Horror Icon: Count Orlok (He's An Original!)

 

31 Days of Horror Icons: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

 

Year: 1920

Country: Germany

Subgenre: Surrealism/Psychological Horror/German Expressionism

Runtime: 67 minutes

Director: Robert Wiene

A film that needs little introduction; Robert Wiene's Der Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) is third, possibly fourth, in behind Murnau's Nosferatu as a silent horror film in fame and recognition.  I just really wanted to feature a silent film on this Spooktober Silent Sunday that I do every year and owed to my obsession with Conrad Veidt, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to post about this one. And, once again, it's as much about the edition of the film as it is a recommendation for a horror that some (many?) may not have seen yet. The is film is most famous for being the absolute pinnacle example of German Expressionism.  In that regard, this film is far and away number 1, with Metropolis closely nipping at it heels. What sets this apart from Metropolis are the sets themselves; they are all made almost entirely of paper products. It gives a really arty feel to the nightmare on the screen--and that is part of the point. That it's a nightmare, or a daymare, or a fantasy or a delusion....you get it. In truth however, is that the production simply could not afford more expensive materials. So what looks like it's done out of artistic genius, was in fact (like a lot of other works of art) done out of necessity. One can only actually enjoy these sets, however, if you actually watch the film with it's original tinting. I first saw this aeons ago, when it was only available in crappy black and white--and though it looked weird, the experience was a let down. When I first watched in it's restored glory, it was like an entirely different film. Damn, was that an experience! I have since gone on to acquire the Kino disc--which is the authorized restored edition. It has two new soundtracks to choose from (I just watched it this morning in a darkened room with the Donald Sosin score); plus tons of extras. The one serious highlight for me is the inclusion of a restored condensed cut of Weine's Genuine, The Tale Of A Vampire, also made in 1920. Give Cabinet a watch for it's nightmare colors; there are several YouTube channels that have restored prints up. It's a deeply unsettling experience if you watch at night with no other lighting on. It has loads of Spooktober vibes and tons of art you won't soon forget. And of course, IT HAS CONRAD VIEDT!!

This knife motion remind anyone of a more recent horror icon??

Famous Horror Actors: Mary Philbin

 

31 Days of Horror Recommendations: Blind Justice (Haevnens Nat/Revenge Night)

 

Year: 1916

Country: Denmark

Subgenre Crime Thriller/Dramatic Horror

Runtime: 100 minutes

Director: Benjamin Christensen (Benjamin Christie)

This is one of the very first "slow burn" horror films. Listed as a drama in many places, it most certainly also deserves it categorization as a horror film. Now, this is not Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920) or Nosferatu (1922) mind you; and it is most definitely not Häxan, Christensen's 1922 horror about witchcraft. It has no supernatural elements, save for a vague and growing unease about the nature and nurture of the soul. It's horror, does indeed reside in a skepticism over the possibility that salvation in all of it's forms may only be a human fantasy, with NO basis in reality. That people are, like any other creature, beyond salvation on any plane. The film seemingly starts as a kind of "old dark house" yarn; and just when you've settle in for such as tale it abruptly shifts in both time and narrative to story of love, loss, despair and the horrors of severe humiliation and shame. The main character John Strong, played by Christensen himself, is a circus performer who was forced into crimes of circumstance, and thus lands him in prison. The time shift sees him getting out of prison and seting out on quest to regain custody of his son; the only thing in world that he cares for. Here, John's state is presented almost as a zombie (it's really pretty scary, trust me). Christensen wrote it as a "fugue-like" state--I would say that it's a fine early film example of post traumatic stress disorder.  Christensen plays the role almost somnambulistically. He wanders in this pathetic state, until he meets up with a real criminal, one whom he met in prison. From here, he falls in with the man's criminal gang and this go from bad to worse. I will stop my description here; any further description would include serious spoilers. As for the film itself, it has been completely eclipsed by Häxan. People seem not to notice that Christensen started making films in 1914 and thanks to the Danish penchant for film preservation, many of these films are available. I don't have direct evidence of this, but in watching this recently, I see parts that appear to have influenced Stanley Kubrick in the making of The Shining. We all know that at least one other silent film, The Phantom Carriage, was visually referenced by Kubrick in the film, so it is not out of the question that this was also an influence. It was certainly a BIG influence on Tod Browning's The Unknown (1927). And likely influenced the making of (maybe even the writing of the novel that it's based on) Fox's Nightmare Alley (1947). A decent print can be found on YouTube--complete with all the original tinting (YouTube link).