Read to original book too, its pretty good. If your to cheep its all here:
http://www.classicbookshelf.com/libr..._of_the_opera/

I want to see the movie myself but meh Ill wait. The Chandiler didnt seem fake to me, for the reason it was REAL and cost 1.4 million quid to make the main real one.
The Book goes into great detail of WHY he haunts the opera, how and the details of Eriks life.