Joel Schumacher's Phantom of the Opera: A long, drunken video essay

I have only just become a patron but I wanted this out there, this is one of my all time favourite videos created by anyone! My bestie and I have watched you're essay (and the one for Rent) many times instead of the movie itself. You're commentary is hilarious and really insightful, it's funny to see you discuss what the movie was trying to do vs how they tried (failed) to execute it. I love it!

Lucius Kesake

This is my favorite video you've done, actually, and I love Loose Canon so that's saying a lot. I'd love to see more academic film analysis from you if you're willing! This goes into a lot of stuff I find really interesting and didn't know the terms for before, like diagenic/nondiagenic. If you decided to do more academic examinations of some flicks from time to time, I'd love to see them.

Stormbourne

Hey Lindsay, I've only just got around to watching your Phantom review, and just wanted to say THIS IS AWESOME. More please?

Okay. I've watch this a couple of times now. This is the best. I felt like I learned more about the construction of cinema while watching this video than I have during the entire time I have been watching film. Thanks so much for helping me to gain more insight into this medium that so many of us adore. I loved this video. I sincerely hope that (provided you have the inclination) you have the time to revisit this style of in depth analysis. Thanks Lindsay!

Dean Madden

That was really interesting, I would love to see you speak more about musicals\film theory\both.

Tamar Kalir

I love. I would always be down for something this indepth. P.S. why not "handlelabras"

Timothy Morrise

I really appreciate the education on film language, which is not something I have studied previously (and of course, I am now going to be analyzing every movie I see with my pittance of new-found knowledge). Thank you for explaining things so thoroughly and so drunkenly....and also for being so incredibly entertaining! I have already watched this half a dozen times and I keep being amused by it.

—PATION!

Occam's Blazer

This was goddamn incredible Lindsey. Amazing to see you totally let loose critically with no time or format constraints. Just you, a film, and some intelligent points to make.

Jack Phillips

I was one of the ones who voted AGAINST doing a video takedown of Schumacher, but after seeing the finished result, I'm glad you did this. Thank you, it was not only a lot of fun but also very educational. I wasn't too concerned about the length because a Plinkett review is usually over an hour long and are similarly edutaining.

Mel Vitta

My general feeling when I see something jump in length like this is that it will feel un-disciplined. The drunken review is of course a nice conceit nodding to that. But on this occassion I really liked it, the diagesis section particularly, which I suppose would never have found a place in a 20 minute or less video.

Me too. :(

Anastasia

I'm having the same problem!

Anybody else having trouble with the video? It keeps giving me an "Oops!" error.

Marty Farley

Yeah, I needed elaboration on that as well.

Ng Yi-Sheng

Is it wrong to enjoy Lindsay reviewing drunk?

Mister CPU

Thank you so much for all your videos. My friends and I find your humor and insight extremely engaging :)

Luninareph

While talking about Diegesis, I thought you'd have mentioned Sound of Music, as you used clips from it. In that show/movie, a fair number of the songs are Diegetic, because the story is about a nun who likes to sing, and who spreads that love to the family. Off the top of my head, the only non-Diegetic songs in SoM are Sixteen Going On Seventeen, How Can Love Survive, Something Good, and No Way To Stop It, and two of them were left out of the movie.

Jack Ramone

I haven't even gotten past the first 60 seconds, but I can tell this is everything I hoped it would be.

She made a Nostalgia Chick video about the musical and a vlog about the film with Todd.

Gil

Doesn't Nella have a day job and other responsibilities as a one of the Holy Chez Trifecta (is that the official term now since Team NChick doesn't really fit anymore?).

Gil

Wonderful review, I love your critical analysis and I know this was a tremendous amount of work, but I loved seeing you analyze a whole movie again!

Felicitas

Rent!

Loved it!! I learned so much about film from this. If you ever feel like doing another I would love to hear everything wrong with

Oh my goodness i'm so glad to see you tearing into a single movie again because you have been consistently putting out some of the best film criticism video essays on the internet for so long and you hella outdid yourself on this one a+++

Great video, Lindsay...as usual your analytical powers proved mesmerizing. And this coming from someone who has tried to watch a couple musicals and can only stomach "Popeye". But hey...I yam what I yam.

FrostBucket

aaalllsoooo I'm interested in what you mean when you say "Hello Dolly" killed the movie musical

Amy

" I will never ever understand how Christian knows the lyrics of every modern day pop song even though he is in nineteenth century or twentieth century France"....................I think that's already been established in the video, musicals are not directly logical

Amy

oh man that was amazing..I would totally welcome more insanely long video essays....also I find it interesting you apparently like Moulin Rouge? (an overly long video essay on that would be cool) you didn't mention the "jukebox musical" aspect of it...do you suppose that's a cheap way of trying to sell a musical to a mainstream audience?

Amy

Huh, I enjoyed this video. It made me rethink about Moulin Rouge alittle even though I will never ever understand how Christian knows the lyrics of every modern day pop song even though he is in nineteenth century or twentieth century France. Great deconstructing this movie.

Bardcraft

Hi Lindsay! Are you going to be making other reviews alongside Loose Canon, or was this made because Phantom's inclusion in LC triggered rage which needed to be channeled thusly?

Jack Ramone

I love when you really flex t hose film analysis muscles. This is one of my favorite of your videos. Great work!

BIG DADDY DRACULA

Finished the video now, it was brilliant. I'm so glad you've reached the next reward tier and can hire someone to help out. I don't suppose a certain bespectacled, brunette fangirl might be available?

De

Obviously this was insanely time consuming for you to make, but the depth of explanation you go into discussing diegises and film language is so refreshing and welcoming to online media criticism. We're so conditioned by YouTube-standards that it just seems impossible to write and film and edit something so long and substantial for film criticism. But personally I'd welcome more of this because there is just a huge lack of film-school expertise in media criticism these days. I'm a film student, so I understand what you're saying, but for the average person who wants to know more, this is the kind of stuff they should be watching! Great job Lindsay. I'd pledge a million dollars if you could do this all the time.

Lauren R

I agree that PHANTOM is too staid and flat for its material, but I don't see the CHICAGO/MOULIN ROUGE! comparisons you do: PHANTOM's artsyness (the black-and-white opening, the mountains upon mountains of kitsch) seems perfectly in keeping with a flamboyant, kitschy filmmaker like Schumacher. PHANTOM just feels like what happens if you were asked to make a musical, so you make a musical - and if you, like Schumacher, had never made a musical.

I haven't gotten through the video yet but I do have one piece of constructive criticism. I'm getting older and my reflexes aren't great. If you do actually mean for the text on the screen to be read (and sometimes I gather the joke is that you don't) you have to leave it up for just a second or so longer to give me time to pause.

De

Kyle Kallgren has made some informative videos about film language. I think you can find them on his Youtube page, as well as his recommendations for other Youtubers who discuss it. I particularly enjoy Every Frame a Painting.

De

What a superb analysis! Amazing!

Wait, was that a bondage joke?

Such a meaty treatise--thank you!

Ed

Im on the mobile app and so see any way to directly send a message. My name in the credits is just "Michael" and would like it changed to "Michael Johnson." I didn't have my full name in there when I originally set up my Patreon account.

Michael C. Johnson AKA Riggleton

That was great. Funny as well as informative. :) (how bad was the hangover though?)

This was excellent! I love analysing the writing and acting in film but am woefully ignorant when it comes to 'film language'. All of your videos have taught me to understand and articulate how I feel about films and for that I will be forever grateful! But this video was especially insightful ans delightful, cheers!

Lindsay , were I not in London I would happily be your assistant also I really liked the format of this video. The longer the better :)

I would have happily watched another hour of this. I would LOVE for you to do more single movie breakdowns.

Philip Munroe

This was awesome! Very insightful. I always enjoy your long format videos. Would you ever consider doing a lengthy review for Les Mis? I only ask because I love your work, and I really appriciate how much effort goes into longer formats like this! Looking forward to your next video :D

Dyce

Just before I have to leave for work! Curses. Well, now I have something nice to come home to. c: Re: the assistant, are you looking for someone local? Or would this be an online gig?

Jessica

Yeees, at last! :D That was awesome. Loved the details and the analysis of the movie language rather than just the story and cast.

TalysAlankil