November 9, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES II & IV • Page 19 New ‘Phantom’ formats include enhanced features by Dennis Seuling “Phantom of the Opera” (Image Entertainment) is one of the best -- if not the best -- of the silent horror films. Based on the tale by Gaston Leroux, the plot might best be known to contemporary audiences from the long-running Broadway musical. The original film, however, is a classic of gothic horror and the inspiration for a long string of Universal monster movies of the ‘30s and ‘40s. Lon Chaney, known as the “Man of a Thousand Faces” for his amazing expertise with makeup and his ability to appear completely different in each of his movies, stars as Erik, the “Phantom,” who dwells deep within the labyrinthine catacombs and dungeons beneath the 19th century Paris Opera House. The performers and backstage workers all speak of a ghost who haunts the opera house, yet no one has ever seen him. When Erik becomes infatuated with beautiful aspiring singer Christine (Mary Philbin), rumor becomes reality. He kidnaps her and holds her hostage in his underground lair, hoping she might see beyond his mask and the physical disfigurement beneath. Chaney employed many techniques in fashioning the gruesome death’s-head makeup for the Phantom, from drawing back his mouth with fishing line to give the Phantom an unsettling Joker-like grimace, to placing plastic discs in his nostrils to give his nose a flared, skeletal look. To achieve Erik’s ghastly appearance, Chaney underwent considerable discomfort while in makeup, a sacrifice he often made to bring his screen characters to life. The new Blu-ray release of “Phantom accompanied by a new piano score. “13” (Anchor Bay) stars Jason Statham, Ray Winstone, Mickey Rourke, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Ben Gazzara, and Michael Shannon in a thriller about Russian roulette. This underground “sport” attracts depraved gamblers and desperate men. Vince Ferro ( Sam Riley) is one such individual. While on a quick fix-it job, he steals an envelope containing instructions for a mysterious job that promises a potential fortune. He assumes a false identity and follows the instructions, only to find himself a numbered participant in an underworld Russian roulette competition. The stakes are high, but the payout is more than he can resist. This film is the American remake of writer/director Gela Babluani’s “13 Tzameti,” winner of the world jury prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The strongest thing going for it is its stellar cast, though they are often allowed to ham it up a bit too much. Unfortunately, pace and suspense are sacrificed when action Lon Chaney stars as Erik, the mysterious presence who makes his home beneath the Paris Opera House in the original ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ shifts from the game to stories of its participants. The widescreen Blu-ray release contains no extras. “Cars 2” (Disney Home Entertainment) finds star racecar Lightning McQueen and tow truck Mater heading overseas to compete in the first World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car. The road to the championship, however, is filled with many obstacles and side trips when Mater gets caught up in international espionage. He finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and engaging in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile and striking bombshell rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell. There are wild chases through the streets of Europe and Japan and a new cast of cars, menacing villains, and international competition. A disappointing sequel to the 2006 original, “Cars 2” is a hodgepodge of disjointed plot lines and has the look of being (continued on Crossword page) of the Opera” contains three versions. The first is a brand new HD transfer of the 24 frames-per-second version of the 1929 reissue from the 35-millimeter negative, with tinted sequences including the Masked Ball in two-strip Technicolor and new musical score by the Alloy Orchestra plus a theatre organ score, released for the first time in stereo. A second version, this one with a 20 f.p.s. projection speed, contains a symphonic score with soprano in stereo. The third version is the original 1925 release from a 16-millimeter print