|
Rating:  -
I've attempted over the years to watch the Hunchback of Notre Dame in it's entirety, but never quite made it until I finally ordered the dvd. I really enjoyed this movie even though it appears to be scratchy. I recommend this dvd to old school horror fans. It's worth buying.
Rating:  -
Lon Chaney is amazing in this adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He shines in his portrayal of the abused character and his stunning portrayal is magical, from the haunting expression in his eyes when he first beholds the beautiful Esmerelda to the fear that radiates throughout his entire person when he realizes the man that raised him is the most evil of all souls. I would suggest reading the background involved in Chaney's portrayal of the Hunchback to understand the precise research he did to transfer himself into Quasimodo
Rating: -
This Lon Chaney classic still reigns supreme as the best and most chilling adaptation of this oft-remade film. Lon Chaney's make up and acting is terrific, and the sets are awesome. This is a must-have for any true fan of horror cinema.
Rating: -
This is the loveliest Special Edition of this silent classic ever made available on DVD,a perfect companion piece to Image's wonderful two disc of The Pahntom of the Opera(1925),a few years previous.While,not the classic that film is,or as good as it's 1939 film,this is STILL a must see piece of cinema with one of the great performances in film,courtesy of the imimitable Lon Chaney sr.
The film is presented tinted and for the first time is presented correctly as this was derived from a recently recovered 35mm print,and the film is finally intact.It's a very well done epic with impressive sets and production,featuring many unforgettable vignettes like Quasimodo getting whipped and being given water by Esmerelda(Patsy Ruth Miller),the festival of Fools and that climax!It's a film of immense emotional power that still resonates over eighty years later,and will likely for another eighty.
There are plenty of Special features including an essay and commentary track by Chaney biographer,Michael F.Blake,a reproduction of the film's original publicity pamphlet and 3-D stills that come with there own glasses!
It's also a treat to view Chaney in the fragment of his other Hunchback role in the now lost,"Alas and Alek".
This is a great DVD set reccomended for any Cinema fanatic and admirers of that "Man of a thousand faces".
Rating: -
Deaf and half-blind, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, feared & rejected by the people of Paris, becomes the unlikely protector of a poor gypsy girl.
Lon Chaney, master of disguise, solidified his celebrity with his portrayal of Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer, who is forever cut off from any semblance of a normal life. Although his makeup is certainly horrific, Chaney's role is not really monstrous: he is a lonely human desperately misused by Fate. Chaney's face speaks for him, communicating the tormenting anguish of his soul. While not quite as poignant as Charles Laughton's interpretation 16 years later, Chaney still makes of the role a Silent hallmark which has stood the test of time.
There are fairly lengthy segments in which Chaney does not appear and plot elements not explored in the longer Laughton version. Here the story dwells on the gypsy dancer Esmeralda, played by Patsy Ruth Miller, and her burgeoning romance with the brave Phoebus, Captain of the Guard, played by Norman Kerry. Both performers do very well with their 'normal' roles -- her innocence contrasting well with his initial lust -- even though the viewer is doubtless anxious for the return of the Hunchback.
A handful of excellent character actors from the era add their assistance: gaunt Nigel de Brulier as the saintly Archdeacon, defender of the Hunchback; beefy Ernest Torrence as Clopin, King of Thieves, ruling over the Court of Miracles; prissy Raymond Hatton as the effete poet Gringoire; and feeble Tully Marshall as a suspicious Louis XI.
Special mention must be made of Universal's splendid attention to detail which they lavished on the film. Most especially commendable is the representation of Notre Dame's West Facade, the only real angle from which the Cathedral's exterior is depicted. To see Chaney clamber down, swinging from pinnacle to gargoyle to statue; or, to watch Quasimodo defend Esmeralda from the crowd of beggars he thinks has come to kill her, dropping stones, beams and molten metal on their heads below from the Cathedral's ramparts, is to enjoy two of Silent Cinema's great visual moments.
Television Show
Collectibles
Movie Searches
|
|
|
Search for posters,
art prints, photos, collectables, merchandise, toys, t-shirts
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TV Guide
Program listings, celebrity profiles, industry
gossip, movie reviews, puzzle.
More
Entertainment
& TV Magazines
This site is
Hosted
by Bluehost
Read
my Bluehost Review
Most Popular TV collectibles
|
|
Home
Articles
Images
Forum
Search
Shopping
TV Trivia
Watch TV
Wallpaper
