"Looks like a cinnamon roll, but can kill you." God, THANK YOU. Book!Christine was always one of my favorite novel characters, and one of my biggest pet peeves with the many, MANY adaptations is that few of them get her right, often sidelining many of her personality traits and making her a passive observer of the drama going on around her and basically turning her into the prize that Raoul and Erik fight over.
Lindsay and Diva would be a total riot considering Lindsay’s destruction of the horrible Joel Schumacher (RIP) version of the musical is entertaining as hell. I hope it happens one day for some musical
Idea: Phantom of the Opera but it's a What We Do In The Shadows-esque mockumentary treating the opera ghost as a conspriracy theory. The joke would be the people in the know looking into the camera like they're on the office and increasingly weird shit happening until they're proven right. The audience would be in on the joke because they know Eric is real and in conclusion Hollywood should call me. Also I demmand that Christine be as awesome as she is in the book, she's an excellent character who often gets the short end of the stick and I will die mad about it.
@@MusicalHell While not really a modern update, there's a webcomic called Fantomestein. It's a combination of Phantom and Frankenstein. Erik's backstory is that he's Frankenstein's Monster. It's certainly a different take on the story.
Someone else once suggested to me a version with a bi Christine torn between a male Phantom and female Raoul (or vice versa). I've always liked that idea.
"We will not go to Coney Island for ANY REASON EVER." I lost it. Also, Susan Kay's novel "Phantom" spends such a good amount of time with the Persian (named Nadir by Kay) that I was surprised that he only ever really turns up in the novel. More love for Nadir, damn it!
Ariella Kahan-Harth I love Nadir so much, in fact I think his portion of the book is probably one of the best. The Persian is one of the parts of the source material that I am sad didn’t make it into the Webber play.
My only complaints are: 1) The Persian erasure. He was my favorite character in the book and 2) giving Christine a badass decay. She was pretty awesome in the book and the play turned her into a living Macguffin.
There's something so fascinating about the narrative of Phantom. So few have actually read the novella and in a sense it's remarkably similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstien, narrator and all; Yet it is its iconography and atmosphere which has kept it so iconic in popular culture. (Also, the book in particular is why I hate it when the Phantom is included in the "Universal Monsters" line up. Kind of defeats the point of the book.)
Scones and Jam I love the story of Frankenstein! I’ve actually even been Geneva where Mary Shelly originated the story for a “scary story” contest-and is later to be depicted in an upcoming film, if it hasn’t already been released this year. Everybody just tends to think of the blockheaded Boris Karloff version, and really dismiss some of the most vital parts of the story, since while it is horror-centric, the tragedy of it is more integral to it. The closest film adaptation to the book is the 96 film with Kenneth Branagh, and it’s up for debate as to whether the result works for or against the film (the screenwriter ultimately detested the final result), but the image of the monster ripping out the heart of Victor’s wife with his bear hands will leave you traumatized for some time!
@@jacobbelow4136 I absolutely adore that movie! And I used to have an audiobook of the modern Prometheus right by brand not himself. I wish I could find that recording again!
First off, as someone who has taken French for four years, I can say that you did pretty good at pronouncing the names-a lot better than others I’ve heard. Second, while most people will probably say their introductions to these classic works of literature was either through the black-and-white film versions or their musical versions (yes, including Disney), there’s one show from the 90s that was all about introducing kids to literature that I think is a lot less talked about today than it deserves to be... Wishbone! Yup. That show about a jack russel terrier who likens the events he sees in the life of the people around him to a classic literature story, and imagines himself as a character in said story. He even imagined himself as Roaul in Phantom at one point.
Wishbone is a great show with some surprisingly faithful recreations of scenes from classical literature. It's weird to say, but I honestly think it's some of Matt Frewer's best work.
Fun fact. In his later years, Gaston Leroux developed a keen interest in the then new art of film and even became quite active in filmmaking. He even worked behind the scenes of the original version of Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney. Also, I love you for adding Within Temptation in the credits!
How weird--I JUST had a "Phantom"-themed dream last night and then this pops up in my notifications. And yes, the Persian needs more love! The excerpts from his narrative featured in the last third or so of the book were some of my favorite parts, and the glimpse Leroux gives us of his tense on-again-off-again friendship with Erik is fascinating. Damn, now I need to re-read the book again. It's been years. And, while "Phantom" is a story close to my heart, I haven't been active in the Phan community for a long time. Guess this is the universe's sign calling me back to it, like reconnecting with an old friend. Thanks for the inspiration, Diva!
1. Diva talks about The Phantom of the Opera (the novel) 2. Outro music is my favorite Within Temptation song. Am I dreaming? P.S. Raoul/Christine OTP! (Yes, I know only 1% of this fandom agrees with me, thank you very much...)
What is the song title? I kind of adore it, it sounds like it's cut from the same cloth as Nightwish, whom I've adored for decades. Also, I concur re: Raoul & Christine. Sure, it's not perfect but he's a damn sight healthier for her than Erik, and he was willing to bend over backwards to make her happy, even let the Phantom kill him if it meant letting her be free of him.
I don’t ship Raoul and Christine, but I do respect your right to ship it. I am probably one of the few Erik and Christine shippers who doesn’t outright hate Raoul, I just find Erik and Christine more interesting and don’t think that Erik and Christine should get together until Erik makes massive changes to himself and not make Christine the girl that can change him.
YAY Phantom content!!! Also, the low budget 1987 (or 88) cartoon version is weirdly faithful despite its short run time. I mean, a lot of stuff gets dropped, but it has The Persian, the Rat catcher, and some lines lifted directly from the book.
I honestly think it was for the best that Azula wasn’t redeemed in Avatar. Because while I still do think she’s a tragic character and ultimately just as much a victim as her brother, she chose her path, because despite her path, her choices are her own. And I think her character also works well to convey the message that not everyone can be saved. Sometimes you just can’t save someone from the pit they dug themselves
Agreed! Most of my frustration with the antiheroes or villains of past decade seems to rest with writers conflating a characters "motivation" with their "redeeming qualities". Those concepts are similar and can overlap, but they aren't synonymous!
I stroongly disagree. She didn't put herself there. She was 14 years old and had no support except from her abusive father. Zuko had Iroh and his mother, but they already saw her as a little monster or crazy and left with Ozai. She wasn't even given a chance of redemption. I mean a true and honest effort to redeem herself or get better. She's a great character, but the story didn't give her the option.
I've always wondered--why is it that nearly every adaptation up until the musical had a *disfigured* Erik and not a *deformed* one? (That is to say...in these adaptations, Erik wasn't born deformed as in the novel, but started life as a normal man who was disfigured in an acid-throwing attack/fire/record-pressing machine/deal with the Devil/what-have-you.) The musical was my first real adaptation (or rather, the cast recording), and yet the idea of a disfigured Erik was already so ingrained in my consciousness that I was surprised when I heard Erik's lines about being deformed from birth.
Jennifer Schillig Diva briefly tries to explain it in her Phantom of the Paradise review. If I remember correctly, the Hayes Code censored movies and didn’t allow crimes-or the characters who did them-to be portrayed positively; villains couldn’t be sympathetic, which Erik in the Leroux novel definitely was. So instead of Erik being born deformed they had him disfigured in various ways to make his crimes...understandable but not sympathetic, I guess. And by the time the Hayes Code was abandoned the trope of Erik being disfigured rather than born deformed just kind of stuck.
Interesting video! I think Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera is in a similar situation to Victor Hugo’s Norte-Dame de Paris-a famous literary classic with many adaptations that almost always change the source material in noticeable ways. The focus seems less on adapting the books as they are and more on capturing the pop culture“ethos” of the stories. I don’t think this does the books a terrible disservice; a lot of people (myself included) who like the more conventional adaptations take interest in the original when they otherwise wouldn’t. Of course there are some adaptations that take a bit TOO many liberties . . .
Surprised she didn’t mention how the hazing code also effected the phantom character/adaptations, like she mentioned in phantom of the paradise review.
I feel like one thing that always gets overlooked when people discuss the book is the fact that the term "angel of music" is supposed to be her father using a poetic turn of phrase for "being visited by the muses" but when Christine hears a literal angelic voice willing to teach her, she assumes her father must have been being literal - whic I think I'd interesting and a little funny. I also think the story makes more sense if you follow the book's idea that she did not connect the idea of the angel with the phantom, until she was kidnapped, at which time she immediately realizes he's just a rando living in the basement.
I just recently finished reading the book for the first time! It is... Not great literature, but very fun knowing how many different adaptations have run with the concept.
WhoKnows I highly recommend reading “Phantom” by Susan Kay if you haven’t already. While it can be pretty depressing at times, I adore its writing style so much more than the Leroux novel. Beautifully written, and only slightly fanfic-y near the end-which, considering it was published after the ALW musical came out, is a miracle.
WhoKnows I agree, it is an example of a good idea with a bad execution. It is not very well written and I am just going to come out and say it, but Raoul was not a good choice for a protagonist. I am not one of those people who hate Raoul, he is just a very boring character unlike Christine and Erik. It doesn’t help that Raoul doesn’t really change in any meaningful way, he is pretty much the same at the end of the story as he was at the begging. Both Erik and Christine have interesting character arcs with Christine gaining more confidence which made her stand up for herself and Erik learning about selfless love which made him be able to free Christine at the end of the story. It was for the best that the Webber play made Christine the protagonist instead of Raoul which why I think that version is held in higher regard than the source material.
One of the only other really faithful adaptations (besides the Lon Chaney version) was a not-half-bad animated version from the late eighties, around the time the musical came out. I think you can find it on RUclips. It has its flaws--some rather limited animation--but the voice talent is good (Erik's voice is superb) and the writing is phenomenal--almost word-for-word from the book at times, and it *even includes the Persian!*
I haven't read this book in a long time, but in watching this video I've realized there is quite a few call backs to the original book in the Terry Pratchett novel Maskerade, even though that book takes the story in a very different direction.
Having recently watched the Rifftrax-ed version of the original Roger Corman Little Shop Of Horrors (yay Pluto TV and its Rifftrax channel!), I'd love to see you do an At The Source for that. It's amazing how much tighter and more logical the script for the musical was...Audrey was an actual character with actual depth, not just someone for Seymour to crush on and to make silly malapropisms, and the dentist (renamed) wasn't just someone for Seymour to kill accidentally, but Audrey's abusive boyfriend and someone we can actually be glad to see go.
Considering how often the original inspirations for older musical stories tend to be horrifying (looking at you Sleeping Beauty) I've always loved that the central theme of empathizing with this miserably mistreated man and his capacity for sacrifice was part of the original novel. I lived in fear that the og story would be like the 1943 version for years before looking it up 😂
If you like the Phantom Library, you need to visit its previous incarnation, The Phantom Project. It's got far more reviews (which are migrating to the new version, bit by bit).
I heard the soundtrack, read the book, and THEN got to see the musical. While there are some aspects I wouldn't have minded seeing (the Persian, the mirror maze), the musical really does a good job exploring the core "What makes a monster, and what makes a maaaaaaaaaaan?!" elements of the book. Sometimes too good, if the Christine/Erik shippers are anything to go by.
Adelaide Abashov I’ve seen a few people who liked his voice. I used to be one of those people, actually-I didn’t think it was perfect, but I had no frame of reference at the time. Then I watched the 25th Anniversary a few months later. Let’s just say Butler didn’t sound quite so good anymore! 😅
I hate how glorified Christine/Erik's relationship is in adaptations. It's toxic. She belongs with Raoul, he is precious and I hate how so many people dislike him.
DancingBearsPaintedWings I don’t hate him, but you do know that Raoul did slut shame Christine in the book. Sure that is not as bad as Erik, but that hardly makes Raoul precious.
I read his Mystery of the Yellow Room in English and I thought the writing was incredibly stilted. Is it stilted in "Opera" or did Yellow Room just get a bad translation?
i'm surprised that you [Diva from Musical Hell] & @Dominic Noble (previously known as The Dom) didn't know about there being an audiobook/drama adaption made to the original novel! ruclips.net/video/huo8Uc-7TS4/видео.html do have plans to post/upload it (i'm excluding the interviews cause they're already on yt) onto my channel but until I get a better laptop & another iPod Nano. p.s: also did a review for my blog called Mickey says on Facebook some years ago. it's public & free to look at.
Ok, I must be the only person to not like Book Christine. Obviously I'm not going to hate her, because she is obviously in a difficult position and is the victim in the book, but I just really felt she was underused despite her potential and ended up becoming a plot device in the end. I went into the book expecting her to be so much cooler because everyone had hyped her up, I guess, and I was just surprised at how much I didn't like her and how much she didn't do... I understand I obviously can't place 'modern' feminist values on her (and I wouldn't, since I read a lot of old books and I don't think feminist characters should be action girls or anything like that, only that they should be well written and nuanced) but still? Like her main plan is to run away, even though that clearly wouldn't work since Erik would probably follow her, and she's seemingly only reliant on Raoul to do so because she can't force herself to leave, and she basically falls completely for Erik's manipulation (which is basically guilt tripping people by making them feel bad for him)? I also never really got a good motivation for why she does that. And she just gets kidnapped off stage for the second half of the book and doesn't reappear until the final sequence where she's basically useless until the kiss. (The scorpion/grasshopper choice doesn't hold any consequences as obviously she wouldn't choose to blow everyone up so it's not like her choosing the marriage option was a particularly smart choice or anything -- although obviously it's horrible for her she really doesn't have any other options, and she doesn't try a third way out) The fact that we don't see her properly or learn her thoughts after she supposedly leaves the basement as well doesn't help matters... she and Raoul could still be stuck under the lair for all we know since we never get explicit confirmation she's left -- though I acknowledge that's maybe not the best reading, but it's still annoying that we don't know anything about her afterwards.
"Looks like a cinnamon roll, but can kill you." God, THANK YOU. Book!Christine was always one of my favorite novel characters, and one of my biggest pet peeves with the many, MANY adaptations is that few of them get her right, often sidelining many of her personality traits and making her a passive observer of the drama going on around her and basically turning her into the prize that Raoul and Erik fight over.
Honestly you have *got* to crossover with Lindsay Ellis. She also did a great phantom adaptation video! I’d love to see you guys geek out together
Musical Hell meets Lindsay Ellis? Um, yes fucking please!
OMG THIS
Nah let's ask her to check out Mlp's Magical Mystery Cure! Seriously if mlp made a broadway adaptation that episode is the perfect one to adapt.
That's a GREAT idea
Lindsay and Diva would be a total riot considering Lindsay’s destruction of the horrible Joel Schumacher (RIP) version of the musical is entertaining as hell. I hope it happens one day for some musical
Idea: Phantom of the Opera but it's a What We Do In The Shadows-esque mockumentary treating the opera ghost as a conspriracy theory. The joke would be the people in the know looking into the camera like they're on the office and increasingly weird shit happening until they're proven right. The audience would be in on the joke because they know Eric is real and in conclusion Hollywood should call me. Also I demmand that Christine be as awesome as she is in the book, she's an excellent character who often gets the short end of the stick and I will die mad about it.
Any modern update of Phantom should definitely be done as a documentary/found footage film.
@@MusicalHell While not really a modern update, there's a webcomic called Fantomestein. It's a combination of Phantom and Frankenstein. Erik's backstory is that he's Frankenstein's Monster. It's certainly a different take on the story.
I love Fantomestein! I'm so happy it's updating again!
The setting is a performing arts school called Garnier Academy, and the Daroga is a female Iranian-American police officer in a hijab.
Someone else once suggested to me a version with a bi Christine torn between a male Phantom and female Raoul (or vice versa). I've always liked that idea.
"We will not go to Coney Island for ANY REASON EVER." I lost it. Also, Susan Kay's novel "Phantom" spends such a good amount of time with the Persian (named Nadir by Kay) that I was surprised that he only ever really turns up in the novel. More love for Nadir, damn it!
Ariella Kahan-Harth I love Nadir so much, in fact I think his portion of the book is probably one of the best. The Persian is one of the parts of the source material that I am sad didn’t make it into the Webber play.
My only complaints are: 1) The Persian erasure. He was my favorite character in the book and 2) giving Christine a badass decay. She was pretty awesome in the book and the play turned her into a living Macguffin.
There's something so fascinating about the narrative of Phantom. So few have actually read the novella and in a sense it's remarkably similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstien, narrator and all;
Yet it is its iconography and atmosphere which has kept it so iconic in popular culture.
(Also, the book in particular is why I hate it when the Phantom is included in the "Universal Monsters" line up.
Kind of defeats the point of the book.)
Opposite for me. I detest the real genius being ignored lol
@@leadingblind1629
Oh I absolutely adore the book as well; I simply meant that not enough people have read it, which is a shame. :(
Scones and Jam I love the story of Frankenstein! I’ve actually even been Geneva where Mary Shelly originated the story for a “scary story” contest-and is later to be depicted in an upcoming film, if it hasn’t already been released this year. Everybody just tends to think of the blockheaded Boris Karloff version, and really dismiss some of the most vital parts of the story, since while it is horror-centric, the tragedy of it is more integral to it. The closest film adaptation to the book is the 96 film with Kenneth Branagh, and it’s up for debate as to whether the result works for or against the film (the screenwriter ultimately detested the final result), but the image of the monster ripping out the heart of Victor’s wife with his bear hands will leave you traumatized for some time!
@@jacobbelow4136 I absolutely adore that movie! And I used to have an audiobook of the modern Prometheus right by brand not himself. I wish I could find that recording again!
First off, as someone who has taken French for four years, I can say that you did pretty good at pronouncing the names-a lot better than others I’ve heard.
Second, while most people will probably say their introductions to these classic works of literature was either through the black-and-white film versions or their musical versions (yes, including Disney), there’s one show from the 90s that was all about introducing kids to literature that I think is a lot less talked about today than it deserves to be...
Wishbone!
Yup. That show about a jack russel terrier who likens the events he sees in the life of the people around him to a classic literature story, and imagines himself as a character in said story. He even imagined himself as Roaul in Phantom at one point.
Wishbone is a great show with some surprisingly faithful recreations of scenes from classical literature.
It's weird to say, but I honestly think it's some of Matt Frewer's best work.
I loved Wishbone when I was a kid! I think he's part of the reason I love Jack Russells!
@ThatLongHairedCreepyGuy Awesome! Thanks for commenting, Creepy! Keep up the great content!
Wait... Wishbone did a Phantom of the Opera Episode??? Where is that please!? O.O
Fun fact. In his later years, Gaston Leroux developed a keen interest in the then new art of film and even became quite active in filmmaking. He even worked behind the scenes of the original version of Phantom of the Opera with Lon Chaney.
Also, I love you for adding Within Temptation in the credits!
I think this is up your alley
ruclips.net/video/fe_exvI60qA/видео.html
Oh! I love that ending song! Within Temptation is so good!
Who else has been waiting forever for her to upload?!
How weird--I JUST had a "Phantom"-themed dream last night and then this pops up in my notifications. And yes, the Persian needs more love! The excerpts from his narrative featured in the last third or so of the book were some of my favorite parts, and the glimpse Leroux gives us of his tense on-again-off-again friendship with Erik is fascinating. Damn, now I need to re-read the book again. It's been years. And, while "Phantom" is a story close to my heart, I haven't been active in the Phan community for a long time. Guess this is the universe's sign calling me back to it, like reconnecting with an old friend. Thanks for the inspiration, Diva!
1. Diva talks about The Phantom of the Opera (the novel)
2. Outro music is my favorite Within Temptation song.
Am I dreaming?
P.S. Raoul/Christine OTP! (Yes, I know only 1% of this fandom agrees with me, thank you very much...)
What is the song title? I kind of adore it, it sounds like it's cut from the same cloth as Nightwish, whom I've adored for decades.
Also, I concur re: Raoul & Christine. Sure, it's not perfect but he's a damn sight healthier for her than Erik, and he was willing to bend over backwards to make her happy, even let the Phantom kill him if it meant letting her be free of him.
@UCKbSfs4iIfKw3i6EgrS5Ivg The song is "Angels".
At last, someone who understands the true pathos of the story and its ending! (Also, frees up Phantom to be shipped with Madame Giry...)
@@kimberlynorris338 Indeed!
I don’t ship Raoul and Christine, but I do respect your right to ship it. I am probably one of the few Erik and Christine shippers who doesn’t outright hate Raoul, I just find Erik and Christine more interesting and don’t think that Erik and Christine should get together until Erik makes massive changes to himself and not make Christine the girl that can change him.
YAY Phantom content!!!
Also, the low budget 1987 (or 88) cartoon version is weirdly faithful despite its short run time. I mean, a lot of stuff gets dropped, but it has The Persian, the Rat catcher, and some lines lifted directly from the book.
I honestly think it was for the best that Azula wasn’t redeemed in Avatar. Because while I still do think she’s a tragic character and ultimately just as much a victim as her brother, she chose her path, because despite her path, her choices are her own. And I think her character also works well to convey the message that not everyone can be saved. Sometimes you just can’t save someone from the pit they dug themselves
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Agreed! Most of my frustration with the antiheroes or villains of past decade seems to rest with writers conflating a characters "motivation" with their "redeeming qualities". Those concepts are similar and can overlap, but they aren't synonymous!
I stroongly disagree. She didn't put herself there. She was 14 years old and had no support except from her abusive father. Zuko had Iroh and his mother, but they already saw her as a little monster or crazy and left with Ozai. She wasn't even given a chance of redemption. I mean a true and honest effort to redeem herself or get better. She's a great character, but the story didn't give her the option.
Which begs me the question, what to Azula during The Legend of Korra?
I've always wondered--why is it that nearly every adaptation up until the musical had a *disfigured* Erik and not a *deformed* one? (That is to say...in these adaptations, Erik wasn't born deformed as in the novel, but started life as a normal man who was disfigured in an acid-throwing attack/fire/record-pressing machine/deal with the Devil/what-have-you.) The musical was my first real adaptation (or rather, the cast recording), and yet the idea of a disfigured Erik was already so ingrained in my consciousness that I was surprised when I heard Erik's lines about being deformed from birth.
Jennifer Schillig Diva briefly tries to explain it in her Phantom of the Paradise review. If I remember correctly, the Hayes Code censored movies and didn’t allow crimes-or the characters who did them-to be portrayed positively; villains couldn’t be sympathetic, which Erik in the Leroux novel definitely was. So instead of Erik being born deformed they had him disfigured in various ways to make his crimes...understandable but not sympathetic, I guess. And by the time the Hayes Code was abandoned the trope of Erik being disfigured rather than born deformed just kind of stuck.
@@morgangobin9985 Huh, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks a mil!
I was NOT expecting Within Temptation there at the end. You took me back 15 years. LOL
Interesting video! I think Leroux’s Phantom of the Opera is in a similar situation to Victor Hugo’s Norte-Dame de Paris-a famous literary classic with many adaptations that almost always change the source material in noticeable ways. The focus seems less on adapting the books as they are and more on capturing the pop culture“ethos” of the stories. I don’t think this does the books a terrible disservice; a lot of people (myself included) who like the more conventional adaptations take interest in the original when they otherwise wouldn’t. Of course there are some adaptations that take a bit TOO many liberties . . .
"Raoul in his usual state of utter confusion"
Lol
Also, I agree. Sorelli needs more love.
Thank you for closing with Angels! I always imagine the speaker is Christine telling off Erik
Exactly why it was chosen.
Surprised she didn’t mention how the hazing code also effected the phantom character/adaptations, like she mentioned in phantom of the paradise review.
Hayes code, but yes
Thank you for making this! I love the musical and the book is one of my favorites.
I feel like one thing that always gets overlooked when people discuss the book is the fact that the term "angel of music" is supposed to be her father using a poetic turn of phrase for "being visited by the muses" but when Christine hears a literal angelic voice willing to teach her, she assumes her father must have been being literal - whic I think I'd interesting and a little funny. I also think the story makes more sense if you follow the book's idea that she did not connect the idea of the angel with the phantom, until she was kidnapped, at which time she immediately realizes he's just a rando living in the basement.
I just recently finished reading the book for the first time! It is... Not great literature, but very fun knowing how many different adaptations have run with the concept.
WhoKnows I highly recommend reading “Phantom” by Susan Kay if you haven’t already. While it can be pretty depressing at times, I adore its writing style so much more than the Leroux novel. Beautifully written, and only slightly fanfic-y near the end-which, considering it was published after the ALW musical came out, is a miracle.
WhoKnows I agree, it is an example of a good idea with a bad execution. It is not very well written and I am just going to come out and say it, but Raoul was not a good choice for a protagonist. I am not one of those people who hate Raoul, he is just a very boring character unlike Christine and Erik. It doesn’t help that Raoul doesn’t really change in any meaningful way, he is pretty much the same at the end of the story as he was at the begging. Both Erik and Christine have interesting character arcs with Christine gaining more confidence which made her stand up for herself and Erik learning about selfless love which made him be able to free Christine at the end of the story. It was for the best that the Webber play made Christine the protagonist instead of Raoul which why I think that version is held in higher regard than the source material.
Morgan Gobin I love that book so much.
One my favorite musicals‼️ 🌹 🎼
IMO, the best version of the story is Phantom of the Paradise.
I may have squeed in bourbon-induced delight at seeing this.
Edit: thanks for not showing any clips from the movie.
Diva's a demon but she's not masochistic.
@@ingonyama70 I didn't even hate the movie at first. But watching the 2011 version on repeat made me realise how underwhelming it was.
Phantom Reviews is also another informative and fun channel if you want to get more into the various ridiculous adaptations 😊
Awesome! And one of the sources I've actually read too!
One of the only other really faithful adaptations (besides the Lon Chaney version) was a not-half-bad animated version from the late eighties, around the time the musical came out. I think you can find it on RUclips. It has its flaws--some rather limited animation--but the voice talent is good (Erik's voice is superb) and the writing is phenomenal--almost word-for-word from the book at times, and it *even includes the Persian!*
I haven't read this book in a long time, but in watching this video I've realized there is quite a few call backs to the original book in the Terry Pratchett novel Maskerade, even though that book takes the story in a very different direction.
Merritt Animation that sounds interesting.
For when Les Misérables At the Source? Pleeeeease!
Yesssss
You know I've been waiting for this one!
That ending song made me so happy. Most people dont showcase or show any love to Within Temptation
Having recently watched the Rifftrax-ed version of the original Roger Corman Little Shop Of Horrors (yay Pluto TV and its Rifftrax channel!), I'd love to see you do an At The Source for that. It's amazing how much tighter and more logical the script for the musical was...Audrey was an actual character with actual depth, not just someone for Seymour to crush on and to make silly malapropisms, and the dentist (renamed) wasn't just someone for Seymour to kill accidentally, but Audrey's abusive boyfriend and someone we can actually be glad to see go.
That outtro song ♥️♥️♥️
Considering how often the original inspirations for older musical stories tend to be horrifying (looking at you Sleeping Beauty) I've always loved that the central theme of empathizing with this miserably mistreated man and his capacity for sacrifice was part of the original novel. I lived in fear that the og story would be like the 1943 version for years before looking it up 😂
Never clicked faster in my life!
If you like the Phantom Library, you need to visit its previous incarnation, The Phantom Project. It's got far more reviews (which are migrating to the new version, bit by bit).
Saw this video randomly (thanks lucifer)... turns out I hadn't rang the bell... now I did, next time I better get a notification!!!
You really deserve more subs. This is quality content!
I read the book first so I can't enjoy the musical as much as I should
I heard the soundtrack, read the book, and THEN got to see the musical.
While there are some aspects I wouldn't have minded seeing (the Persian, the mirror maze), the musical really does a good job exploring the core "What makes a monster, and what makes a maaaaaaaaaaan?!" elements of the book. Sometimes too good, if the Christine/Erik shippers are anything to go by.
honestly +I want to see the rat catcher and the Persian have a role in an adaptation
All that stuff you put at the end because there was no more time was funny. XD
i would argue that there is one other thing the phantom of the opera fandom can probably agree on: gerard butler bad
sadly there are HONESTLY PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIKE HIS VOICE. IT'S OBJECTIVELY BAD. I'M SO CONFUSED AS TO WHY.
@@SongbirdAlom awww did you HAVE to tell me that?
Adelaide Abashov I’ve seen a few people who liked his voice. I used to be one of those people, actually-I didn’t think it was perfect, but I had no frame of reference at the time. Then I watched the 25th Anniversary a few months later. Let’s just say Butler didn’t sound quite so good anymore! 😅
Will you please maybe review a musical called The Drowsy Chaperone? I’d love to see it and maybe you’ll like it too!
Can you do an at The source video on Sweeney Todd for the 40th anniversary.
I love this analysis even more because of Within Temptation at the end
I hate how glorified Christine/Erik's relationship is in adaptations. It's toxic. She belongs with Raoul, he is precious and I hate how so many people dislike him.
DancingBearsPaintedWings I don’t hate him, but you do know that Raoul did slut shame Christine in the book. Sure that is not as bad as Erik, but that hardly makes Raoul precious.
Morgan Young Book Raoul is an asshole and I think we can all agree on that but Musical Raoul is so sweet and deserves all the love.
May I recommend the audio drama adaptation of the novel by Big Finish Productions?
Angels by Within Temptation is actually a good fit for Phantom...also good points xD
Would you do a review on The Nostalgia Critic's The Wall Parody? Because his version needs to do straight to musical hell ^^
Diva: how do you feel about the Yeston adaption, titles PHANTOM?
I'M HERE FOR THE WITHIN TEMPTATION
i've never clicked on a video faster
Your profile picture is ICONIC.
3:25 Sounds pretty close to the musical...Minus the phantom dying.
Please do a "At the source Goodbye to Berlin/Cabaret "
Yes, another mention to Within Temptation!
So what genre is Phantom of the Opera?? Romance? Horror? Mystery?
Yaaaaaas!
I wonder what Diva thinks of Civil War the Musical.
Upvoting for Within Temptation!
Do Pocahontas: journey to the new world please
HOW ABOUT THE PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE ?
I read his Mystery of the Yellow Room in English and I thought the writing was incredibly stilted. Is it stilted in "Opera" or did Yellow Room just get a bad translation?
Thing You Know I'm going to pick the latter, it was a bad translation.
#Breakthebutton
Anyone comment yet?
i'm surprised that you [Diva from Musical Hell] & @Dominic Noble (previously known as The Dom) didn't know about there being an audiobook/drama adaption made to the original novel! ruclips.net/video/huo8Uc-7TS4/видео.html
do have plans to post/upload it (i'm excluding the interviews cause they're already on yt) onto my channel but until I get a better laptop & another iPod Nano.
p.s: also did a review for my blog called Mickey says on Facebook some years ago. it's public & free to look at.
Ok, I must be the only person to not like Book Christine. Obviously I'm not going to hate her, because she is obviously in a difficult position and is the victim in the book, but I just really felt she was underused despite her potential and ended up becoming a plot device in the end. I went into the book expecting her to be so much cooler because everyone had hyped her up, I guess, and I was just surprised at how much I didn't like her and how much she didn't do...
I understand I obviously can't place 'modern' feminist values on her (and I wouldn't, since I read a lot of old books and I don't think feminist characters should be action girls or anything like that, only that they should be well written and nuanced) but still? Like her main plan is to run away, even though that clearly wouldn't work since Erik would probably follow her, and she's seemingly only reliant on Raoul to do so because she can't force herself to leave, and she basically falls completely for Erik's manipulation (which is basically guilt tripping people by making them feel bad for him)? I also never really got a good motivation for why she does that. And she just gets kidnapped off stage for the second half of the book and doesn't reappear until the final sequence where she's basically useless until the kiss. (The scorpion/grasshopper choice doesn't hold any consequences as obviously she wouldn't choose to blow everyone up so it's not like her choosing the marriage option was a particularly smart choice or anything -- although obviously it's horrible for her she really doesn't have any other options, and she doesn't try a third way out)
The fact that we don't see her properly or learn her thoughts after she supposedly leaves the basement as well doesn't help matters... she and Raoul could still be stuck under the lair for all we know since we never get explicit confirmation she's left -- though I acknowledge that's maybe not the best reading, but it's still annoying that we don't know anything about her afterwards.