The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
Rating: ★★★★½
Jul 1, 2001Disfigured Madman Beneath the Opera House
The first and still the best version of the story. Made when The Phantom was a horror story rather than a weepie romance, everything from Lon Chaney's performance to the amazing Gothic design and directorial set-pieces is classic

The Cat and the Canary (1927)

The Cat and the Canary (1927)
Rating: ★★★★
Nov 9, 2002Old Dark House Thriller
The film that defined the Old Dark House genre with spooky thrills as people are stalked around a big mansion. Expatriate German director Paul Leni brings an extraordinarily sophisticated arsenal of visual tricks to bear