Debrasue

Hey , Gal!...Happy Birthday!....Really...Scorpios are cool!

So..what your trying to say ...Pilar... is...all the right planets aligned...and on that special day...God's gift to the whole Phantom obsessed world was born....

OMG!!! I'm going to have to kype your table- pounding emodicon there Pilar!! Seriously...I can get along with all star signs extremely well (I have no problems adapting & supplying as much space as a guy could want...) except for Tauruses......man I tell ya....I realllly need alot of self restraint to keep from going ballistic on their arses.... or avoiding them all together! but that's just One of MY negative attributes (I realize I have quite a few annoying traits!)...and I've been doing very well the past couple of years...but I do give them lots of lee- way....LOTS! LOL! Can you imagine My mom & my two brothers constantly going at it...round & round...of course I Always split & ran when I sensed that coming(ok..I'm a coward!)...My Dad also...he's an Aquarian! LOL! We got along fabulously...My Mom hated that! It seems G has all the right elements that make him an irresistable and compelling man....impossible not to be attracted to... not to be obsessed with...so...it's Not our fault! is it!...thank goodness...I was thinking I need some serious therapy...when he's the one to blame!

OMG! Pilar!...you have so perfectly described my bothers! WOW!...except for one thing...they were the ones who couldn't keep up with me!...I drained them(LOL!)...prolly cause I'm a little hyper & restless most of the time....and they are incredibly loyal....till death due you part loyal...and even then...If either of their wives were to die before them...they would never remarry...I don't think they would be able to recover from the loss.....in fact I know it....and I have seen them on occasion be cruel... & yep...lash out...watch out for that tail! LOL! and excruciatingly stubborn...and they hold a grudge forever!!!! Well...they sure don't forget too soon, anyway! My Mom also is a Scorpio...I tell ya...when I sense the mood changing..I'm the first one outta there....I know when the party's just about over........Oh, yeah..they also had a tendency to be a little 'control freakish'...and if I hadn't been the older sister..they probably would have gotten away with it! They always made me laugh with how serious they took everything.....but ..wait...I Was the one who always made myself available to them....practically everything concerning them ran on their schedule or agenda...and still does!....Hmmmm....I've been played all these years....LOL! Phantom was a little control freakish wasn't he!!! So we're going with Phantom as Scorpio...the way you describe them...I can see it now....I was sorta thinking he was a combination of what Gerry brought to his personality and maybe a little ALW mixed in there....thus turning a sensational "horror" story into a tragic love story that sort of mirrored his own relationship with Sarah (from what I've read & heard him relate on the special features of the DVD)......Hmmmm....very interesting....

Don't Ya just love the rush of an electrical charge!!! Metaphorically speaking of course! I think we call it having an Epiphany?!? Hey Judy!....Judy...Judy...Judy...Judy.............I love everything you write! The things you say are so uplifting and very much appreciated.....never hold back the wisdom and desire of your heart..........

Hi Alison! Jes...your poetry is very impressive...w/ darkish imagery...beautiful & expressive... I was also thinking about what Swann said about the fact that G is a Scorpio and that keeps coming up in conversations... Hmmmm....Gerry does seem to be true to his sign....but I don't see the connection/relativity of Scorpio to Phantom's personality (what we observed of it in the movie)....maybe Pilar would know better...she's pretty savvy when it comes to the star signs!

That's so funny Swann! We must've been in the Gallery & at Photbucket at almost the exact same time!!! I swear!!! LOL! Check the times! It took me the extra five minutes to resize it for myspace & upload to Photobucket!!!Ha,ha,ha,ha.....tooo spooky!

Wow!...that was wonderful, Jesbie!...Yes... Please feel free to post & share your other poems...we would love to read them! and anything else....Phantomish or not...all creativity is so welcome here! So glad you came to visit us in the Lair.... "Where the wind comes sweeping down the Plains...."...Oklahoma? Enjoy yourself here....it's a little quiet at the moment....a nice time to read....or create...or be inspired...or just post a thought or two...It's all good!.... or visit with other Gals on another thread....there's something Gerry going on somewhere! LOL!.......... Love & huggs......... Trouble...squared.... Here's another Darkly Obsessed Phantom pic I've been experimenting with....he's soooo consumed by his own distorted ego... the dark intensity in his eyes...his jaw set with diabolic determination....A stealthy Black Panther silently stalking his prey... coldly & deliberately calculating every move ....Bouquet doesn't stand a chance! just testing...123....

There is this true story Leroux came upon when he was doing research for his Phantom character...the anomolies that could contribute to Erik's disintigration into madness as a result of his affliction growing worse....of course his role model was Joseph Merrick...sometimes referred to as the Elephant Man...but Joseph...despite all of the abusive treatment he endured thru out his life at the hands of normal, but cruel people...he still maintained a loving and generous , childlike nature...and he became somewhat of a celebrity.....almost to the point of admiration....and people would come from all around & want to meet him...he was very intelligent & charming...but also very shy....he found comfort in his own rooms ...reading and entertaining himself with various hobbies.....then one day he was introduced to a rather pretty young woman...she was very sweet & kind....she reached out to shake his hand...or some how just managed to touch it...and he almost died from the experience!...he just collapsed to his knees...gasping for air....the whole scene was very heartbreaking....no one really realizing how overwhelming the act of just being touched by another...especially a young , beautiful woman...could be for someone who has never been touched...especially a young man! He was in his early twenties, I believe, when this episode happened....he didn't live much longer because of the complications brought on by his progressive illness.... I love his story.....he was a very courageous and inspiring human being...a person... a man....one can only try too imagine how that touch so profoundly affected him....I often relate that experience to the wonderful, but heart breaking moment in POTO when Christine kisses Gerry's Erik.....the expression of surprise, wonder, overwhelming joy...but total confusion & disbelief...then bittersweet heartbreak & devastation....Except for falling to his knees in the water in the lair...Gerry portrayed all of those emotions to perfection.... In Leroux's book...Erik does collapse to his knees at Christine's feet...in tears & total, complete obliteration....Leroux did an excellent job integrating Merrick's plight with that of his character, Erik, the Phantom of the Opera........... And if one has such an intense, strong reaction to just being touched...which is so sad to even think about...I can't imagine, really, what it would've done to Erik...just to be held in a loving embrace probably would have killed him.......... How's that for dramatic...LOL! Maybe if he were eased into the experience...very, very slowly....over time...the choice of when always his option....but to someone who would be so sure of herself...and confident she could handle his reaction.... & insecurities...had gained his total & complete trust.... Was Christine capable of that?...She always met...reacted...to his disfigurement with compassion..even after she unmasked & betrayed him on the bridge...when Erik looked at her with those so sad eyes........She was a special girl ...even given her own limited experience with love....and men....Normal men are difficult enough to comprehend at such a young age....and poor Christine had to deal with two , hot-blooded, young and demanding men who were passionately in love with her....who would kill... duel to the death... just to have her.... The fact that we are lead to believe that Erik was never touched....could explain His hesitation...maybe even reluctance....to reveal... himself too soon to Christine....maybe He was the one who wasn't quite ready....so he was in no hurry (however much secretly he might have longed for a physical relationship with her!)...but Raoul sort of made the matter more expedient...Erik was essentially forced to make the decision...it's Now or Never! (OMG! Can you imagine maybe the panic that went through his mind when Mdme Giry informed him of Raoul's intention /relationship with Christine!)...Damn the uncertainty...and the paralyzing fear of rejection ...he had to make his move fast ...or take the chance of losing Christine...and his Dreams... forever......

OK....so...Here's our White Knight....our Angel of Light.... The Heart & Soul of our Phantom... He's not Phantom...he's just Gerry... but still.... how can you resist him?.... "Heaven is This Way?" his essence disperses into the Loving Embrace of the Fine Irish Breeze... and like the generations that came before him... he is assimilated, and becomes One with the Spirit of Ireland....

We have Swann to thank for that one....it was from a conversation we were having on myspace.....I believe the phrase was "those thighs swathed in red are freaking Dangerous!...." Does that Gal have a way with words or what???? LOL! Really...I was just looking at those freaking dangerous.......mesmerizing........ black leather boots...honest!

Uhmmm....Richard III....but .....according to Shakespeare...he was slightly menacing & deranged!....but he's still my favorite Shakespeare character!....Poor guy...If he couldn't be a lover....he was determined to be the worst villain!...but boy could he ride a a horse!....Besides being outrageously audacious...he was also very charming!...And Courageous!.....but he was another tragic figure doomed from birth (being born slightly deformed)...! Do you mean a real person ...or fictional, Swann? If you haven't read Emile Zola's "Abbe Mouret's Transgression" or " A Love Episode"...there are brilliant descriptions of intense & passionate men ....always self-conflicted....struggling with their need to be righteous...and their desire for passion....not exactly like Laurent in Therese Raquine...but still just as complex! But...I'm not into the 'brooding' dark Gothic( or even non Gothic) type.... but rather mysterious & alluring...enigmatic... (love that word!) And he doesn't have to be 'Dark'...I've never really thought of our Phantom as a Dark & Gothic figure....the Darkness being how he was forced to live, in the shadows...& the Gothic a reference of the fashion & architecture of the day....and not a frame of mind....in fact I always (since ALW's version in the movie) seen Phantom as "progressive"........... The only time I've ever experienced any type of reaction from the presence of a man was Gerry's portrayal of The Phantom....and it wasn't because he was 'Dark'..except in coloring... visually dark....the black cloak, goves, boots, hair( the dark clothes enabling him to go about undetected in the shadows!)...But those are not the things that make a man seem 'Dark'...actually I see Phantom as someone who has become a 'Phantomish' figure in order to stay/live undetected...he was being hunted & persued for murder when he killed his carnival keeper, remember! So to survive he had to remain unseen...but still be able to get about & take care of himself...thus appearing to be a Phantom...or Ghost....He was just taking advantage of people's fears to achieve his own survival the only way that was made available to him...the only way he knew how! And... Except for his decline into desperation & rage (that being his darkness...the dungeon & prison of his mind)...he would have given anything to be and live just like any other man if that were possible(No One Would Listen & Down Once More! Why, Why? reveals the true long of his heart!)....but he knew he would never be able to live as a normal person. But there... on the bridge..he was willing to come out into the bright, revealing, light (That very real, yet artificial.... & symbolic light of the Chandelier)...in front of everyone & declare his love for Christine....he would go anywhere & do anything...just to be with her...she only had to say the word..... My only experience with G is from afar...from his interviews, etc....but his Phantom is what caught my attention on a much deeper, personal, soulful level... his Phantom took my breath away...I've been in a tail spin ever since...so for me Gerry's Phantom is the Elusive Man in my Dreams...and only dark because he is elusive...and impossibly out of reach &... reality!....I don't think there is a man alive anywhere who can wear that Mask & Cape....not like G did.....he claimed that persona & broke that mold! That is what Gerry's Phantom is for me...not a Dark, Menacing, Brooding, Tragic Figure...but the Elusive, Strong, Dynamic, ...Passionate Man...on a quest for True Love....the Love he longs for..... but Love eludes even Him! Gerry is a regular, real, guy and not elusive & out of reach for some woman....he could be some lucky lady's Shining Knight on a Great White Horse...her Angel of Light.....that is a reality for someone! He is not a fictional character...or Phantom.....and from the descriptions of G... from everyone who has ever experienced him .... he is all of that & more....and I've never personally met anyone that comes close to that description either..... Sir Brian Bois Guilbert in Ivanhoe!...Now there's a man driven by desire...for a woman who will not have him!.... The proud & gallant Sir Brian Bois-Guilbert! OMG! I love this man! Willing to question his beliefs & motivations---but not his honor & loyalty to his brother knights. I thought he was the most mature & honest character. I would've liked to see him go on to further adventures possibly with in service to King Richard along with De Bracy. His death seemed so out of character for such a strong personality! He is a very righteous Knight Templar ....all of his men respect & trust him....he is very noble & chivalrous....but Rebecca...brings him to his knees!....He rescues her (against her will!) & hides her away...and he tries so hard to get her to love him....sound familiar!...she rejects him..... & he dies of a broken heart....I hate that part! Mr. Rochester in Jane Eyre....

Hey Swann...Now is That a reeeallly strange 'lattice of coincidence' or not??? I said Mr. Dark was my muse...you sent me pic o Mr. Dark....Hmmmmm....very interesting, indeed! I'm assuming that since I am a Gemini (my fav excuse for what I cannot explain about myself!LOL!) I am deeply attracted to Both! But my Mr. Dark is Not the dark. moody , brooding, mentally off type...but more rather emotionally & intelllectually deep & adept...and fine tuned...and able to use those abilities (manipulate? Like a magician!)) but not in any malicious way....He's calm , cool, collected & deliberate on the surface...bold, audacious & confident...verging on arrogance...and very suave, gallant & charming....but under the surface...a smouldering, burning inferno of intensity, determination, dedication, loyalty... passion & desire! (Much the way Gerry's Phantom sees himself!) And.... I have never been content to just read about this kind of man....My Life is my one True Adventure & I NEED a "bigger than life" type of personality to share it with me...He must be out there...somewhere.... I'm still hoping.... And I'm also very intensely attracted to an Angel of Light...the way you described G...The way Emmy describes G...the general reason we love G... I've not encountered either...but I have come very close! And fallen every time! Maybe I need to find someone who is both...and can fullfill all of my passions & desires the same as I would Love to fullfil his! I know that sounds so outrageously Idealistic...but so far ...compromising hasn't worked!!! LOL! and I'm not one to be judgemental...but I must be more selective than I have been....Knock my socks of & blow me away!!!.... or stay outta my way...that's how it's gotta be ...and yeah if I ever encounter 'HIM" I will know it...I hope so anyway...sure would hate for that one to slip though my fingers!!! So for the interrum I guess Gerry/Phantom is the Elusive Man in my Dreams....always there...but just out of reach! ~le sigh~ PS...My Dad...A tall (6'2"), Dark(Jet black hair) & very Handsome(somewhere between Rock Hudson, Elvis&Carey Grant) Scotsman...an Aquarian!... Never brooding or moody... always outgoing... very intelligent & ...fun! He knew how to have a good time...sometimes at my Mom's dismay...but my brother's & I loved it!.... very big shoes to fill....sometimes when I hear Gerry describing his father I think...Wow..he's describing My Dad!....but my Dad was fortunate enough not to have any vices or addictions.....God..was I Blessed!

This is the same GameTeaser Poster that's in the Gallery...I tried to straighten it out alittle without messing it up too much...still crooked tho... Isn't it sooo cool to see his name as big as day at the top!!! OKaaay! I guess we're just gonna have to use our imaginations here! LOL!! I sorta had a feeling that was gonna happen........but don't worry...there's plenty of other pics of G....so I'll go get one! wowza!...look at that gun...I mean arm...I mean gun...

Hey Jenny85! I just happened to have these on my myspace webpage.. they're clickable...but not very large...sorry! Ooooh! A new chapter!...Hmmmm....The Doll House....very interesting......

Awwww....poor Erik really needs some TLC... Christine Really....Really needs some TLC!

Red Death & Christine... Dangerous Red Thighs...I mean... Death...Red Death! Really...Really Dangerous Christine...

Ok...Couldn't resist... Dark Obsession... Really...Really... Bad to the Bone.... Dark Obsession...

No...I don't have a problem with a POTO showing at Halloween! I wish I could have been there!!!! It was just a thought I had ....it's such a beautiful movie...to me it's Joel's masterpiece.... I would watch it on any big screen any day, any where.....I was just sayin I didn't see the horror of such a beautiful movie. I think it's so cool that there are other folks out there who get a blast out of dressing up & having a good time with it...awesome! Swann...that's so funny...I thought the organ music was sooo melodramatic & Phantomish...but not creepy....LOL! There wasn't alot of talking going on ...but that was the way it was intended to be...the music was supposed to 'drive' the storyline..and mostly from Phantom's perspective......so that's all we really have to go on....plus whatever nuances were expressed by the incredible acting.... Yes... Raoul says "I Love You".... and Erik almost gets the words out... before Christine stops him cold on the bridge....but he was going to say it... (Erik did say it at the end..."Christine...I Loooove...Youuuu...." when she comes back to give him the ring! Was it too late?)Why did it take him so long to say what he was trying to convince her of through out the whole movie?....Did he have to learn it from Raoul that night he spyed them on the roof? That that was what Christine needed / wanted to hear? Did She really Want to hear that from Raoul...or did she just feel secure & cared for by him....to hide her & guide her...like a 'father"???? Ooooh....she was emotionally such a child still.... I do agree that she wasn't fully comprehending either man's depth of emotion towards her...any more than she new her own heart....they all still had alot to learn about those things....Raoul being the only one to see the madness/strangeness in the unreal/ surreal atmosphere of the Opera House....I think that last night in the Lair was a learning experience for all three of them....but especially for Erik & Christine...... Though it's a very simplistic storyline....Gerry Butler brought human- ness & complexity to a character that otherwise would have been considered just another deranged, maniacal villain or dark, brooding arrogant & manipulative man that we could never feel sorry for....and that's the reason the story takes on more intensity & meaning...allowing us to sympathise with his plight & experience the passion burning in his soul & mind...not a monster, but a man.... I think if it were delivered as a non- musical...a regular script with just dialogue....the words would have gotten in the way and would have ruined the heart & sweetness & passion of this particular story/adaptation/version... only music could express ..... When Erik sings "Christine...I love You..." and "It's over Now...the Music of the Night....." that Had to be expressed through music....

Hi, Tojo... I don't think we'll know that one untill ALW decides to make another movie...and if he does it will probably be slightly different than the sequel he's planning on doing for the Stage version ...but...Yeah...I've often pondered those questions also...it's does seem like ALW & Joel wanted us to know that they lived on for a few more years & that Christine & Raoul were happily married with a family....and that Phantom at least thought of her...and she him...all those years...The lyrics to the song 'All I Ask Of You" though keeps going thru my head...'one love...one lifetime'...she had only one life...one lifetime... to share....yet she loved two men....it would be nice to know how she reconciled that dilema during those years married to Raoul & having his children..... ALW & Joel seemed to have left the door open to the possibility of continuing the story to fill in the gap....that would be nice! Lots of questions to think about...excellent opportunities for writers!

awwwwe....he was so proud of his home...the lair...and he tried so hard to impress her...another smile for Pilar....and all lairgals, of course... Geesh!...i forgot how to do thumbnails...lol! and of course the 'Coups de Grace' (?)...this could be seen as a little 'strange'...but..considering the circumstances...thanks to the emergence of Raoul back in her life...he kinda had to speed things up alittle... but he was confident enough to expose his dream to her...boy...did she fall for that one? literally! Oooops!.... Off to bed with you, then....

Yeah!...I like that that thought, Swann.......... Here's another silly thought...totally unrelated...but showing POTO at Halloween? I've Never considered This Movie a horror flick!!! Not in any way, shape, or form!...even when I first read Leroux's book in Jr. Hi...I never saw the horror of it...just the mystery and general overall sadness & tragedy of a man's life wasted because of his deformity.... and that was the horror of it. Ahemmm....those 'Shoulders of Death' are Killing Me!......... Earth to Debra....comeback... Oooooh!.........lunchtime!

Greatness, Determination...Beauty...Love.... Are These tooo dark?...I think my monitor might be going south...

You know Swann....I haven't had the heart to watch POTO in month's...and I have totally forgotten some of the lyrics( I just needed to take a break from the emotional drama at the time)...like what Raoul says while touching the face of the monkey on the music box..."Will you still 'Play' for us...." I know he's not referring to the actual music box...but rather to Phantom....and I've often wondered what "exactly" he was thinking...trying hard not to speculate or read something into it that might not be there....drives me nuts!!! But ...yeah...considering Erik's ego & personality & his will to survive...he was a very strong character in spirit....I love that aspect of his personality... I can see him going over & over in his mind all the details of Christine....I imagine he did the same obsessive dreaming about her...for years...long before the night of her first performance ...judging by the portraits he drew of her & the wedding dress he was saving for her, etc.....waiting for the day when all of his dreams of her came true.....I still can't bring myself to watch the movie ....just typing posts & discussing it leaves me in tatters...shatters....dang it! what's the word? lol! wow...it just occured to me (yeah...i'm slow) but... don't we obsess over Gerry's portrayal of Erik...sort of the way he obsesses over Christine?...Thinking about him ....gazing at pictures of him...drawing & painting & writing& all kinds of computer graphics ...of him? How many times has each one of us seen the movie??? Thousands? (and that's just me!)....and I know none of us are obsessed with 'Beauty'...suuperficial beauty....but we do obsess over Phantom's beauty don't we?.... with & without the mask...His physical as well as emotional/spiritual beauty?....I do...I love 'Beauty ' in all of it's forms...sort of the way Erik cherishes beauty...secretly...secretly....OKaaay...I've gone off the deep end again....time for a break! Laters...........

A couple of months ago Swann needed a pic of Erik to represent 'The Holy Grail'...and we went on a really cool 'smile' or 'mouth' hunt in the gallery for just the right picture...this was one...similar to yours...the one I was thinking of... but we ended up choosing this one... so I guess it was a 'mouth' hunt...sorta sounds like 'mouse' hunt...lol!... I love Fran's work....she's amazing!