The Unloved, Part 94: The Phantom of the Opera

It had been a long time since I looked at the work of an old master of horror who'd fallen out of favor. John Carpenter, George Romero, Tobe Hooper, Wes Craven, every guy who once set the world on fire was shunted off to the side when their interests stopped appealing to the broadest possible audience. Dario Argento, even in that esteemed company, seems like a special case. "Suspiria" is seen as a water shed moment in modern horror, one of the most beautiful sui-generis experiences in genre cinema. Now ask any casual fan what they're favorite Argento film is after 1990. Dario Argento is really believed to have dropped off after his heyday, but I disagree. I think he stayed fascinating up to and including his ill-starred
"Dracula 3D" (which I have a soft spot for as a murky, messy late work). I think his take on Phantom of the Opera is a beautiful piece of work, baroque and strange and electric, a true one-of-a-kind. Now let me tell you why. Enjoy your Halloween season, my favorite time of year. Watch something risky, watch something weird.