without a word. Who you're going to find out looks like a walking corpse, which is more eerie given that a lot of people were buried in the same ground the cellars were made. You're in a world not meant for life, or your warm colored skin, or your beautiful showy clothes.

I also think of Erik's POV - being down there alone seems like it'd just blanket you in depression, but tonight you've retrieved this young defenseless girl, that you know is going to end up wanting to run away from you, and yet, even as you lead her quietly, your heart is pounding at the thought that such perfection is in your domain - breathing your air, laying eyes, for the first time, on things you've seen a million times. You're finally doing it. Even if you know it won't go well.

Yes, I just mused hard, didn't I?

I had to set that up, because then I remember that scene in the aforementioned 2004 movie, with candlestick arms that move out of the way as Erik and Christine come forward, and flickering flames every which way you turned. That set didn't at all make you feel you were deep down where no one could hear you, alone with the man. What a shame it didn't, too, given that the musical itself, which it was supposed to capture, was half-way there! (I mean yeah, they glamorize it.)

*sigh* I think Lon Chaney is a good dose of reality. This story I love to pieces is a lot darker and less attractive than it's been made, even if I love hawt Eriks and pretty sanctuary lairs like Charles-Phantom's. The thought of being in the real lair with the real Erik is the stuff of nightmares, but I think that's fascinating in its own right. A story has conquered if it can make you feel something intense, no matter what that something is. It takes skill and imagination and an understanding of the psyche to make people uncomfortable and frightened.

So, I have realized, if Lon Chaney is really the most famous and most liked rendition of Erik: for his accuracy, body-language, self-created make-up, and horror-factor, I'm okay with that. Charles Dance might resonate with me more, and Robert's just so bad-ass *purr*, but I would never argue with a Chaney fan. I know he's great. Probably comes right after those two.

You know what's also neat? When phantoms inspire each other.



I love this picture. XD Who'd think it! This ALW Erik, Anthony Crivello, takes something away from the man. What, I don't know. I've never seen or heard him, but Google introduced me. Maybe I'll look him up.

Well, I've said plenty tonight, haven't I? :) Just wanted to get down what was going on in my creative mind since I've neglected the journal for two weeks now. I've kind of laid He's There down so I can finish some illustrations for my Adventures in Wonderland site, but I assure you...*cough* chapter 43 is... coming along slowly. As slowly as molasses, but at least it moves.

Andddd! I'm pleased to inform you that it finally has 50 favorites! That might not be a lot in comparison to authors on ff.net that are actually popular; I certainly don't feel popular, but it's still cool.

Seeing as NaNoWriMo is supposed to be more about getting out the pages just so you have something to work with, I might not be posting everything right away. My writing for getting back into HT has been kind of fragmented so I don't even know how the next chapter is going to hold together... I'm having more trouble with it than I thought I would...

2159 / 50000 words. 4% done!

:D, sorta.

I don't know why, but in the last few days I've been in this mood to return to basics and look for the The Phantom of the Opera's charm before there were so many forms of it. Actually, I think I know why I was inspired. I need to do an entry about Lily vs. The Movie Christines, and it occurred to me that Lily is very unlike most of them but her closest Christine is 1925's Mary Philbin, if you can believe it. I mean, as a silent movie actress, she has what I really need from Lily (especially as a filmmaker) -- someone who can express mounds with her face, and body too to a lesser degree.

With that in mind, I want to make sure I acknowledge how powerful Mary and Lon were as the very first Christine and Erik, because I know there is much to be seen by a trained eye and their movie is often claimed to still be the best Phantom movie interpretation. It won the "Phantys"! XD

(If you haven't seen the Phantys video yet, OMG WATCH IT. I love this girl. ALW's wallet accepting the award was hilarious.)

LOL! I totally forgot about the end with "the Phantom" in a condom commercial.

Anyway, another thing I want to do is actually read the book again. It's been, what, six years? I think that I could appreciate it a lot more nowadays than I did when I was a stupid fifteen year old. Although I remember the first day I got it I was reading it at school nonstop. I just couldn't put it down, I was so obsessed. And then disappointed. I was just too young to understand what I was reading, I think.

So those are my goals for the time being. Last NaNoWriMo, I loved the heck out of Charles and Robert (if they were books, they would be terribly frayed!) now I'd like to give some time to Leroux' original Erik and Lon.

Oh, and do that thing called write He's There. I'll just tryyyy to fit that in! :P

I'm doing more Phantom of the Opera inspirations because they keep creeping up (pun intended) on me like nobody's business!

I've really had a wonderful time reconnecting with all this, because I think when I was 15 and I watched all the versions and read the book, I was just too simple-minded to let any of it sink in. And once I had my favorite version (the musical) I also did not learn to appreciate the strong points of the other versions. I just thought "oh yeah, they were all good," well except Rob's version. Rob's was my least favorite, if you can believe it. From LEAST favorite to MOST favorite - how & why? That's the beauty of time!

*clears throat* Anyway.

Under the cut are some particularly memorable videos I found on youtube (like the last post) that I thought illustrated the versions that have intrigued me lately as well as inspired me. And to top it all off is a video I made myself for Charles Dance Phantom.

( All this wonderful stuff under the cut. Only an optional waste of time to all of you! )

Last, but most actually, I decided I wanted to cram my hard drive with (at least half) of a 3 hr movie just so I could make a video of my own for Charles-Phantom. I just found the song and listened to it a while, feeling that it was connected to the Phantom world, and then it hit me that they were Charles' words. Then I went online and found a live version, complete with orchestra, and One Republic does pretty well live, so I... used it. And.. I tried to show the side of him that many videos did not - when he unravels. I had to go through the last hour of the film, which was a real downer, to get the clips, but it helped listening to his dry humor. He's prepared to joke about even his own death. He's so human I can't stand it! "I thought about being buried in my lagoon... Then I thought 'mmmNo... float up and scare some poor child downstream."

Anyway, tribute to the wonderful man here:

♥ ♥ ♥

And I'm still making a post about how great he is sooner or later.