The original film version of the story, starring Lon Chaney as the Phantom, is one of the enduring classics of the silent film era. Modern viewers may have difficulty adjusting to the different style, but it's worth it. This edition includes the original 1925 film and the edited, tweaked 1929 version, but the original is still considered the definitive.

Featuring hotshot baritone Nelson Eddy as one of Christine's love interests and the incomparable Claude Rains as the Phantom, this version deviates from the original tale quite a bit but still manages to tell a satisfying story. It reuses the sets and many elements from the 1925 film, and is a vital piece of film history as far as the Phantom story is concerned.

Donald Barthelme, an acclaimed postmodernist writer, penned a short story in this collection called "The Phantom of the Opera's Friend". It's brilliant and incredibly incisive, as is usual for Barthelme, and definitely worth a read. The story is also available in the collection City Life.

A very low-budget horror film based upon the Phantom story, The Meateater has little to recommend it as far as plot, acting, or realism go. It is, however, another link in the chain of the Phantom's film evolution, and an interesting watch for anyone interested in seeing yet another director's film conception.

David Bischoff's retelling of the story follows the 1925 film and Leroux's original novel very closely. While it has few original ideas, it's nevertheless a quick, entertaining read.

This little-known animated version of the story comes from a now-defunct Irish animation studio; while the animation itself is extremely simplistic and the voice acting occasionally over the top, the storyline follows Leroux's novel more closely than any other film adaptation.

This 1980's reimagining of the story is utterly ridiculous, almost completely devoid of logic or of credible acting. It is, however, another example of the many horror films that have been inspired by Leroux's classic tale.

The 1980's saw a great upsurge in horror movie spinoffs of Leroux's story. Like Phantom of the Mall before it, this is a very loose adaptation of the story with frankly laughable acting and plot holes by today's standards.

This dark horror adaptation stars Robert Englund of A Nightmare on Elm Street fame, but is no gory slasher flick for all of that. Surprisingly thoughtful and darkly poignant, it is a must-see for anyone interested in the Phantom story's history in film.

Based upon the stage musical by Arthur Kopit and Maury Yeston, this miniseries presents a very different version of the story; while the excessive humanization of the characters and sometimes overly sentimental treatment of the story can irk, it is still a very interesting example of the later tendency of Phantom films to turn from horror interpretations and embrace romantic ones instead.

Anne Stuart's lightweight romantic romp is composed of equal parts the Phantom story and the Beauty and the Beast legend. Despite a fairly ridiculous premise and a host of silly plot contrivances, it still manages to be an enjoyable way to while away an hour or two, and an interesting piece for those looking for insight into the recent "sexualizing" in Phantom interpretations.

This Harlequin romance is only loosely based on the Phantom story, though it makes copious references to Gothic literature along the way. It's nothing particularly riveting as reading material, but it's interesting as a rare example in the romance genre that doesn't over-romanticize the title character of Leroux's work.

Renowned film critic Roger Ebert's newspaper serial story is fun, smart, suspenseful, and frequently hilarious. While it isn't a retelling or sequel of the Phantom story per se, it hits upon many of the same themes and gleefully parodies the often too-serious approach taken to the story by its devotees.

Lori Herter's short story "The Phantom of Chicago" is included in this small romance anthology; while it is far from insightful and features many of the cliches that make the romance genre so easy to poke fun at, it is still notable as a very obvious example of the romanticization of the Phantom story after the advent of Webber's musical.

This modern update of the classic Chinese film Ye Bang ge Sheng is a sumptuous visual feast and a sweepingly romantic tragedy. The social and political messages alone make the film worth a look; with beautiful cinematography and passionate acting, the film is a gorgeous examination of Chinese culture, and an extremely interesting window into another society's perception of the Phantom story.

This romance novel borrows heavily from several other folklore and myth sources in addition to having its foundation in the Phantom story; despite a focus that wanders from the original themes and a very romanticized view of the main characters, it is nevertheless a surprisingly compelling read, and a good example of a popular culture interpretation of the story.

This 2004 film version of the story is based upon Andrew Lloyd Webber's stage musical, and is one of the better known film adaptations. While the singers are of regrettably low quality and the film's dreamy atmosphere at times crosses the line into silliness, it is nevertheless one of the more popular versions available, and a milestone in the film romanticization of the Phantom story.