In 1925, when this film was released, Lon Chaney brought "The Phantom Of The Opera" to life. Now, more than 70 years later, this legendary film has finally been preserved on DVD for a whole new generation to discover. Now, here's where the arguement will probably come in. Should a classic film such as this be preserved on DVD? Yes, it should. I don't think you'll find much of a debate there. Next question...should a classic film such as this be preserved in original form or should it be touched up a bit? Well, I'm not gonna argue that point in this review, but, I will explain that, yes, this version has been touched up and it's been touched up with the addition of the music of Switchblade Symphony, which, I must admit, gives this film a new life. Okay, sure, the original release was a silent film and many will say that's how it should be preserved because, when it was released way back when in this form, it made quite an impact. I'm all for that. But, on a more personal note, I don't think I could sit through 90 minutes worth of silence. So, the addition of Switchblade Symphony made this a more enjoyable viewing experience for me. On the other hand, there is something that bothers me in a way. This release seems more like a promotional tool for Switchblade Symphony. I mean, you get more information on the band than you do about the movie. Where's Lon Chaney's bio and personal information? What did he do after this movie? If you don't know the answer to that question, you won't find it here. But, if you wanna know more about the band, well, you'll get your fair share of information on them. I don't know, that just doesn't seem right. I'm not really complaining about that...I'm just pointing it out. I remember doing another review some time ago that featured a Switchblade Symphony video and while I wasn't too fond of 90% of the music that was also included on that release, I do remember picking this band out as one of the better ones. They've got a real cool and sometimes creepy vibe about them and, I have to admit, their music does blend in rather well with this movie.

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