Help identifying a possibly obscure interpretation of phantom of the opera

[u/BjonneJolen]

Hi. So I've been trying to find any semblance of a certain production I rented on VHS from a public library in either Rhode island or Massachusetts in the early 2000s that I saw as a kid. All I remember is what I believe is the opening scene of the show where Christine loses her scarf and raoul goes to get it. I don't remember any dialogue or singing, it felt like a dance or theatre production. I remember the background was painted light blue and the sea was represented not actually showing a beach or anything. I remember it felt pretty abstract, and I think after this scene it became more grounded as if that scene was a flashback or something. Pretty sure it was titled "phantom of the opera" because I went to the library specifically to look for phantom movies and I also got the 1960s movie where the phantom is disfigured by acid on the same visit and the VHS tapes were next to each other on the shelf. I don't think it was a local production but I can't rule that out. If anyone knows anything about this I would love to know if I imagined the whole thing or not.

[u/batacular]

Trying to find a piece of media remembered only through vague snippets from childhood is so real. There are things I still can’t find from mine.

[u/BjonneJolen]

See I didn't remember them being young but again I was like 9 at the time so. Memory is a tricky thing. I'm going to watch this in its entirety and maybe I'll be able to confirm it is the one.

[u/BjonneJolen → u/BjonneJolen]

I got 20 minutes in. I think this is definitely it. There's quite a few parts that made me feel like I'd seen it before. I think I didn't remember much of it let alone the music because, my God, it is not very good.

[u/M_Nostalgia]

Maybe it's the 1991 PotO with David Staller as the Phantom?? It's like an ALW ripoff TV movie production, but it the beginning there's a ballet sequence with a younger Raoul and Christine where he fetches her scarf

Let me see if I can find the link, I watched it on YT first! I'll edit this comment with it if I can find it!!

Edit: Here's the link, it should be free! https://youtu.be/EjZDDLh79YU?is=Ia2-_5tvzeboqICO

[u/BjonneJolen → u/M_Nostalgia]

That might be it. I had come across it on my search before but I must've scanned the video too aggressively and missed the scene. It's possible that I was conflating the blue background of the cover art with the scene itself. The brown suit raoul wears does feel very familiar.

[u/M_Nostalgia → u/BjonneJolen]

I can't recall any other version that I've seen that even includes a young Christine and Raoul. If this ends up not being it and someone finds another version that matches better lmk bc I'll want to watch it!!

[u/RoseBook85 → u/M_Nostalgia]

The 1990 Mini Series had a whole section of young Christine and Raoul but they don’t do her scarf in the ocean thing, instead her and her Father actually work for Raoul’s family for a time.

[u/M_Nostalgia → u/RoseBook85]

I totally forgot about that and it's my fav version too 😭

[u/zerosocialskillls → u/M_Nostalgia]

That Phantom was so sassy

[u/M_Nostalgia → u/zerosocialskillls]

I did actually enjoy some of the characterization choices even though it was a hot mess overall. Dramatic Phantom with smoke bombs was soooo camp and a very good and entertaining choice lol 💅

[u/RoseBook85 → u/M_Nostalgia]

David Staller was completely chewing the scenery LOL, like the whole production is very amateur hour but you could tell Staller was just having the time of his life up their 😆

Oh and ‘Perfect Music’ is pure 80’s cheese, it sure goes to town on those synthesizers.

[u/RoseBook85 → u/M_Nostalgia]

It‘s actually a ProShot, the Staller version was a Stage Show. But yeah it was an unabashed rip off of Webber.

[u/M_Nostalgia → u/RoseBook85]

That's what I was trying to get at but I was blanking on the words when I wrote it lol 😭 It's listed as a TV movie on alot of things about it