gerran

Underplayed my butt. If anything, Gerry overplayed the role of the Phantom. I always have a hard time (no matter how many times I watch POTO) taking in everything that Gerry does in just one viewing of a scene. His voice, his eyes, his facial expressions, and sometimes his body movements, I’ve said it before and I will say it again, it’s almost an overload or at the very least too much to take in at once. That just goes to show what a talented actor Gerry is, being able to use his voice, his eyes, his facial expressions, and his body movements all at the same time to show the audience what the Phantom is feeling and experiencing in his inside at that particular moment. Let’s even add the fact that Gerry doesn’t even have to utter a word to convey the Phantom’s emotions. For example, in “All I Ask of You,” Patrick and Emmy sound great and all that, but it’s Gerry who steals the scene, and he doesn’t even say a word and we don’t even see his face fully because he’s in the shadows. But we can see enough of Gerry’s face to see his shock at what is going on between Raoul and Christine, and the expressions on his face are simply priceless. Emmy and Patrick sounded beautiful, but if Gerry had not been in the movie as the Phantom, I know for a fact that I wouldn’t love this movie as much as I do. Gerry was the Phantom, and Gerry was the movie. Not bad for someone who supposedly underplayed his role. His love for Christine was more than obvious, the way he held her during PONR and the look in his eyes after he had finished singing “her teacher” in the Masquerade scene (filled with such longing).

I don’t think Christine unmasked the Phantom the second time out of spite. She looked very very sorry when she saw the Phantom’s reaction. However, I agree with you, Spartandax, that she did it to break the mesmerizing spell he had over her. And I do agree with you when you say that she hated him when he took down to his lair after the second unmasking. However, I thought Christine was being kind of spiteful after she had returned the ring to the Phantom and was leaving on the boat with Raoul. When she looked back at the Phantom, she was rubbing Raoul on the back near his shoulder; I couldn’t help but think she was rubbing it in the Phantom’s face that Raoul had gotten the girl.

I didn’t really intend to make any comparisons between POTO and Nim’s Island. You’re right, they are totally different. Nim’s Island is a family friendly film; POTO is far from that. I was just saying that a movie like Nim’s Island doesn’t allow Gerry to exercise his full acting abilities just because of the type of movie it is. Not to say that Gerry didn’t do a good acting job in Nim’s Island (all three leads did exceptionally well which I was pleased to see), but it was just the role. POTO is my absolutely favorite movie, so I have a bad habit of bringing it up often, especially when I’m discussing Gerry. Nim’s Island is a movie worth watching; I’ve already watched it twice since I got it (the whole movie which I don’t do often with POTO because my favorite scenes are those with Gerry, while in Nim’s Island I enjoyed watching all three lead actors). If you like Gerry, I suggest that you watch Nim’s Island. One, you get to see Gerry being both soaking wet as Jack and being very witty and funny as Alex. Two, the whole family can watch this film, unlike POTO.

I was thinking earlier that during the times I have watched the Special Features DVD for the 2004 movie, I saw the Phantom’s mask get knocked into his face. Maybe that’s why they didn’t want Gerry to do all of sword fighting scene, they didn’t want the mask knocking into his face and possibly hurting him. Just something I was thinking about. Thanks for the info on Patrick’s background in sword fighting. I didn't know those things because I'm too busy learning about our dear Gerry, lol.

I’ve read somewhere that a stunt man is used for the Phantom in the sword fighting scene. I was just wondering why Gerry didn’t do the sword fighting himself. After all, he does know how to swing a sword. I would like to hear all of your opinions on this matter. And I was wondering, does Gerry do the other stunt work in this movie, such as all the Joseph Buquet chase scene and the scene where the Phantom jumps down to attack Piangi? Thanks.

I didn’t see Nim’s Island in theaters because of a tragedy that occurred in my family, but I did get it on DVD this past Saturday. I have watched it once and found it to be a good movie (not a masterpiece like POTO was for me) but a movie worth paying the money for and a movie worth watching again. Gerry had his intense moments, and he made some witty and funny remarks as Alex Rover; but despite the fact that he played two roles (an excellent feat for any actor), this type of movie didn’t really allow Gerry to show his full acting abilities. It wasn’t Gerry’s fault; it was just the roles (not that they weren’t good roles but they just didn’t touch me the same way that the Phantom did). If this had been the first Gerry movie I’ve ever seen, I probably would have loved his accent but not have a further interest in him (thank you Gerry for doing POTO and thank you high school teacher that we watched it in your class). However, I will say that all three leads gave amazing performances. Their acting was better than just average. Gerry’s accent work wasn’t the best in this movie (I really couldn’t hear the differences in Jack’s and Alex’s voice), but Gerry has an accent that is a true pleasure to listen to, so it wasn’t really a bad thing when you look at it in that way. However, Gerry was witty, funny, intense when the scene called for it, and he gave a good performance. I especially loved his scenes with Jodie Foster when he played Alex Rover; they were simply funny together. I didn’t exactly like the special features on the DVD, though. I would love to have heard Gerry’s commentary as well, and the Working on Water Featurettes focused mostly on Abigail Breslin and a bit on Jodie Foster. They, of course, did a lot of water work, but so did Gerry. His water work was just as hard and just as intense as theirs, and I wish that they had talked more about that. However, all in all, this movie is worth buying if you are a Gerry fan.

There are certain movies I would have never seen if Gerry had not been in them, such as Dracula 2000, 300, PSILY, and Nim’s Island (because their genres are not my type of movies or at least not the type of movies I typically would watch if I had a choice). However, I enjoyed his performance in each of these movies. That’s what I like about Gerry (well one of the things I like about him), he doesn’t stay in just one genre and therefore makes me have to watch stuff I usually wouldn’t watch just so I can see his performance. I’m willing to try out any movie he’s in, and I really would like to see Dear Frankie and One More Kiss one day because (besides having Gerry in them) they sound emotionally charged, and I’ve liked emotionally charged movies since I really got into POTO (still my favorite Gerry movie, and a movie I truly consider a masterpiece; it has its small flaws of course but it‘s still one of the greatest movies ever made in my opinion). I’m actually looking forward to Game (even though action movies are not always my favorite as I now prefer the emotionally charged movies, but I still like watching action movies from time to time). I’m kind of concerned about RocknRolla after seeing Revolver (a movie I will never watch again and a movie that was pure torture to watch). However, I’m going to give RocknRolla a chance and hope for the best. I have yet to see a Gerry movie that I hated. Out of his movies I’ve seen so far, TomeRaider was probably my least favorite, but I wouldn’t call it an awful movie either (just my opinion). So, yes, I’m currently a “sure thing” when it comes to Gerry movies. Right now, I would like to watch them all, and even if I was to see a movie of his I hated I would still love him as an actor simply because of the brilliant, powerful, and emotionally charged performance he gave in POTO (the movie in which he won my heart and soul).

I agree with you, laxmom, there would be way too much bad publicity if Gerry had been seen leaving with a woman. From what I’ve read, it seems as if Gerry behaved himself and not acting like an idiot like Sting and Trudie Styler were (no offense to them but I’m glad to hear that Gerry can go out during the night and not get drunk and make out with a woman where all can see, keep on behaving yourself, Gerry, both in public and in private because we all know there are women out there who would love to say they’ve slept with Gerry; and we all know the bad publicity that would follow that). And yes, I agree with you GALS, Gerry went home to all of us, lol, but we all kept our mouths wisely shut afterwards because we don’t want to get our darling into trouble. I don’t know if Gerry had fun but if I was hanging out with a teenage acting people (who are in no way teenagers), I know I wouldn’t be enjoying myself, and I would go home as soon as possible. No offense to anyone who likes to go out at night and drink a bit, but I’m not the party type, so Gerry, we got to do all our partying at home, lol.

I think if the Phantom was not disfigured, he probably wouldn’t have done the terrible things that he did. At the same time, though, if the Phantom wasn’t disfigured he wouldn’t be living under an opera house and he probably would have never heard Christine sing. Also, the Phantom would probably be just like Raoul (except maybe more of a genius since the Phantom is suppose to be a genius) if he was not disfigured. Okay, so maybe the Phantom would still be more interesting than Raoul even if he wasn’t disfigured (because of his genius), but this story wouldn’t appeal so much to me if not for the tragic fact that the Phantom was disfigured. On a side note, I don’t think someone should run off with someone just because they look better; you should love someone for the beauty they have in their inside (a inside beauty which the Phantom showed in the end when he let Christine go). I wonder if the Phantom would have had the same inside beauty if he had been beautiful on the outside. In my opinion, I don’t think so. The disfigurement made the Phantom who he is, and he just wouldn’t be the same without it. The Phantom would lose his appeal (I’m not talking about the physical appeal) if he wasn’t disfigured.

I didn’t see Phantom in theaters either, GerrysJewel. In fact, I knew nothing whatsoever about the Phantom of the Opera until I watched it in my theater class in high school. Since then, I have totally fallen in love with the Phantom created by Gerry. I love his voice, his beautiful intoxicating eyes that really and truly show the Phantom’s soul just as much as his voice does, his facial expressions (especially in “I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It” and “All I Ask of You (Reprise),” his body movements, I loved everything Gerry gave us in POTO; sometimes it was an overload, as I have to watch his scenes over and over again to take in everything that he does, the way his voice has the right emotion for the scene, the way his eyes also match the right emotion for the scene and are (for most of the movie) sad and filled with love and longing for Christine, and we haven’t even added his facial expressions and his body movement yet (his body movement was especially sensual and seductive in “Music of the Night.” Gerry’s Phantom, through the use of his voice and sometimes through the use of his eyes and his facial expressions alone without needing to use words to communicate what the Phantom was feeling at that particular moment, was truly both seductive and tragic. Even while Gerry was seductive in the “Music of the Night,” you could also hear his sadness in his voice and see the sadness in the eyes as if he already knew that Christine wouldn’t be his in the end. And you could truly hear the sadness in Gerry’s voice when he sang “All I Ask of You” to Christine when they were on the bridge together before she unmasked him for the second time. I could go on and on about Gerry and his intense, emotive, passionate, and amazing (words alone can’t really describe Gerry’s performance in POTO) performance. And you’re right, GerrysJewel, I also have great admiration for Gerry for daring to take on this part even without formal singing training beforehand. You are truly right; how many people could possibly pull off what Gerry did? And if stage Phantoms are being inspired by Gerry’s performance, good for them, at least they are getting the message that Gerry’s Phantom is not one to be bashed. I have yet to see a stage production of POTO, but I hope to one day; and I’m already feeling sorry for whoever sings for the Phantom because I am going to be busy (while also enjoying the live experience that can only come from a stage experience) comparing that Phantom to Gerry’s Phantom, and trust me it’s going to be hard (almost impossible) for anyone to give me a better Phantom than Gerry gave me. The stage Phantoms may be able to sing louder than Gerry, but being able to sing loudly doesn’t always make one a beautiful singer. Right now, I simply can’t imagine anyone else giving me a more emotionally charged performance than what Gerry had to offer. Michael may had been the original Phantom, but (in my opinion) Gerry has set a new scale of excellence for how the Phantom should be performed, and it will be almost impossible for someone to set the scale higher than what Gerry set it. Gerry is the one and only Phantom for me. I think in terms of the storyline having someone who is not classically trained to play the Phantom works. After all, the Phantom taught himself how to sing, he was not taught to sing like the opera stars were. And, the Phantom is an unstable character, so it makes sense for his voice to be a bit rough. Gerry is the voice of the Phantom. His voice is beautiful just like the Phantom’s voice was beautiful in the novel. At the same time, though, you know who exactly the Phantom is and exactly the kind of life he has lived when you hear Gerry sing. So, good job, Gerry, and bravo bravo bravo. GALS appreciate your performance in POTO, even if others are blind to the passion and the emotion and the intensity and the reality and all of the hard effort and all of the tears you put into this role.

I totally agree with you, heISmyGspot, I would love to have a DVD with nothing but Gerry on it. And while we're at that, lets go ahead and throw in a CD with nothing but Gerry's voice on it.

Thank you for your very informative post, GerrysJewel. So, you’re a trained singer, I envy you slightly (lol), I couldn’t sing if my life depended on it. Well, I don’t think I’m always off-key, but no Phantom is going to come by anytime soon and proclaim himself as my Angel of Music, lol. And I have read quite a few reviews from people saying that they are trained singers and yet being impressed and moved by Gerry’s performance in POTO. And I agree with you, GerrysJewel, I would rather hear someone who puts passion and emotion in his/her voice than someone who’s only concerned about sounding “pretty.” And don’t worry about your comment about Sarah. I loved her in the promotional video she did with Steve Harley (loved him too), but at other times I got annoyed by the fact that I couldn’t understand what she was saying. And I will freely admit I’m not a fan of Michael’s style of singing, not to step on the toes of any fans of his. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, of course. But I am so glad that there are sites online where Gerry’s voice is not constantly bashed. And I love your comment about Steve Barton, GerrysJewel, I might one day get the org. soundtrack just to check out more of his voice. And you’re also right about Patrick’s voice (and I do love his voice), it’s beautiful and angelic but not as passionate or as vivid or as breath-taking as Gerry’s voice is. I really wish that Gerry did receive a lot more credit for his work in POTO, as he did indeed put his heart and soul into it (and he gave me the finest display of acting I’ve ever seen). Maybe one day people will look back into the past and suddenly realize that there is an angel of music (I couldn’t resist using those words) out there who sings with such soul and such passion and emotion and who really sings with such depth and touches me and seduces me but also makes me feel his saddest and his most anguish moments. Maybe one day people will realize that Gerry should have at the very least won a Best Actor reward for his work in POTO (as I truly believe he should have). What I wouldn’t give to hear Gerry sing again like he did in POTO because I really do need another soundtrack to listen to and another movie to watch.

Everyone has their perference. Some liked Gerry, many didn't. Many like Michael, some don't. Some liked Patrick, some didn't. The same goes for Sarah and Emmy and every other singer in the world. I just happen to prefer Gerry. I don't know if that has to do with the fact that I am not an opera person or not, but I liked Gerry's voice. I like being able to understand what everyone is singing about. Yes, I do envy those people who can hit those beautiful, long, high notes, but I really wish I knew what they were singing their hearts out about. On a side note, I liked the promotional song that Steve Harley (another rock singer, I don't know there's just something about them because I liked his voice as well) and Sarah Brightman (who I liked in this song) that can be found on the Special Features DVD in the Behind the Mask: The Story of the Phantom of the Opera. I didn't hear all of Michael's and Sarah's PONR and I didn't hear all of Michael's MOTN, so I can't judge the whole song. I might decide the buy the orginal casting soundtrack one day; I really would like to hear more of Steve Barton (may he rest in peace). The little bit I heard of him made me think of Patrick (who I did love just not as much as Gerry) even though Steve Barton's voice didn't sound as soft and angelic as Patrick's (again I need to hear all of Steve to really rate his voice). So, listen to whatever singer, whatever music that touches you deeply, as Gerry and the whole POTO music did for me. On a side note, maybe it's reading all those reviews that calls Gerry a bad singer and has people wishing that Michael had done the role instead so much that makes me somewhat biased against him (but I will give him credit, he became very popular with people in his role as the Phantom even though he came from a background in which he did at least some comedy, and he does have a higher pitch than Gerry there's no denying that), all I know is that someone doesn't have to be a trained singer to be a beautiful singer (as proven by Gerry in my opinion). So, I will try to put all of my bias aside when it comes to singers I hear in the future, and I will see who touches me and who doesn't.

I have read so many negative reviews about how bad Gerry’s singing in POTO was, and I don’t get it. Why do so many people seem disenchanted by Gerry’s singing, and what makes a singer a beautiful singer if Gerry’s singing wasn’t beautiful (which I thought it was)? I don’t think a whole lot of training necessarily means that a singer is one that is a pleasure to listen to. Let’s look at Patrick Wilson. Don’t get me wrong, I did like his voice (his voice is my second favorite singing voice out of the three leads), but his over trained voice did grate me a bit in the chapel scene between him and Christine before the Phantom’s opera. And no offense to fans of the original Phantom and Christine because most of the time Sarah sounded okay, but in the little bit that I saw of Michael’s and Sarah’s PONR on the Special Features DVD for the 2004 movie, both me and my sister (who liked the 2004 movie but is not as obsessed over it as I am) thought that they sounded off-key. Granted, I didn’t hear their whole version (I don’t have the orginal soundtrack), but Gerry and Emmy definitely made PONR a song more bearable to hear sung. And from the little I heard of Michael’s MOTN (once again no offense to any fans of his because he does have a higher pitch than Gerry does), I liked Gerry’s much better. And Michael and Sarah were trained singers. So, in my opinion, an untrained singer can be a beautiful singer (I know for sure that Gerry was). True, Gerry was a baritone and not a tenor (so he most likely doesn’t have a huge enough range for stage), but he did hit some high notes very well, and the range of his voice worked just fine for the movie medium. Also, there were times I had to turn to volume up for Patrick and Emmy as well, and they should know how to sing higher than Gerry, very interesting that Gerry was easier to hear than Patrick at times especially in their scene in the lair. So, Gerry is still a beautiful singer. Also, what really nailed Gerry’s voice for me was the emotional quality of it. Emmy and Patrick sang beautifully as well, and Emmy did a good job of sounding innocent, but Gerry really acted through his singing, you really could hear the emotion in his voice when he sang (which Patrick and Emmy didn’t really do or at least far from the degree that Gerry did). Also, Gerry’s voice has a hypnotizing, memorizing, seductive, sexy, alluring (well you get the point, lol) quality to it that I have never heard in any other singer I have ever heard. So, I don’t care what some people out there say. Just because Gerry is not Michael (and I really thought that Gerry sounded more like the Phantom should sound than Michael did), and just because Gerry sounds different from what most people are use to hearing from the Phantom doesn’t mean that he is bad. Different isn’t always bad, in Gerry’s case it was beautiful. Please feel free to give me a comment because I really want to know what you gals think makes a singer a beautiful one, especially since Gerry’s voice is one of the main reasons why the critics slammed him so badly (what do critics know?).

I've watched this scene, both sad and funny. You know that Gerry is about to die, but he still is in high hopes and he throws in a bit of sick humor, and isn't it so sweet that even though he is so sick he still wants to make sure that the trip for his wife and her two friends goes perfectly. What a man? What a husband? I hope I'm lucky enough to find a man like Gerry's character in PSILY one day (but I know that there aren't many of them out there today which really is quite tragic and a poor showing of humanity today).

I'm not really into dirty men. I have a thing for man in nice clothes, which is one of the reasons why I loved Gerry in POTO so much (lol). However, the casual look on a man is just fine for me as well, I just don't find dirty that sexy, natural looking maybe but not sexy.

You're absoluty right. Gerry is my one and only Phantom, and it will be almost impossible for someone to be a better Phantom in my opinion. Gerry is a rarity when it comes to actors as most of them don't have his intensity or his passion. I can't but notice that many actors (while the movies are pretty good) are flat compared to Gerry, don't let that get to your head, Gerry, lol. Plus, Gerry is the only actor who has overloaded me as much as he did in Phantom. His voice, his eyes, his facial expressions, his body movements, it's impossible to take in all of those things at the same time. Gerry could have given an amazing performance in POTO with his voice alone (truly a pleasure to listen to, thank you whoever can up with the brillant idea of inventing the repeat button on CD players). Since listening to Gerry sing as much as I have, I have to say I have yet to hear another singer who touches me as much as Gerry does. Most of the other music I listen to I mostly listen to the beat and even though I do memorize some of the lyrics in non-Gerry songs, the singers don't have the same captivating, deep touching voice that Gerry has, once again Gerry don't let that head of yours get big. Gerry's voice alone is amazing acting but add the facial expressions, those emotion filled eyes, that seductive body movement, those lovely long slender legs (just for you, may), the way he works a cape (best cape work I've ever seen), and the way he moves his arms, and you have a performance in POTO that words can only go so far to explain.

Hi again, may. I was born on June 5, so I’m a Gemini. What are you? When it comes to what first attracted me to Gerry, I don’t remember. I first watched POTO when I was in high school and at that time I mostly thought that the movie was pretty good for being mostly singing. Now, though, I try to look and think more deeply about the movie. I’m about the start my third year in college, so I’m a little older and wiser, or at least I like to think I am, lol. I love Gerry’s eyes. They are so beautiful, like the sea, and they totally draw you in. You see into Gerry’s soul when you look into his eyes, especially in the Phantom. My nickname for Gerry in the Phantom is “sad eyes” because his eyes mostly look sad. I really saw into the Phantom’s eyes through Gerry’s eyes. Simply amazing. I also like the way his legs are so long but slender. Talk about seductive movement in “Music of the Night,” and that’s before we add his amazing, intoxicating, seductive, mesmerizing, alluring (and I can go on and on) singing. And then we add those emotion filled eyes, and we have a perfect scene. I especially like Gerry’s legs when they are within the folds of a cape. Those legs looked nice in that long coat he was wearing in Dracula (I really wish they had not cut out so many of his scenes because they made the movie). Gerry’s whole body looks great in that cape he wears in Phantom, and isn’t that a nice cape? I want one just like it, lol. I loved the Phantom’s customs. Nice vest (I liked the color and the design on it, nice capes (everyone that he wore, his Red Death outfit wasn’t my favorite but I liked his mask and the way his cape trailed behind him; his regular black cape had that nice white or off white lining in it; and his Don Juan cape was another one I wish I had one of; but I think his regular black cape was my favorite), nice outfit for Don Juan (especially the coat he wore, everyone talks about his pants, but I mostly like his coat, it had some nice embroidery on it). I love Gerry’s voice. I like to listen to the soundtrack. I notice most of the things he did in his singing from listening to the soundtrack because when I’m watching the movie it’s hard to notice the small things he does because I’m also concentrating on his amazing facial expressions, his eyes, and his movements. If anything, Gerry overloads us in Phantom, and it’s only from watching the movie a million times (maybe not quite that many, lol) that I notice as much as I do. Gerry is so talented and it’s a shame it’s too late for him to receive a Best Actor reward for his work in Phantom (truly the best acting I’ve ever seen). I can’t wait to see what ALW does next because I am willing to give him a chance, and I would love to see the legend of the Phantom continue. If you read anything concerning the sequel, could you please post it for me? Thanks. As always, it’s a joy to write to you about Gerik. P.S. What was one of your first reaction to Gerry’s “Music of the Night.” Before I really started to listen to the pure emotion in it, one of my first thoughts was that he could tell you to murder someone and make it sound beautiful (morbid I know but my dad has a morbid sense of humor and I sometimes show it).

Hi, may, I’m enjoying having someone who I can discuss POTO and Gerry’s emotionally charged performance with, my sister is more of a Patrick fan, and she isn’t really the kind of person you can talk deeply with when it comes to movies. I was born in June, what am I? I would love to see a sequel to this movie, but some of the rumors that I have heard concerning what ALW has done so far on a sequel for the stage has made me a bit upset. There are things that makes the Phantom just plain creepy and not sympathetic as I enjoyed seeing in the 2004 movie. Also, I read on another site that ALW had totally ruined the character of Raoul. In the plot, Christine has to go make some money because Raoul has squandered it all way and he is a drunk. Also, there is the question of whether or not their child is the Phantom’s or Raoul’s. Note to ALW, Raoul can make a baby just as well as the Phantom can, and I don’t like the idea that the Phantom was with Christine because even though they had a connection it was more of a spiritual connection (in my opinion) than a connection that would lead to Christine wanting to go to bed with the Phantom. Some people think differently, of course, but I really don’t like reading E/C stories anymore because people are always making Raoul into the villain, which isn’t right. Another note to ALW, don’t make Raoul someone to hate, he loves Christine too, just in a different way than the Phantom does. Hopefully these are just rumors because I really would like to see a sequel, especially if Gerry, Emmy, and Patrick reprise their roles. I would like the Phantom and Raoul to come to some sort of understanding (not at the beginning of the movie, of course, as that would be unrealistic), and I would like to see the Phantom still retain a bit of a dark side. I’ve read too many fan fiction stories based off Gerik in which they make him too whimpy or too fluffy, and that isn’t the Phantom. Gerry’s Phantom is not the watered down Phantom everyone makes him out to be; he just isn’t totally evil, that’s all. I mean, Gerry’s Phantom killed a few people and set the opera house on fire, and lets not forget forced Christine to make a choice by holding the life of Raoul by the thread of a noose, yeah that’s totally watered down. Gerry’s Phantom may not had been as evil per say as the Phantoms from those horror movies but he is still dark and sinister and kind of creepy (but not too much that it’s a total turn off), and he is a bit of pyscho stalker. Gerry’s Phantom is both dark and sympathetic, and I prefer that kind of Phantom. I’ve seen the 1989 horror movie version (a decent movie), but I didn’t like the Phantom in it. I had no sympathy for him, and I was rooting for Christine when she fought back against him. I was like, “You go, girl, kill that bastard.” Does the Phantom have to kill a few people in the sequel? I don’t know, but I think he should always be a bit dark. I would also like to see Christine get more of a backbone and not be so passive (no offense to Emmy but she was kind of passive at times). I would have gone in the water after the Phantom if he was trying to hang the man that I was engaged to. I wouldn’t have just stood there out of the rock like Emmy did until the very end (maybe that was just bad direction, I don’t know, but I would like to see more from the character of Christine). Christine in the original novel had more of a backbone, but was still vulnerable to the Phantom, which I liked, even though I didn’t really care for either Christine or Raoul in the novel. Raoul was at times cruel towards Christine, and he whined and complained too much. Christine called Erik a monster even towards the end, and I’m surprised Erik didn’t react to that (even though he did love her). The best part of the novel (no offense to those who loved it and without it there would be no Gerik today) was at the end in the lair when Erik was totally insane. The novel got real exciting then. So, even though Emmy was a bit passive in the movie version, on a general level I prefer her version of Christine to the original, and the movie version of Raoul was a big improvement from the novel version. I liked both the novel version and the movie version of Erik, and I kind of wished that they had showed some the dark novel version of Erik in the movie while mixing it nicely with the emotionally charged and sympathetic performance that Gerry gave us. Now, back to the ALW sequel, if it doesn’t end in E/C, if it doesn’t ruin either the characters of the Phantom or Raoul, if the Phantom remains both dark and sympathetic, if it shown that Raoul can also come to understand the Phantom and vice versa, and if it has Christine with more fire (but not so much that she becomes a b****), I most likely would enjoy it as much as I enjoy the 2004 movie.

Thanks, zanyzombie, for your help. I just emailed my poem to Jenn.

I'm a bit of an idiot when it comes to online things. How do you submit a poem for this contest because I have writtten one I like a lot?

Thank you for your comments and your explanations, may. It’s so nice to have a place where I can talk about Gerry and no one complains about it, lol. I don’t understand why so many people bash his performance in POTO. I thought it was nothing short of amazing and well there’s not enough words to describe Gerry’s performance in POTO. Maybe it’s because too many people insist on comparing Gerry to Michael Crawford (and from what I heard of MC on the Special Features DVD I didn’t care much for his voice, sorry to any MC fans on this site but I didn’t like his voice at all, I actually liked a lot more the little I got to hear from Steve Barton (May he rest in peace). The bashing also probably comes from the fact that Gerry has a different voice than a lot of people are use to, but they don’t get it, different isn’t always bad, and Gerry was acting through his singing. Anyways, it’s nice to know that there are sites out there that appreciate all of the hard work and effort that Gerry put into Phantom, a role that I have read made him want to retire after it was over. Poor Gerry, crying and yelling and getting into a role so deeply and beyond what most people are use to seeing, and he gets a lot of criticism. Gerry, we thought you sounded wonderful, and I believe you sang just like the Phantom should have sang. After all, the Phantom lived under an Opera House and was never professionally trained (he trained himself), and he is a dark and unstable yet sympathetic character, so it makes sense to have someone sing the Phantom’s role in a rough, untrained but beautiful and enchanting voice. And you’re right, may, Gerry does have nice long slender legs. I don’t why, but I like the way his tall but thin body looks in a nice big cape. On a side note, though, I don’t think that Gerry was too handsome to play the Phantom. My sister, the first time she saw him in Phantom, thought that he looked like an ordinary man (but nothing too special) with a mask on one side of his face, and my mother made a comment when we were watching Timeline that his looks had gotten better. Granted, the makeup job wasn’t always good, and his deformity looked worse in certain scenes, but that could also be the lighting, and I’m guessing that plenty of good looking man have played the Phantom on stage (with the exception of the half face deformity). Also, none of the stage Phantoms look as bad as the one in the Leroux novel. So, no, Gerry is not too good looking for this role. Besides all that, I don’t know if there is anyone out there (right now) who could out act Gerry in this role. And you’re right, may, no doubt this movie left Gerry “spent,” and I don’t blame you for having problems with trusting the people who were suppose to catch you (I wouldn’t trust them too much either, lol). I read somewhere that Gerry felt like retiring after this movie, so poor Gerry was left in a total collapse after filming was over, and I’m glad that there are people out there who appreciate all of his hard work and effort and all that he did in this movie. I even read somewhere that Joel had to tell Gerry to not work so hard, thank you for such an amazing job in Phantom, Gerry, we appreciate you and your work in Phantom. Gerry’s performance was so wonderful that it’s hard to notice everything that he does in a scene, sometimes I have to watch it again because I know I missed something. Gerry uses his voice, his facial expressions, his eyes, and his movements to great effort (sometimes almost too well that it’s impossible to grasp all that he does in just a single viewing, what a truly amazing actor). I must make one more comment (for the time being because it seems as if there is so much I can say about Gerry’s performance that I’m always seeming to forget to mention something) on the “POTO” song. When Gerry sings to Emmy while she is on the horse “The Phantom of the Opera is there inside your mind” I can’t help but think that he sounds a bit mocking when he sings “Inside your mind.” At this point, the Phantom knows that he totally has Christine under his control, and he’s more than willing to show it. I also have to comment on how much I loved the way that Gerry turned away from Emmy when he sang “You have come here” in “Music of the Night.” And when Gerry took his cape off before he started singing, oh what such skill and talent and so like a man to leave his clothes all over the floor, lol. Now I will get to where I left off on my last post, and I will talk about “Why So Silent.” Talk about mocking, Gerry was totally mocking everyone in sight and being very sarcastic, which he does so well and not just in this movie. I also loved Gerry’s arm and hand movements and how he swung the sword in his hand with such skill. I still can’t tell if Gerry swings his wrist when he is swinging his sword before he addresses the two manager. I know that the sword swings, lol. I loved how Gerry delivered the line “Why so silent, good messiers?” I loved how he carried “messiers” (forgive me if I spelled that wrong). I also liked how that long red cape trailed behind him, especially as he was descending the stairs, and didn’t he go down those stairs with a purpose and with the air of one totally in control of the situation. I also love how Gerry says “act” when telling Carlotta that she can’t act and how he says “excel” when he is addressing Christine. Gerry’s hand movements were once again good as he pointed to himself when he was addressing himself as Christine’s teacher. Then, when he finished singing, words alone can’t explain how Gerry then looked at Emmy, his eyes were filled with such longing for Christine, and his mouth was trembling in nervousness, which his eyes also expressed. Then, he notices that ring around her neck, and on the turn of a dime turns angry and suddenly looks spitefully at Christine. Then, in a puff of smoke he’s gone (Don’t go, Gerry, we lovvvvvve you, sorry couldn’t resist). Can anyone tell me what the Phantom uses to knock out that man so that the Phantom can drive the carriage that takes Christine to the cemetery, or does the Phantom use his hand? Thanks. Now, on to “Wandering Child.” Gerry sounded so gentle and kind and sweet at first. When he sings “Have you forgotten your angel” he sounds gentle but he is also pulling the guilt trick on Christine, trying to make her feel guilty for turning to Raoul over him. However, you can tell that he is starting to get a bit impatient with Christine when he sings “Come to me, Angel of Music.” He doesn’t sound angry per say, but he isn’t exactly gentle and sweet sounding either. I really wished that they had not used a stunt double in the swordfight scene (which I have read they did) because Gerry knows how to use a sword. However, I liked the ending of that scene when Gerry gets up, swings his cape back angrily, and says “Now let it be war upon your both.” You can clearly tell that he’s upset by the turn of events, and he wants to get back into control as soon as possible. I also liked the little scene where the Phantom is adjusting the chains for the chandelier. You can hear him breathing hard, and he does look angry. Now, onto “Point of No Return,” my second favorite song from this movie and another scene that shows good movement from Gerry (along with his “Music of the Night” scene. Gerry really can move in a seductive and alluring manner, and he sounded seductive and alluring when he was singing (I wish it had been me he was singing to but don’t we all, lol). I loved how Gerry said the words “thoughts“ and “fire” in the lines “No second thoughts“ and “What raging fire shall flood the soul,“ and I loved how he carried the words “descend” and “return” in the lines “Let the dream descend” and “Beyond the point of no return.” Gerry embraced and touched Emmy with pure seduction and desire in this scene as well. I loved how Gerry looked up to Patrick when Emmy began to sing, and I also loved how Gerry looked nervous (which he showed with his eyes, his mouth, and the fact that he clearly took a deep breath when Emmy was singing “Silent, silent.” Then, on the bridge, Gerry took off the cape with pure talent, Gerry really does have undeniable talent and skill with a cape. I loved how Gerry’s and Emmy’s voices blended so well together while they were singing together on the bridge, then Gerry embraced and held Emmy so tenderly (and don’t we all wish that it had been us instead of Emmy he was holding and touching, lol). Then, before Gerry starts singing his “All I Ask of You” version, there is a side view of Gerry, the side of his face with his deformity, and you can see (even with the mask on) that Gerry is crying and that under the mask Gerry’s face is trembling with pure emotion and sadness. Then, Gerry’s singing turns from being seductive to sad and desperate to finally win Christine’s touch, and he is holding Emmy so tenderly and gently while he is singing so sadly and stroking her hair. You can hear a sob come from Gerry after “here” in the line “Say you want me with you here beside you.” Then, Emmy takes the mask off and Gerry looks as her with sadness and disbelief and you can also get the impression that he trying to keep himself from losing his temper with her. Then, when Gerry is cutting the rope (can someone tell me what he cuts the rope with, thanks), he is showing his teeth, and he does look slightly like a beast (not much yet but we haven’t gotten to the lair yet). Now, we have arrived at “Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer.” Gerry is loud when he begins singing, and he does sound a bit beastly (but still beautiful) and you can tell that insanity is really starting to kick in (if it hasn’t done so already, lol, but he really loses it during this scene). Gerry shakes Emmy slightly and is breathing heavily after he asks her “Why?” He really is trying to control his temper with her, but he clearly is not in the best of moods either. Then, after the scene where Raoul narrowly escapes death (you really do have to feel for that guy as well, just like the Phantom willing to do whatever it takes for his woman), Gerry is softer sounding (he clearly has had some time to cool off a bit). He sings softly with both sadness and anger when he is telling Christine about this mother. Gerry’s emotions are turning on a dime as he sounds aggressive when he sings “An eternity of this” (while wisely pointing at his face, some more good acting), then sounds more calm and gentle in the very next line “Before your eyes.” Gerry also gives a slight bare of his teeth when he is singing “Pity comes too late.” When Emmy is telling him that the true distortion is in his soul, Gerry looks so sad, but he quickly cheers up with the arrival of Paoul (hey they have Gerik so why not Paoul). Gerry sounds so mocking when he is addressing Patrick, and he points at Patrick and Gerry does some more of that movement with his arms. Then, Gerry holds Emmy in a way that is clearly mocking Patrick. Gerry is smiling (in a sadistic way) and having a good time until Patrick sings “Have some compassion.” Then, Gerry quickly turns angry when he says “The world showed no compassion to me.” I also loved how Gerry turned away from Patrick when Patrick was trying to talk him into letting Christine go, before the lines concerning showing compassion. Then, when Gerry pulls on the level, he is back to having a good time, and he gives another sadistic smile. Now, my favorite line from this whole movie, I simply love how Gerry says “Monsieur, I bid you welcome” especially the word “welcome.” Then, Gerry walks into the lake waving his arms and being totally mocking and sadistic. I also loved how Gerry mockingly acted all innocent when he put his hand to his chest while he was singing “Did you think that I would harm her?” Then, Gerry sounds very beastly again (but still lovely at the same time to listen to if that makes sense) when he is telling Christine that she has a decision to make, and I loved how Emmy backed away with a horrified expression on her face when Gerry is approaching her and singing so loudly and so harshly. Then, another emotional switch from Gerry, and he looks sad when Emmy sings “Those tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of hate.” Next, another emotional switch from Gerry, and he gives a slight nod of his head and you can tell from his face that he is thinking “All right, now it’s time for Plan B, let’s bring in the noose” (sorry sick sense of humor but that’s what he did). Gerry bares his teeth again when he is singing “Too late for prayers and useless pity.” Gerry shows his physical strength and mocks Raoul when he ties Patrick’s hand at the level of his eyes when Gerry is singing “At the level of your eyes.” Gerry is totally loud and harsh and beastly sounding all the way to his final “This is the Point of No Return.” Gerry’s face, with the help of his deformity, looks like that of a beast, and Gerry is enjoying himself. He truly looks sadistic and insane. And Gerry also gives us some more movements with his arms and he heaves his shoulder up and down at one point. Gerry sounds angry and impatient when he tells Christine to make his choice and pulls on the noose around poor Patrick’s neck. I read in an interview that Gerry almost broke Patrick’s neck in this scene, but Patrick didn’t complain, my up most appreciation to you Patrick, and I must congratulate you for taking this scene without no whining. Then, Gerry goes from enjoying himself to being sad when Emmy starts to approach him while she is singing “Pitiful creature of darkness what kind of life have you known/God give me the courage to show you/You are not alone.” Gerry’s eyes truly look sad. Then, after Emmy kisses him twice, Gerry begins to do some of that excellent crying of his, tears coming down his face and his sobbing can be heard. When my mom saw this scene, she said that “It was too much for him to handle,” and Gerry made that clear. Then, Gerry tries to sound strong when he tells them to leave, but he is walking bent over, emotionally broken. I also liked how Gerry gave a slight shake of his head while he is telling them to leave, and we also have some more of those movements with his arms. Then, Gerry sings softly and sounds broken and like a little boy when he is singing to his music box. Then, you can still hear his love for Christine when he sings “Christine, I love you,” carrying the “love” nicely. His eyes are a bit bright when he sees Christine approaching him (still with some hope that she will stay with him), but then he begins to cry again when Christine turns to leave and the Phantom finally realizes that Christine is not his. Then, Gerry tries to find some strength again (but you know he is broken in the inside) when he sings “It’s over now/The Music of the Night,” and Gerry is about ready to move those arms again. Gerry ends the movie on a high note, and he looks beastly again (but I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just the way he twists his face along with his deformity) when he is breaking the mirror. Then, Gerry walks through the mirror and pulls the curtain down behind him. What an amazing movie and what an amazing performance Gerry gave. What am I saying? Gerry’s performance in POTO was beyond amazing, from beginning to end. I don’t know which scene is my favorite because they were all good. All of Gerry’s scenes by themselves grabbed my attention, but all of Gerry’s scenes together in one beautiful but sad movie stole the movie for me. Emmy and Patrick, along with the rest of the cast, did a good job as well, but it was Gerry that made this movie for me, and it’s Gerry’s performance in this movie that makes me want to watch this version of the POTO over and over again. People can bash Gerry as much as they want to, but we know talent when we see it, and Gerry is talent in a way that mere words are not enough to describe. Thank you for taking the time to read all this.

I’m back. Before I get back to that certain man who has that strange tendency towards singing and wearing a mask, I would like to make a few comments about Patrick and Emmy. As much as I love Patrick’s singing voice, an overly trained voice is not always a good thing. However, the only time it bothered me somewhat was when Christine and Raoul were in chapel together, and Patrick was singing “You said yourself he was nothing but a man/Yet while he lives he will haunt us till we’re dead.” Patrick made those lines too perfect sounding that it did grate on my nerves somewhat but not enough to make me complain too much. As for Emmy, her acting was not flat, and she did a good job in the final lair scenes, but I just can’t get over the fact that I wished she moved around more on the stage when she was singing “Think of Me.” I wish Gerry had the strength of voice for stage because he has no problems with moving around a lot, especially during Music of the Night, the man did not stand still for one second. Overall, though, Emmy was not the turn off that some people make her out to be. I loved her “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” and her “Twisted Every Way.” I also love how she sings the lines “Order your fine horses/Be with them at the door” after “All I Ask of You.” She sounded like such a happy child. And Emmy did a good job at sounding naïve and innocent throughout the whole movie, while Patrick truly sounded like the handsome, heroic prince come to save his beloved from the unknown. However, Gerry did the best job of acting through his singing, and despite the fact that Patrick and Emmy have more of a singing background than Gerry does, I think that Gerry has the best voice of the three (maybe not the strongest but still the most captivating and the one that stands the most with me). Hi, may. Could you possibly tell me what you think Patrick is saying during PONR when Emmy is beginning to sing her part and she looks up to him. I know that Patrick moves his mouth, but I don’t know what he is saying. Thanks. And you’re right, who can blame Emmy for starring agape when it comes to Gerry singing to her and holding her (I wish that was me he was singing to and holding) Now back to Gerry. His performance is so wonderful that even after watching the movie a million times (okay so maybe not a million, lol) I still every once in a while notice something that he does that I hadn‘t noticed before. The same applies to his voice when I am listening to him sing on the soundtrack; I sometimes hear something that I had not noticed before. I forget to mention something when Gerry and Emmy are singing “POTO.” When Emmy is singing “The Phantom of the Opera is there inside my mind” you can tell by the way that Gerry does his eyes that he is nervous and who can blame him, it isn’t as if he takes women down to his lair on a night to night basis. Simply perfection, Gerry doesn’t even have to utter a word to steal the scene. In “The Music of the Night,” along with all the other comments I’ve already made, I would like to say that I loved how he sounded so soft and gentle towards Emmy, and his eyes held total affection and sometimes sadness when he was looking at her. I loved what he does with his eyes and makes them so full of affection when he sings “Listen to the Music of the Night” before he takes his hand out of Emmy’s and goes up the stairs with perfect, seductive movement. I’m trying to remember if Gerry stood still at all at any moment in that scene, lol. I also forget to mention the brief smile that Gerry gives in this scene after he sings “The power of the Music of the Night.” Okay, now I will get to “Notes.” On a side note, I loved Patrick in this scene. I actually loved this whole song. I liked how Gerry sounded so light hearted and so like a mischievous child when he singing his part in this song. You could tell he was enjoying himself when he wrote that he wanted Carlotta to play the silent role, just like a little child. And I loved the childish smirk he gave in this scene, the second of only two smiles I remember seeing him give in this whole movie. During Il Muto, I loved how Gerry delivered his lines. He indeed sounded threatening when he said “Did I not instruct that Book Five was to be kept empty?” On a side note, did the notice how Patrick looked after he heard those words? Patrick was like “You’re not talking about the box I’m sitting in, are you?” When Gerry was about to catch Buquet, he truly looked angry and had the right expression for someone who was about to take another person’s life. Gerry didn’t show any regard for Buquet’s life when he had that noose around his neck. And then to end this scene, we have Gerry give a nice swoop of his cape, no one can swoop and handle a cape quite like Gerry can. “All I Ask of You” is beautifully song by Patrick and Emmy, but Gerry (once again not having to say a word) turns this scene from a good one to an excellent one with his facial expressions. You can clearly see the shock and the disbelief on his face when he sees Patrick and Emmy kissing each other. Gerry shows with his face alone that his character does not yet know how to handle what has just happened. “All I Ask of You (Reprise)” is another one of my favorite Gerry Butler acting scenes in this movie. You truly believe from looking at his face and his eyes that he is sad. That rose he is holding is also shaking a lot. His voice also reflects the sadness that he is feeling. He sobs after he sings “Made your song take wing” and after “How you’ve repaid me,” and I believe I hear a slight sob before he sings “How you’ve repaid me.” That man truly knows how to cry and sound sad in a believable manner. Then, when Patrick and Emmy begin to sing, you can see the slow but believable transition on Gerry’s face from sadness to anger. His face really does shake with anger, and you can see the anger in his eyes. Then, after being all soft and quite up to that point, Gerry becomes loud and commanding when he sings “You will curse the day you did not do all that the Phantom asked of you.” I will continue this later, but I have typed about two pages already, and I don’t want my post to be super long, but I will continue talking about Gerry later (if it’s possible to stop talking about Gerry, lol).

What can I say about POTO? I simply love that movie. Right now, it’s my favorite movie, and the POTO soundtrack is my favorite soundtrack. I could talk forever about POTO and especially about Gerry’s performance in it, but don’t worry, I won’t talk forever at the moment (lol). Before I get to Gerry, though, let me point out that I didn’t think that Patrick Wilson’s acting was as bad as a lot of people are saying. True, Patrick lacks Gerry’s intensity, and I don’t think that Patrick could give a convincing performance as the Phantom, but Patrick was perfect for the role of Raoul (especially with his angelic voice). Some moments that stood out to me when it comes to Patrick is during “Notes” when his face looks truly concerned when he discovers that the managers do not know where Christine is at. I also like after “All I Ask of You,” when Emmy pulls away from Patrick and says “I must go/They’ll wonder where I am.” Patrick’s face is simply saying “Why did you stop kissing me, woman?” Also, the look on Patrick’s face during “PONR” when he sees the passion between Gerry and Emmy. Acting wise, I would say that Emmy’s acting was the worse. Don’t get me wrong, I loved her singing voice, but she should have moved around more during “Think of Me,” and her tears seemed more forced than Gerry’s. Then again, I can’t totally blame Emmy. She came into this project as more of a singer than an actress, while Gerry came in as more of an actor than a singer (and he is simply an amazing actor AND singer, and as nice as a singer as Patrick is I still prefer Gerry‘s singing it‘s so full of emotion, passion, intensity and it is truly seductive, intoxicating, memorizing, and hypnotizing.). Now, I will finally get to our main man, Gerry. His performance in POTO is beyond what mere words can describe. Gerry’s performance was truly the best acting performance I have ever seen in my life. I can’t help noticing now how many actors seem flat in their acting compared to him. First of all, I’ll begin with “The Mirror.” You can truly hear the Phantom’s jealousy of Raoul at the beginning. Then, you can hear the Phantom’s voice turn softer after Christine asks for his forgiveness. And you can hear the Phantom’s dominance over Christine when he singing “I am your Angel of Music/Come to me Anger of Music.” It’s clear that the Phantom is in total control in this scene. “The Phantom of the Opera” was truly like a Rock and Roll track, and it was extremely catching. In fact, it was the first song whose lyrics I memorized. The Phantom is clearly in control still, even though I think I caught of trace of sadness to his voice when he sings “hears” in “It’s me they hear.” Overall, though, the Phantom is pulling Christine’s strings, and she is truly under his spell. Now, “The Music of the Night,” my favorite song from this movie. It’s all Gerry‘s voice. I love Emmy’s voice as well, and even though it’s more trained than Gerry’s and stronger and louder, her voice simply does not hold a candle to Gerry’s voice (in my opinion). You can see in Gerry’s eyes the love, the longing, and the sadness that the Phantom has when it comes to Christine. You can hear the Phantom’s struggle in his voice. Even though Gerry sounds seductive and is very hypnotizing (and one of first reactions was Gerry could sing to you about you killing someone and still make it sound beautiful, kind of morbid I know but it‘s true), you can also hear the sadness in the Phantom’s voice, as if he already knows deep down in his heart that Christine will never be his. And I thought that Gerry did hit some notes well, such as “soar” in “Let your spirit start to soar,” and “night” in “Help me make the Music of the Night.” “I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It,” one of my favorite acting scenes from Gerry. The expression on Gerry’s face is priceless when he turns around to look at Christine. Then the Phantom looks sad and looks as if he is about ready to cry. Then, he tries to pull off the “cool guy” act by going back to his writing and ignoring Christine. He looks happy when Christine touches him, then quickly becomes angry when she removes his mask. Not only can you hear the anger in his voice, you can also see the anger in Gerry’s face and eyes. Then, Gerry goes from full blown anger to a more quiet anger mixed with bitterness. Then, Gerry’s voice just sounds plain sad after he looks at the big doll of Christine. Then, when he sinks down to the ground, one could get the impression that his mouth is saying “Give me my mask,” and when Christine does, it looks like his mouth is saying “Thank you.” Then, Gerry puts his mask on and gets back to his feet. He know sounds much more confident, but you can tell he is still emotionally shaken as his Adam’s apple causes a lump in his throat as he is telling Christine with a confident voice that they must return. I will continue with the rest of Gerry’s scenes later, but I need to get off the Internet in case my sister calls from work. Thank you for taking the time to read all this, and really this wasn’t forever, it really wasn’t (lol).